Garlic & Rosemary No Knead Focaccia

This garlic and rosemary no knead focaccia is made with my famous garlic confit, giving it rich, caramelised flavour in every bite. The dough is effortlessly mixed by hand (no kneading or prior bread making skills required) and bakes into a golden, fluffy loaf with crispy edges. Topped with rosemary and confit garlic, it’s the ultimate herby, garlicky bread.

I love making focaccia and have so many different toppings for you to try! You will love my cheesy seeded focaccia, green olive focaccia and fig and goats cheese focaccia.

If there’s one bread recipe, or even just recipe, I’m known for, it’s focaccia. I make it so often that I’ve built a whole collection of toppings around my foolproof no knead dough—and this garlic and rosemary version might just be my favourite yet. Focaccia is an Italian style yeasted flatbread that is similar to pizza dough

Made with my famous garlic confit, this garlic and rosemary no knead focaccia is soft and pillowy on the inside, golden and crispy on the outside, and full of garlicky, herby flavour in every bite. The slow-roasted garlic confit melts right into the dough, forming golden, caramelised pockets on top, while fresh rosemary brings a fragrant, earthy finish. It’s a modern take on a traditional Italian rosemary focaccia. The best part? The dough comes together with your hands (or a wooden spoon if you don’t want to get messy!)

Whether you’re tearing off a piece to dip in olive oil or a creamy roasted red pepper dip, serving it with a big bowl of pasta, as a side to a delicious Italian appetizer or using it as the base for an epic sandwich, this focaccia is simple, satisfying, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients For The Dough

To make my no knead focaccia dough, you only need a few simple ingredients!

• Bread flour: I like to use bread flour over all purpose flour as it creates a softer and chewier bread. The brand I like to use is by Lighthouse. If you can’t get your hands on bread flour, all purpose regular flour will work just fine!
• Yeast: I always opt for a dry yeast which is a type of dehydrated yeast used in baking to help dough rise. It’s made up of dormant yeast cells that become active when mixed with warm water. The brand of dry yeast I like to use is by Tandaco as they come in conveniently sized 7g sachets. You could also use instant yeast! Just skip the step of adding the yeast to the water as instant yeast can be added straight to your flour.
• Salt: Fine kosher sea salt is best for when making doughs. Salt enhances the flavour of the dough and helps bring out the natural taste of the flour, olive oil, and toppings. It also strengthens the gluten structure and controls the yeast activity for a better rise and texture.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is the most important ingredient when making focaccia! It gives the bread its signature golden crust, rich flavour, and tender, pillowy texture. It’s used in the dough, the pan, and generously drizzled on top, helping the crust crisp up beautifully while keeping the inside soft and airy. Always use a high quality extra virgin olive oil when making focaccia!

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Expert Tips

Before we jump into how to make this delicious no knead focaccia dough, here are all my expert tips!

• Leave the dough to rest and rise as long as you can – if you have the time, I recommend leaving it for 24 – 48 hours (72 hours maximum) as this will result in a fluffier and lighter dough. If you are short on time try and leave it for a minimum of 8 hours.
• Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and don’t be shy with it – this is a recipe that relies heavily on extra virgin olive oil not just for the taste but also for the texture and that golden and crunchy crust. It’s important we are not skimping on the quality which is why I recommend using a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Find a warm spot in your house for the second rise – a room temperature environment will help the dough rise for its second rise. If you are making your focaccia in winter, a little trick I learnt is to leave the light on in your oven and let the focaccia dough rise in there. Be sure not to overproof your dough which means leaving it in a warm spot for too long! If your dough is over proofed, the dough will deflate when dimpled however, it will still taste great!
• It’s all about the baking sheet – I use a baking dish that is 34cm x 23cm x 5cm. You can also use a rimmed baking sheet so your focaccia doesn’t rise as high. It really comes down to personal preference!
• This is a high hydrated dough! Focaccia can have a hydration of 100% which means we are working with a high water ratio. My focaccia recipe sits at 98% hydration. So while it may seem like the dough won’t come together because it is too wet, trust the process!! Keep mixing until a wet dough forms and watch the dough strengthen after every stretch and fold.

How To Make Garlic & Rosemary No Knead Focaccia

This garlic and rosemary no knead focaccia comes together with minimal effort—just mix the dough, let it rise, and bake until golden and crispy.

• 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 (image 1).
• Step 2: Whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture (image 2).
• Step 3: Mix together the dry and wet ingredients with a spoon or your hands (image 3).
• 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 (image 4).

• 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 (image 5).
• Step 6: Continue this stretching and folding process until the dough shapes into a ball (image 6).
• Step 7: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside (image 7 & 8) and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 12 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). Cover and let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm spot or until it doubles in size.
• Step 11: Drizzle the dough with olive oil (image 11).

• Step 12: Dimple the dough with your fingers. It’s best to oil your hands to prevent them from sticking to the dough (image 13 & 14).
• Step 13: Top the dough with garlic confiT, rosemary and salt (image 15). Bake for 30 minutes at 400°F / 200°C or until golden and crunchy on the outside. (image 16)

FAQ’s

Serve

This garlic and rosemary no knead focaccia is best served warm, straight from the oven when the cheese is gooey and the crust is golden and crisp. Tear it apart and enjoy on its own, or serve it alongside one pan creamy orzo with burrata, perfect for soaking up the broth from Italian Mussels with Tomato and Chilli, or served with a big bowl of creamy garlic confit dip. You can even slice it up and use it to make one of my beloved Italian Sandwiches using my no-knead focaccia dough.

Store

To store, let the focaccia cool completely before wrapping it tightly in foil or placing it in an airtight container. It will keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5. To reheat, pop slices into the air fryer at 160°C for about 3–5 minutes until warmed through and crispy. In the oven, place the focaccia on a tray and reheat at 180°C for 8–10 minutes. For a quick option, you can also toast slices in the toaster — just be sure the cheese is set and won’t melt into the toaster slots!

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Have questions or want to leave a review about this No Knead Focaccia? Please do so below the recipe card! I always love answering your questions and hearing your feedback.

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