Simple & Delicious Focaccia Bread Recipe: No Yeast Needed

Focaccia bread, a culinary delight hailing from Italy, is a flatbread sheet stacked with flavors and textures. With its buttery aroma and dimpled surface perfect for soaking up oils and seasonings, it's no wonder this bread has gained global acclaim. Here, we present a simple, plain focaccia bread recipe that lets the bread's natural qualities shine.

If you're new to bread making, fear not! Focaccia bread is surprisingly easy to make, even for beginners. As it requires no special equipment or complex techniques, it's the perfect gateway into the world of artisan bread. So, let's embark on this delicious journey together and get started.

Ingredients and Preparation

The secret to great focaccia lies in its simplicity. A handful of staple ingredients - flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt - come together to create something truly magical. Here's what you'll need:

• 500g strong white bread flour
• 700ml water
• 10g salt
• 10g fresh yeast or 5g instant yeast
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Creating the Dough

The dough for focaccia is quite wet and sticky, which helps create the signature open crumb structure. Here's how to make it:

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and water until no dry flour remains. Cover and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. This process, called autolyse, helps develop the dough's gluten structure naturally.
2. After resting, sprinkle the salt and crumble in the fresh yeast (or add instant yeast) over the dough. Knead the dough until the salt and yeast are fully incorporated.
3. The dough will be quite sticky. Resist the temptation to add too much flour. Instead, wet your hands with water, pick up the dough, and fold it over itself a few times. This technique helps integrate the ingredients without adding extra flour.

First Rise

Once your dough is smooth and elastic, it's time to let it rise. Here's how to proceed:

1. Transfer the dough to a greased container with a capacity of at least 3 liters. Drizzle a little olive oil over the dough to prevent a skin from forming.
2. Cover the container with a clean, damp tea towel or clingfilm, and leave it to rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
3. After the initial rise, gently deflate the dough by pushing your hands down into it. Be careful not to deflate it too much.

Shaping and Baking

With the first rise out of the way, it's time to shape and bake your focaccia.

Shaping

Shaping focaccia is a simple and fun process. Here's how to do it:

1. Line a baking sheet (around 30x40cm or 12x16inch) with parchment paper.
2. Transfer the risen dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Using lightly oiled hands, gently stretch and shape the dough to fit the sheet, creating an even thickness of about 1-1.5cm.
3. Let the shaped dough rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes. This helps relax the gluten and makes it easier to create the dimples.

Creating the Dimples

The dimples on the surface of focaccia aren't just for aesthetics; they help create a crispy texture and hold the olive oil and seasonings.

1. Using your fingertips, press gently but firmly into the dough, creating small evenly spaced dimples all over the surface.
2. Drizzle olive oil generously over the dough, making sure the dimples are filled. This will help create crispy corners and edges.
3. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sea salt and any other desired toppings like herbs or garlic.

Final Rise and Baking

Before baking, the dough requires its final rise. Here's how to proceed:

1. Preheat your oven to its maximum temperature - usually 220°C (200°C fan) or 425°F (400°F convection). Make sure the rack is positioned in the middle.
2. Let the shaped focaccia rise, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until it's puffed up and jiggly to the touch.
3. Bake the focaccia in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the underside has a few brown spots.
4. Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

And there you have it - a simple, plain focaccia bread recipe that lets the natural flavors of this delightful bread shine through. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice just starting out, this recipe is sure to become a keeper. So, grab your apron, and let's get baking!