No Knead Pizza Focaccia
This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to because it feels like a cheat code for incredible bread. You get this thick, pillowy focaccia with a proper crispy bottom, loaded with all your favourite pizza toppings, and the best bit is you don't need to knead a thing. The dough does its thing slowly in the fridge overnight, building flavour you just can't rush, and the result is something genuinely special. That olive oil pooling in all the dimples, the bubbling tomato, the golden edges. Make it for a weekend lunch, a sharing starter, or honestly just because you deserve it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 220°C
- Large mixing bowl
- Large baking tray lined with baking paper
- Tea towel
Ingredients
- 400g strong white bread flour
- 100g super fine 00 grade flour
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp table salt
- 550ml lukewarm water
- extra virgin olive oil
- flakey salt
- tomato passata good quality - or pizza sauce
- plant-based mozzarella
- fresh basil
Method
Begin your dough
- Tip the flours into a large mixing bowl
- Add the yeast into one side of the bowl, and the table salt into the other side and give it a good mix
- By separating the yeast and salt, you avoid the risk of the salt killing the yeast
Add the water
- Make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the water
- Mix the water into the flour together until fully combined, first with a fork, then with your hand
- You are looking to combine the flour and water so that there are no clumps of flour, it will be a wet shaggy dough
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes
- The aim here is to let the gluten relax
Stretch and fold 1
- After 20 minutes, wet your hands with water, scoop and grip the dough and stretch it up then fold it over the top of the dough, completely covering the dough with the stretched piece
- Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, repeat the stretch and fold 3 more times
- Cover with tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes
Stretch and fold 2 - Wet your hands with water, repeat the stretch and fold movement as above
- At each stage, the gluten will develop, creating a fluffy focaccia dough
- Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes
Stretch and fold 3 - Wet your hands with water, repeat the stretch and fold movement as above
- Leave to rest for a final 30 minutes
- At the end of the final rest, your dough should be smooth and have doubled in size
Grab your baking tray
- Line it with baking paper, then generously drizzle with olive oil
- Pour the dough onto the tray and leave to rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten
- Once rested, pour a couple of tbsp olive oil over the dough and rub oil on your fingertips, use your fingers to create dimples over the dough
- Preheat the oven to 220°C
Add your topping
- Spread the dough with a good quality tomato sauce, sprinkle with your favourite plant based cheese
- Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until a fluffy and bubbly dough
- Remove from the oven, and leave to cool slightly, before topping with fresh basil, flakey salt and serving!
Tips & Variations
- Get the oil in generously: Don't be shy with the olive oil in the tin. It sounds like a lot but it's what gives you that incredible crispy, almost fried bottom that makes this so addictive.
- Toppings go on at the right time: Add your toppings after you've done the final dimpling and oiling, just before it goes in the oven. Pressing them in slightly means they bake into the dough rather than just sitting on top.
- Make it your own: We love classic pizza vibes with tomato, olives, and fresh basil, but this works brilliantly with roasted peppers, caramelised onions, or a good scattering of vegan cheese if that's your thing.
Why This Works
The trick here is the long, slow cold prove. By letting the dough rest in the fridge overnight, you're developing a depth of flavour that a quick rise simply can't match. The no-knead method also means the gluten sorts itself out on its own, so you end up with that gorgeous open, chewy crumb without breaking a sweat. Trust us on this one, patience is the secret ingredient.