No-Knead Olive Focaccia

Name: No-Knead Olive Focaccia
Prep time: 3 h
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 16-20 slices
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

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Breakfast Sides

This no-knead olive focaccia is soft, airy, and topped with olive oil, za’atar, and garlic. Simple to make and so satisfying.

PREP TIME

3 Hours (mostly resting)

COOK TIME

20 minutes

SERVES

16-20 slices

About this recipe

This no-knead olive focaccia is one of the most therapeutic recipes I’ve ever made. With close to 2 million views and over 20,000 likes, it’s the bread everyone kept asking me to share. It may seem like it takes time, but it’s actually one of the easiest things to make — you just need to be around the kitchen and keep an eye on the timer.

What I love most about this no-knead olive focaccia is how simple it is. There’s no mixer, no kneading, and no pressure. Instead, there’s resting, gentle folding, and watching the dough slowly come to life. It’s soft, airy, and finished with an olive and za’atar topping that’s very much my kind of flavour.

If you enjoy working with dough like this, you might also love my mini mana’eesh — soft, golden, and baked at home with classic Middle Eastern toppings like za’atar, cheese, or muhammara. And if you’re after something sweet, my Ashta Ricotta brioche is a beautiful twist on classic brioche, made tender with ricotta and lightly scented with cardamom.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

2½ cups (600 ml) water     
2 teaspoons (6 g) dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra for greasing
550 grams bread flour or plain flour

Olive Mixture

100 ml olive oil    
3 tablespoons Kalamata olives finely chopped
2–3 tablespoons za’atar 
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
Chilli flakes (optional)

Notes from Rouba

The dough should stay sticky
Be gentle every time you touch the dough to keep the bubbles
Don’t let the second rise go too long or you’ll lose structure
A good non-stick tray and plenty of olive oil make all the difference

I’m sharing the Danish dough whisk I used for this recipe — you’ll find it here. If you’re after a good non-stick pan, get 10% off Dorsch with my code ROUBASFOOD.

Method

Step 1. Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey, salt, and olive oil. Stir until dissolved. Add the flour and mix until no dry spots remain. The dough should be wet and sticky. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2. Stretch and fold 

Wet your hands with water and gently stretch the dough from all four sides, folding each side over towards the centre. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this stretch-and-fold process three times in total. Altogether, the dough rests four times — once after mixing and three times after folding.

Step 3. Prepare the tray

Generously grease a 23 × 33 cm non-stick tray with olive oil (see notes below). Gently tip the dough into the tray, being careful not to knock out the air. Fold the dough once more from all four sides, then lightly spread it out with gentle hands. Cover and let it rise for 1 hour, but not much longer. Avoid plastic wrap — instead, loosely cover the tray so the dough has room to rise without sticking.

Step 4. Top and dimple

Preheat the oven to 230°C (fan-forced) (450°F).

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, chopped olives, za’atar, garlic, and chilli flakes if using. Drizzle this olive and za’atar mixture over the dough, then dimple deeply with fingers to press it in evenly — this is always my favourite part.

Step 5. Bake the focaccia

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden and crisp on top, depending on your oven. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing.

A FEW THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

Why is the dough so wet?
A wet dough is exactly what you want for focaccia. It’s what gives you that soft crumb and airy, bubbly texture once it bakes.

Can I prepare the topping earlier?
Yes. The olive and za’atar topping can be mixed ahead of time and kept at room temperature until you’re ready to use it.

What if my focaccia isn’t bubbly?
Timing really matters here. Stick to the resting times, don’t rush the folds, and be gentle with the dough so you don’t knock the air out.

Do I need bread flour?
I’ve used both bread flour and plain flour, and they both work well. Bread flour is more traditionally used for bread, but plain flour still gives a great result.

Can I make this ahead?
No — once the dough has risen, it needs to be baked. This focaccia is best made and baked on the same day.

Can I change the toppings?
Yes, you can. This olive and za’atar topping is my favourite, but you can adjust the flavours to suit what you have on hand.

I see baking paper in the photos — do I need it?
Not necessarily. A well-greased non-stick tray works perfectly and gives the best crust. I sometimes use baking paper if I know a tray tends to stick — it’s completely up to you.

How do you cover the dough without plastic wrap?
I use a tray slightly larger than the focaccia tray and place it upside down over the top. It gives the dough plenty of space to rise and stops it sticking if it reaches the top.

Why do you wet your hands when stretching and folding?
Because the dough is very sticky. Wet hands stop it sticking to you, making the folds easier.

Can I swap the honey if I’m vegan?
Yes. You can replace the honey with sugar. It won’t change the texture of the dough, and the focaccia will still rise and bake beautifully.

Do I need a Danish dough whisk to make this?
No, but it really helps. I used a Danish dough whisk in Step 1 because it mixes wet, sticky dough easily without overworking it. A wooden spoon works too — the key is just mixing until there are no dry spots.