This bubbly overnight focaccia is salty, fluffy, and will become your go-to bread.
It took me MULTIPLE tries before I finally nailed this — and I can confidentially say that this overnight focaccia is exactly like I remember from my favorite Italian bread baskets. There’s a beautiful crumb, a golden top, and a salty olive oil flavor with every bite.
While this does take some time to make, it’s not particularly difficult — and most of the time is spent with varying rises and rests.
Also, just a note that this is an 80% hydration dough — so it’s GOING TO BE WET! If you’re not used to working with high hydrations, you may feel the need to grab more flour and throw it in the mix — please don’t do this! You need the hydration to help create that fluffy crumb and airy interior. I promise, just follow my direction and you’ll be amazed by the outcome.
Get ready to be the focaccia go-to in your group of friends!
Here’s what you’ll need for this fluffy bread:
All-purpose flour: I use King Arthur AP flour for this. It has a little more protein content than other brands, but not as much as bread flour.
Extra virgin olive oil: Make sure you’re using a quality EVOO.
Active dry yeast: To help with the rise.
Honey: To feed the yeast.
Kosher salt: For flavor.
Warm water: For both the dough and the saltwater brine.
Toppings: For this I’m using EVOO, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, oregano, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Just a note that for the actual dough recipe, I’m using grams as my unit of measurement [this is so that we can be as precise as possible — it’s also how hydration is measured (volume of water:flour)].
I’ll switch to teaspoons when it comes to the topping and saltwater brine because those don’t need to be as precise.
Here’s how to make this focaccia:
Mix 390 grams of warm water with 14 grams of honey and 2 grams of active dry yeast. Stir to combine and let sit for 5-8 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 480 grams of AP flour and 14 grams of kosher salt.
Now pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture, and then add 40 grams of extra virgin olive oil.
Using a spatula, stir the dough until there are no dry bits left. It’s going to look like a wet, shaggy mess. This is okay!
Once your dough looks like this, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, wet your hand (so that it doesn’t stick to the dough) and perform 4-5 sets of stretch and folds.
To do this, just grab a piece of the dough and stretch it out a bit, then fold it over itself like you’re wrapping a gift.
Then, rotate the bowl and do another set. Do 4-5 stretch and folds and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
*Note: Make sure you’re only wetting your hand for this step. While it might feel like you want to flour your hands, we don’t want to add more flour to the dough.
After the 15 minutes, perform another set of the stretch and folds. This time you should notice that the dough as much more structure and elasticity.
Once you’ve fished your stretch and folds, flip the dough over so that the smoother part is on top. Drizzle with olive oil and rub it so that the dough is covered all over. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 12–18 hours.
Once you take the dough out the next day, it should look like this:
Happy next day! Oil a 9×13 pan (I prefer to use this USA Pan aluminized steel nonstick — it works gorgeously each and every time!) and transfer the dough to the pan, making sure the smooth side is on top. you can shape it into a cute little rectangle like I did above, or just let it rest as it. Either way will work!
Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place (I put mine in the oven with the light on) for 2–3 hours, or until it spreads out and fills about 85–90% the pan, like this:
Note: You want to make sure you don’t overproof this stage! If you do, you’ll notice that the dough collapses and doesn’t have any spring to it. Since proofing time can vary depending on factors like temperature and humidity, start checking the dough at about 1.5 hours to see how much it’s growing.
Once you’re close to the 3–4 hours being up, make the saltwater brine by combining 3 tbs warm water with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir until most of the salt is dissolved.
Now you’re going to dimple the dough (with wet fingers so you don’t stick!) all over. Press hard enough to touch the bottom of the pan, but not enough to break the dough. Once you’ve finished dimpling, pour the salt water brine all over the dough, making sure to fill the dimples.
Once done, cover with plastic wrap again and let rest for 45 minutes.
While the dough is resting, set a rack to the bottom of the oven (bonus points if you have a pizza stone to set on top of it!), and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (we’ll lower this temperature before baking).
