This is the no knead skillet focaccia bread recipe you need! Just stir all the ingredients for the dough together, let sit overnight, top with herbs of your choice and bake in a cast iron skillet until golden, crisp and incredibly light and airy. So many options to serve this herbed focaccia!
I’ve had lots of fun experimenting with my easy no knead pizza dough recipe in recent months. There are so many wonderful things to make with it aside from your basic pizza such as olive and cheese buns; parigina pizza filled with prosciutto cotto and cheese; and pizza rolls with ham and cheese. And this week I used that same dough to make this no knead skillet focaccia bread! Baking focaccia in a cast iron skillet gives it a beautiful golden crisp crust.
Just look at the texture of this focaccia, so light and airy! I’ll admit it’s almost more of a bread than a focaccia. But this means it can be enjoyed in so many ways. Allow me to list a few possibilities for you!
To serve:
You’ll obviously be tempted to cut into it and eat it warm right out of the oven! Just wait a few minutes before slicing it as it will be molten hot.
But when I first experimented with this recipe last summer in my outdoor pizza oven and it came out super high and fluffy, my family and I enjoyed it Italian style. That is sliced in half and stuffed with mortadella and provolone cheese. We basically turned it into a focaccia sandwich! Isn’t this the perfect picnic food?
You can basically fill it with any ingredients you like. How about fresh tomatoes and mozzarella or grilled vegetables? Or make a steak and cheese sandwich as my son did!
Another great way to serve this focaccia is sliced into thin wedges and served on a charcuterie board surrounded by cured meats, cheese, olives and pickled vegetables. The perfect antipasto!
Serve it for dinner along with your favorite soup instead of bread.
Turn leftovers (if somehow you have any left) into croutons for your salad.
Now let’s get to this easy recipe!
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Scroll to the end of this post for the complete printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions:
Follow the instructions for my no knead pizza dough recipe until step # 4. The dough pictured below rose for 18 hours.
Flour your hands generously and shape the dough into a ball. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let rest for at least 45 minutes or up to an hour.
Transfer the ball of dough in a generously oiled (I used 2 tbsp. olive oil) cast iron skillet. My skillet is 10 inches wide however you may use a wider skillet if you have one. The baking time may require adjusting.
Dimple the surface of the focaccia with your finger tips and sprinkle herbs of your choice evenly over the surface. I added dry oregano and rosemary. Drizzle olive oil over the top and lightly sprinkle with sea salt or course salt.
Let rest in the pan while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden both on top and underneath. After about 20 minutes cover the focaccia with a sheet of foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark.Remove the focaccia from the skillet and let sit for a few minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy!
Tips and suggestions:
- You may use a larger cast iron skillet (mine is 10 inches). Baking time may have to be adjusted.
- Top with dry or fresh herbs of your choice.
- This skillet focaccia is also delicious topped with halved cherry tomatoes and/or olives.
- Keep leftovers tightly wrapped to prevent from drying out.
- Focaccia is best enjoyed the day it is made, however leftovers can be kept at room temperature until the following day.
- Focaccia can be frozen. Let it cool completely, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost and warm in the oven before serving.
If you try out this recipe, let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below. Feel free to Pin it for later. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 recipe Easiest No Knead Pizza Dough Recipe
Focaccia toppings
- 3 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp dry rosemary
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or course salt
Instructions
- Follow the instructions for my no knead pizza dough recipe until step # 4, that is the initial rising period from 6-24 hours.
- Flour your hands generously and shape the dough into a ball. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let rest for at least 45 minutes or up to an hour.
- Cover the bottom and sides of a 10 inch cast iron skillet with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Transfer the ball of dough onto the skillet .
- Dimple the surface of the focaccia with your finger tips and sprinkle the oregano and rosemary evenly over the surface. Drizzle the remaining tbsp. of olive oil over the top and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
- Let rest in the pan while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden both on top and underneath. After about 20 minutes cover the focaccia with a sheet of foil to prevent the top from becoming too dark.
- Remove the focaccia from the skillet and let sit for a few minutes before cutting into it.
Notes
- You may use a larger cast iron skillet (mine is 10 inches). Baking time may have to be adjusted.
- Top with dry or fresh herbs of your choice.
- This skillet focaccia is also delicious topped with halved cherry tomatoes and/or olives.
- Keep leftovers tightly wrapped to prevent from drying out.
- Focaccia is best enjoyed the day it is made, however leftovers can be kept at room temperature until the following day.
- Focaccia can be frozen. Let it cool completely, wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost and warm in the oven before serving.
- Please note that the nutritional information provided is approximate and may vary according to exact ingredients used and portion size.
Nutrition
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Jackie
Hi, my dough is at the hour rest before it goes into the skillet and seems very wet. Is this ok or should I try to incorporate more flour?
Nadia
Hi Jackie, were you able to shape it into a ball at this point? It’s hard to say because I can’t see your dough, however this dough is a high hydration dough and tends to be more sticky. This is normal therefore I would just suggest at this point that you add more flour. Let me know how it goes!
Jackie
Hi, I did add a little more flour and it was delicious. I topped it with carmelized onions and fresh figs before baking and…..wow! My grandson in law asked that I make it for Christmas so I stocked up on figs and put them in my freezer.
Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Nadia
Hi Jackie, that sounds absolutely delicious, I can just imagine! Thank you for your comment!
to
Very good. I made it with 30% whole wheat flour and added kalamta olives. I don’t have a skillet so I baked it in an enameled dutch oven with cover off .
Nadia
Hi Tom, sounds good and I love the addition of olives. Glad to hear it worked out with the dutch oven, thanks for sharing!
Jennie sama
This looks fantastic!!! Could it be made with gluten free flour???
Nadia
Hello Jennie, thank you! Unfortunately I don’t have any baking experience with gluten free flour so I would not be able to say. Perhaps another reader may chime in with their experience with gluten free flour?
Joanne
Hello, I don’t have a cast iron pan. Is it possible to use a different type of pan?
Nadia
Hi Joanne, a cast iron skillet will give you a wonderful crisp texture for sure, however any oven safe skillet will do. Be sure to grease it generously, you don’t want it to stick!
Donna
I LOVE your pizza dough recipe, so I can’t wait to make this!!
Nadia
Thank you Donna, and I love that there are so many ways to use it. Hope you enjoy it and thanks for your comment!
FM
Beautiful! And it’s easy to make!
Nadia
It really is, and tasty too! Thanks Frank!