Fig & Goats Cheese Focaccia
Mar 21, 2025
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I love making no knead focaccia—it’s one of my favourite things to bake and experiment with toppings. This fig and goats cheese focaccia is the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. The creamy cheese, jammy figs, and drizzle of honey come together on a soft, golden base for a delicious combination.
Love focaccia? Try my pizza-style focaccia, loaded with tomato, mozzarella, and basil and rich garlic butter focaccia.
There’s something magical about homemade focaccia—the way it transforms from a simple dough into something golden, fluffy, and full of character.
Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with making it, not just for the process (which is actually super simple, thanks to my trusty no-knead focaccia recipe), but for the endless topping possibilities. This fig, goat’s cheese, and honey version is a current favourite: sweet, creamy, and just the right amount of indulgent. It’s one of those bakes that feels a bit fancy, but is secretly so easy to pull off—perfect for sharing, snacking, or packing up for a picnic spread.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No-knead, foolproof focaccia dough – This easy recipe requires zero kneading, making it perfect for beginners and busy bakers alike.
- Sweet and savoury flavour combo – Creamy goat’s cheese, jammy figs, and honey create a unique balance of flavours that’s both comforting and elegant.
- Perfect for any occasion – Whether you’re hosting brunch, packing a picnic, or just craving something a little different, this focaccia fits the bill beautifully.
iNGREDIENTS
This fig and goats cheese focaccia is made with simple, wholesome ingredients that come together to create the perfect sweet and savoury bread.
- Figs – Fresh figs roast into jammy pockets of sweetness, adding a rich, fruity flavour to every bite.
- Goat’s cheese – Creamy and tangy, goat’s cheese balances the sweetness and melts beautifully into the focaccia.
- Honey – A light drizzle of honey ties everything together with a touch of natural sweetness and a golden finish.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe variations & Modifications
- Swap the goat’s cheese – Try feta, blue cheese, or brie for a different flavour profile.
- Use dried figs – If fresh figs aren’t in season, sliced dried figs work just as well—just soak them in warm water first to soften.
how to make Fig & Goats Cheese Focaccia
This recipe walks you through the step-by-step process of making the no-knead focaccia dough from scratch—the base of it all—while the toppings are the easy (and fun) part.
- Step 1: Begin by stirring lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready.
- Step 2: Whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture.
- Step 3: Mix together the dry and wet ingredients with a spoon or your hands.
- Step 4: Continue to mix until you form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes. This dough has a very high hydration so it's important the dough is left to rest for 10 minutes prior to the first stretch and fold.
- Step 5: Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times or until a ball begins to form, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes.
- Step 6: Continue this stretching and folding process until the dough shapes into a ball.
- Step 7: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside (image 8) and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 18 to 72 hours; this is the first proof.
- Step 10: Oil a baking tin with another 20g of olive oil and transfer the dough to it. (image 9). Gently stretch the dough to a rough rectangle, but not to the tin's edges—it will spread as it rises (image 10).
- Step 11: Protect it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap (image 11) and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm spot or until it doubles in size (image 12).
- Step 12: Top the focaccia dough with figs, goats cheese, honey, chili flakes, salt and pepper and an extra drizzle of olive oil (image 13).
- Step 14: Bake for 30 minutes at 400°F / 200°C or until golden and crunchy on the outside (image 14).
FAQ's for Fig & Goats Cheese Focaccia
No, focaccia doesn’t need to be kneaded—especially with a no-knead recipe like this one. Instead, simple stretch-and-fold techniques and a slow rise help develop the dough’s structure and texture, making it light, airy, and perfect every time.
Yes, you can make focaccia without bread flour! All-purpose flour works really well and still gives you a soft, fluffy texture with a crisp, golden crust. Bread flour will give a slightly chewier bite, but all-purpose is a great substitute and perfect for this no-knead recipe.
The secret to great focaccia lies in a few key things: a high-hydration dough, plenty of good-quality olive oil, and time. Letting the dough rise slowly builds flavour and texture, while stretch-and-folds (instead of kneading) create that signature airy crumb. Generous use of olive oil—both in the dough and in the pan—is what gives focaccia its beautifully crisp, golden crust and rich flavour. And those signature dimples? They help the oil and toppings settle perfectly into every bite.
If your focaccia dough isn’t rising during proofing, don’t worry—here are a few things to check and try:
Check the temperature – Dough rises best in a warm environment. If your kitchen is cold, try placing the bowl in a turned-off oven with the light on or near a warm spot.
Give it more time – Sometimes dough just needs a little extra time, especially in cooler conditions. Be patient and check back after another 30–60 minutes.
Check your yeast – Make sure your yeast is fresh and active. Expired or improperly stored yeast won’t rise properly.
Add a warm water bath – You can place your bowl over a larger bowl of warm water to gently warm it up and kickstart fermentation.
If none of these help, it’s possible the yeast was inactive from the start—next time, bloom it in warm water first to test it before mixing.
Yes, you can absolutely use dried figs for the topping! Just soak them in warm water for 10–15 minutes to soften them up before adding to the dough. They’ll still bring that lovely sweetness and chewy texture, making them a great alternative when fresh figs aren’t in season.
Serve
This focaccia is incredibly versatile and can be served in so many delicious ways. It’s perfect warm from the oven, sliced into squares as a starter or side, or packed up for a picnic or lunch on the go. The sweet and savoury combo of figs, goat’s cheese, and honey pairs beautifully with a fresh green salad, a vibrant and delicious red pepper dip, or even alongside some delicious BBQ seafood. You can also toast leftovers the next day for a quick snack or serve it with a spread of dips and antipasti for a laid-back, crowd-pleasing appetiser.
store
To store your focaccia, let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in foil or keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices or the whole loaf wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to 1 month. To reheat, pop it in a 160°C (320°F) oven or air fryer for 5–10 minutes until warmed through and crisped up. You can also toast a slice for a quick snack—the edges get beautifully golden!
More Focaccia Recipes you'll love
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Fig and Goats Cheese Focaccia
Ingredients
Focaccia dough
- 700 g bread flour
- 680 g lukewarm water, (100°F / 34°C) - 95% hydration
- 7 g dry yeast
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 60 g olive oil, extra virgin
Fig and goats cheese topping
- 3 figs
- 2 oz goats cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Focaccia dough
- Activate yeast: Stir water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready.
- Dry ingredients: In a different large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture, stirring with a spoon or your hands to form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes. This is the stretch and fold method and it will strengthen your dough. On the final stretch and fold, continue until the dough shapes into a ball.
- 1st proof: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside, and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 12 to 72 hours; this is the first proof. We only need half of the dough for this recipe so slice the dough in half and use the second half for a different recipe.
- 2nd proof: Oil a baking tin with another 20g of olive oil. Move the dough there, gently stretching it to a rough rectangle, but not to the tin's edges—it will spread as it rises. Protect it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm spot.
Fig and goats cheese focaccia
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Toppings: After the rise, dimple the dough with your fingers. Scatter the figs, goats cheese and chili flakes all over. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil.
- Bake & rest: Bake for 30 minutes until golden on top.Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before transferring it to a wire rack to rest for 15 minutes. Slice into it and serve immediately.
Notes
- Dough: We only need half of the dough for this recipe so slice the dough in half and use the second half for a different recipe. You can use many of focaccia toppings!
- Yeast: I like to use dry yeast that needs to be activated in water however, you can use instant yeast if you prefer. There is no need to activate instant yeast so simply add it to the dry ingredients along with the water and honey.
- Flour: If you don't have bread flour, all purpose flour will also work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
My dough seemed very wet. I added more during the stretching steps. I finally stopped and put the dough in to the frig. I know I measured correct! I hope it still works! Any ideas what I could have done wrong? Yes, it is rising! Just very wet!!
This is a very high hydrated dough but it should come together! Let me know how it works out for you!
What a delight this recipe was. Thank you for sharing. We all loved it.
Thanks so much Greg! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
I was just wondering what to do with all my figs that were growing on my trees and then this recipe popped up! Such lovely flavours. Thank you