No-Knead Garlic Feta Focaccia

Are you looking for a delicious and easy-to-make bread recipe that is perfect for any occasion? Look no further than garlic feta focaccia! This Italian flatbread is seasoned with olive oil and salt and topped with the tangy goodness of feta cheese and the bold flavor of garlic. As a first-time focaccia baker, I was thrilled with the result of this garlic feta focaccia recipe. The sandwiches made using the bread were a hit amongst friends, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you. In this post, I’ll share my step-by-step process for making this delectable focaccia bread, along with some tips and tricks I learned along the way. Let’s get baking!

Your grocery list for garlic feta focaccia

Pantry items

• All-purpose flour
• 1 packet (or 2 and 1/4 teaspoon) of active dry yeast
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt (for the dough)
• Honey
• Flaky sea salt (for garnish)

Dairy

• Unsalted butter
• Feta cheese

Produce

• Garlic cloves

Equipment/tools you’ll need

• Digital scale
• Microplane
• Pastry brush
• Metal baking pan or cast iron skillet
• Rubber spatula
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
• Whisk
• Fork
• Small saucepan

What’s focaccia?

Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread that is similar to pizza dough. It is typically seasoned with olive oil and salt and can be topped with a variety of ingredients such as garlic, rosemary, tomatoes, and cheese. Focaccia bread is often served as an appetizer, used as a sandwich bread, or as a side dish to accompany a meal.

Steps to making a delicious focaccia

Step 1

Whisk one ¼-oz. envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ tsp.), 2 tsp. honey, and 2½ cups lukewarm water in a medium bowl and let sit 5 minutes (it should foam or at least get creamy; if it doesn’t your yeast is dead and you should start again—check the expiration date!).

Step 2

Add 5 cups (625 g) all-purpose flour and 5 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt and mix with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry streaks remain.

Step 3

Pour 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into a big bowl that will fit in your refrigerator. This puppy is going to rise! Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat in oil. Cover with a silicone lid or plastic wrap and chill until dough is doubled in size (it should look very bubbly and alive), at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. If you’re in a rush, you can also let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 3–4 hours.

Step 4

Generously butter a 13×9″ baking pan, for thicker focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, or an 18×13″ rimmed baking sheet, for focaccia that’s thinner, crispier, and great for snacking. The butter may seem superfluous, but it’ll ensure that your focaccia doesn’t stick. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into center of pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift up and over into center of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this 2 more times; you want to deflate dough while you form it into a rough ball. (We learned this technique from Alexandra Stafford, who uses it to shape her no-knead bread.) Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot (like near a radiator or on top of the fridge or a preheating oven) until doubled in size, at least 1½ hours and up to 4 hours.

Step 5

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. To see if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. If it springs back quickly, the dough isn’t ready. (If at this point the dough is ready to bake but you aren’t, you can chill it up to 1 hour.) Lightly oil your hands. If using a rimmed baking sheet, gently stretch out dough to fill (you probably won’t need to do this if using a baking pan). Dimple focaccia all over with your fingers, like you’re aggressively playing the piano, creating very deep depressions in the dough (reach your fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan). Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.

Step 6

Hold off on this last step until you’re ready to serve the focaccia: Melt 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Peel and grate in 2–4 garlic cloves with a Microplane (use 2 cloves if you’re garlic-shy or up to 4 if you love it). Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often, until garlic is just lightly toasted, 30–45 seconds. (Or, if you prefer raw garlic to toasted garlic, you can grate the garlic into the hot butter, off heat, then brush right away.)

Step 7

Brush garlic-butter all over focaccia and slice into squares or rectangles.

Thick vs. thin focaccia: when to use which type

Focaccia bread can come in different thicknesses, and it depends on how you plan to use it. As a general rule of thumb, classic Italian-style pizza crust is typically less than half an inch thick, while most focaccia is at least three [2] to four inches thick.

Thick focaccia is traditionally 3-4 inches thick and is best used for: