No-Knead Focaccia

The most difficult task for a home maker is to decide what to make each day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, isn’t it? I always struggle a bit in deciding my breakfast menu. On weekdays, folks at home prefer a light breakfast. But then I am not a big fan of giving them cornflakes or muesli each day. So generally its either idli/dosa or sandwiches for breakfast on weekdays and some elaborate breakfast, either typical Kerala style or European style or some North Indian style breakfast on weekends, and ofcourse, sometimes an upma on a weekday 🙂 But then some times I would be totally lost on a weekday and wouldn’t have any batter or a bread loaf with me, on such occasions I love such simple and quick bakes. You may check my earlier post on cheesy-potato Focaccia, stuffed Focaccia, or whole wheat Focaccia  

The best part about this bread is that, there are no hassles of kneading, no messy hands, no stretching and folding for 10-12 minutes like in most breads. Thus this becomes a no-fuss and quick recipe, but at the same time promises a soft crumb texture and a crispy crust. In our Indian weather conditions, it would take around 100-120 minutes from mixing the dough to serving it on a plate. You can add any toppings of your choice. No hard and fast rule. If you do not have a stock of Italian herbs like oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary etc, just use our desi coriander leaves. After all herbs are just for adding flavours. You may even use dried  herbs if you do not find the fresh ones. And did I tell you guys that its 100% vegan 🙂 Please do not forget to share your feedback in the comments section. I have used a 240 ml cup.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour 125 gm (1 cup)
• Semolina 125 gm ~ (3/4 cup)
• Salt to taste
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Instant yeast 3/4 tsp
• Olive oil 2-3 tbsp
• Herbs as required
• Crushed garlic 1 tbsp
• Lukewarm water 240 ml (1 cup)

Method:

• Mix the flours, salt, sugar, instant yeast and water in a big glass bowl  and stir it well with a wooden spoon or spatula till you get a sluggish mixture. It will be a very wet and loose dough, a bit like a thick cake batter.
• Sprinkle a spoon of olive oil on top of the dough and cover the bowl with a moist towel. Keep the bowl in a dry place and allow the dough to double in size.
• Meanwhile grease a 7 by 7 inches or 8 by 8 inches square tin or an 8 inch round tin with olive oil.
• Sprinkle a spoon of semolina in the tin.
• Now scoop out the dough into the prepared tin and spread it with your fingers. Drizzle olive oil and allow it to rise again till it looks puffy. This might take around 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile crush few garlic cloves finely and chop fresh parsley/rosemary/thyme or coriander leaves and keep them ready.
• Preheat the oven at 180-200 degree Celsius for atleast 10-12 minutes.
• Make indentations with your finger tips on the puffed dough and sprinkle the crushed garlic and a pinch of normal salt or rock salt on top. Drizzle some more olive oil on top.
• Bake the tin for 20-22 minutes or till the top looks golden. Sprinkle the chopped herb and bake for another minute or two.
• Remove the tin from the oven and place the tin on a wired rack for 3-4 minutes.

• Transfer the bread from the tin onto a cooling/wire rack and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Slice and serve it warm with any dip of your choice or make a cheesy sandwich with this delicious Focaccia or simply smear it with some salted butter and enjoy 🙂

Notes:

• You may add any toppings of your choice. The most preferred ones are caramelized onions, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, jalapenos, corn or mushrooms. Just be creative and play around with various toppings.
• You can stuff this bread with cheese or add some cheese as topping.
• This is a very simple and easy recipe with a very soft crumb and a crispy crust. Perfect for toasting or for grilled sandwiches.
• As each flour absorbs water differently and the absorption depends on humidity and other weather conditions, do not follow the liquid measurements blindly. You might require more or less water than given in the recipe.
• Also keep an eye on the bread after 18-19 minutes. Understand your oven and act accordingly.