This Easy No-Knead Herb Focaccia Bread delivers a soft, chewy center, a golden crispy crust, and tons of fresh rosemary and oregano flavor. It requires no messy counter kneading and mixes up entirely in one bowl using a simple stretch-and-fold method.
The first time I ever tried fresh focaccia was years ago when I was in culinary school, it was topped with fresh rosemary and onions, and it was so life-changing that I can still remember that first bite today. I've made it countless times since then, but this specific recipe is my absolute favorite. Right now, my garden is overflowing with fresh herbs, so combining fresh rosemary and oregano has become my ultimate go-to combination. It gives the bread such a fresh, savory flavor, and even in the heat of the summer, it is totally worth heating up the kitchen for!
Table of contents
If you're looking for more herb-packed bread recipes to try, you should definitely check out my Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread or these super soft Herb Dinner Rolls. Both are awesome and use a lot of the same fresh herbs!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bread Flour: This is highly recommended because its higher protein content gives the focaccia its signature chew. If you don't have it on hand, you can substitute with all-purpose flour.
- Olive Oil: Because you really taste the olive oil in focaccia, make sure to use a good quality olive oil.
- Fresh Herbs: We are using a combination of fresh rosemary and fresh oregano. You can substitute with dried herbs if you need to (use about one teaspoon of each), but I highly recommend fresh herbs for the best flavor.
- Honey: You can substitute with equal parts granulated sugar if needed.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make No Knead Focaccia Bread
Since this is a stickier dough, we're skipping the traditional kneading and using the same stretch-and-fold technique I use for my sourdough bread. Here is how I do it:
- Start by weighing your bread flour on a kitchen scale to ensure accuracy. Combine the flour, warm water, salt, yeast, and honey in a large bowl.
- Stir the ingredients together until a wet, shaggy dough forms and no dry patches of flour remain. Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform three rounds of stretch-and-folds inside the bowl at 30-minute intervals. Gently pull one side of the dough upward and fold it over the center, rotating the bowl until the dough starts to resist.
- Coat your baking pan generously with olive oil. Transfer the dough over, gently stretch it toward the corners, and let it rise until puffed. Drizzle with oil and use your fingers to press straight down to the bottom of the pan to create those iconic dimples.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough generously with the finely chopped fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, and a good pinch of flaky sea salt right before it goes into the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Top with additional fresh herbs and salt if desired. Enjoy!
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
👉 Sky's Tips
- High-hydration doughs are all about precision. A little too much flour from a scooping measuring cup can turn a light, airy focaccia dense and dry. Weighing your flour and water in grams is the way to go here.
- While parchment paper is great for a standard loaf of bread, it acts like a barrier here. It traps moisture and steams the bottom of your focaccia, leaving it soft. Baking the dough directly on a well-oiled metal pan allows the bottom to essentially "fry" in the olive oil, giving you that iconic, ultra-crispy crust.
- If you've recently made my Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough Bread, don't throw away that leftover garlic-infused olive oil! Pouring that over this dough before dimpling adds a spectacular layer of flavor.
- High-hydration dough is sticky! Before you press your fingers into the dough to make those classic dimples, coat your hands in a little olive oil. This prevents the dough from tearing or sticking to you.
- I love baking this focaccia in a 14.5-inch by 10-inch baking sheet. It will work in a 9x13, it will just be a bit thicker than baking in a bigger pan.
I really hope you get a chance to bake this easy herb focaccia soon! It is one of my absolute favorite recipes to make with fresh garden herbs. There is truly nothing better than pulling a hot, bubbly, olive-oil-crusted loaf out of your own oven.
-Sky🩷
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📖 Recipe
No Knead Herb Focaccia Bread
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- 14.5 x 10 sheet pan or 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 572 grams bread flour
- 472 grams warm water
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt plus more for topping
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, warm water, salt, yeast, and honey. Stir until a shaggy dough forms and no dry pockets of flour remain. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 3 rounds of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. To do a stretch-and-fold, reach under one side of the dough, pull it upward gently, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this 4 times until the dough forms a tighter ball. For the first round, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the dough to coat it, then cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this entire process two more times for a total of 3 rounds.
- After the final stretch-and-fold, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature until it has noticeably doubled in size, looks airy, and has visible surface bubbles (about 30 to 45 minutes).
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your baking pan, coating the bottom and sides thoroughly. Transfer the dough into the pan. Gently stretch the dough toward the corners (it doesn't need to fit perfectly; it will fill out as it rises). Cover and let it proof for 30 to 40 minutes until puffy and bubbly. Preheat your oven to 425°F during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the puffed dough. Coat your fingers in oil to prevent sticking, then press your fingers straight down through the dough to the bottom of the pan to create deep dimples across the entire surface. Sprinkle evenly with the fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven. Top with an extra sprinkle of fresh herbs and flaky salt if desired. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Skip the Parchment Paper: Bake directly on a well-oiled metal baking pan. Parchment paper traps steam and makes the bottom soggy, whereas the oil fries the bottom crust to a perfect golden crunch.
- Use a Kitchen Scale: High-hydration dough requires precision. Weighing your flour (572g) and water (472g) ensures your bread turns out light and bubbly instead of dense.
- Oil Your Hands: To keep the dough from sticking and tearing when making your dimples, coat your fingers generously with extra olive oil first.
- Flavor Bonus: If you have leftover garlic-infused oil from making my Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Sourdough, use it here for an incredible flavor boost!
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