You can also make a topping at this time. If you want to follow mine, just combine 1 tbs water, 1 tbs EVOO, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes and 1-2 springs of rosemary, chopped.
Once the 45 minutes are up, pour the topping all over the dough, making sure to use your hands to spread it out.
I also like to drizzle a little extra EVOO on top, sprinkle a touch more salt, and then give a small grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Once ready, turn the oven down to 425 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes on the center rack. In the last 15 minutes move the tray to bake on the bottom rack, on top of the pizza stone if you have one.
Let the focaccia rest for 7 minutes in the tray, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.
Allowing the dough to rest for long periods (12–18 hours) in the refrigerator gives it time to slowly ferment. This creates a deeper flavor and helps produce an airy, open crumb with a fluffy texture.
You can rest it up to 24 hours in the fridge, but going too long risks over-fermentation, which can cause the dough to weaken or collapse. I’ve had it resting for an entire 24 hours with great results.
No special flour is required. A high protein All Purpose Flour, such as King Arthur or Trader Joe’s All Purpose flour, works perfectly for this high-hydration dough.
You do! Getting accurate measurements is important for the integrity of this bread. I promise it’s absolutely worth it. You can get a food scale on Amazon for an affordable price.
Overnight focaccia dough is very wet and sticky. Avoid adding extra flour, as it can make the focaccia dense and less airy. Luckily since you don’t have to knead this dough, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Not necessarily. Some deflation is normal during long cold fermentation. As long as the dough still has structure and bubbles, it should bake up fine.
Yes, but the flavor and texture won’t be as developed. Overnight fermentation gives focaccia its signature airy interior and complex flavor.
Generously oil a baking pan, gently transfer the dough into it, and cover. Let it rise in a warm spot until it spreads 85–90% of the pan.
The brine adds flavor and helps create a crisp, golden crust. It also settles into the dimples, seasoning the bread evenly.
Use wet or oiled fingers to press deep dimples into the dough. The dimples help the focaccia bake evenly and hold the brine, olive oil, and toppings.
I love using a 9×13 USA Pan for this recipe as it makes transferring the bread easy. If you don’t want to get one, make sure your pan is about 2 inches deep. Additionally, you can consider spraying the pan with cooking spray and/or using parchment paper to ensure the bread doesn’t stick.
Bake at 425°F after preheating your oven to 500°F. This method helps the bread rise quickly and develop a golden crust.
The top should be golden brown and the bottom should be crisp. An internal temperature of about 200°F is a reliable indicator of doneness.
Absolutely. Stick with the herbs, garlic, and cheese in the recipe, or add olives, tomatoes, flaky salt, caramelized onions, or fresh herbs.
Once cooled, store in a loosely covered container or bread bag. Reheat in a 375°F oven for a few minutes to restore crispness.
Yes. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Reheat in the oven until warmed through to restore the texture.
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I have always made the quick one. First time I have tried the overnight one. Fantastic recipe. Had sundried tomato feta, garlic, chili flakes and rosemary as my topping.
Abbie that sounds INCREDIBLE! So glad you enjoyed!
Can I make this with a sourdough starter?
I'm not sure! Let me know how it goes!
please offer more discussion on the type of pan: size, material, etc that you bake the focaccia in, tranks!!
Good idea, Sally! I use a USA Pan 9x13 aluminized steel nonstick and I ADORE it.
Okay, this is the best focaccia bread I’ve ever made!! Best recipe hands down!
Thanks Mary!!!!! I'm obsessed with it.
Ok...what other pan alternatives can you suggest. Just trying to use what i already have. Thanks!!
If you use something you already have, definitely spray it with some cooking spray before adding in the oil and dough. I haven't tried using parchment paper, but I can see that working also. It does rise a decent amount while baking, so just make sure it's at least 2 inches deep.
I am not a bread maker and this was a great easy recipe to follow. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out great.