Best Focaccia Bake Off

Looking for the best easy no-knead focaccia recipe? With just flour, water, olive oil, salt and yeast, focaccia is one of the easiest homemade breads to make. I tested 9 popular recipes in search of the best!

While the heat of the summer may not feel like the best time to go searching for the best focaccia recipe, I’d argue that summer is also peak sandwich season. And there’s nothing like elevating your summer sandwiches with homemade bread!

With mostly minimal bake times and some truly fuss-free techniques, focaccia is one of the most forgiving bread recipes for beginners. Let’s dive into the focaccia bake off!

METHODOLOGY // RESULTS // FACTORS // ANALYSIS // RECOMMENDATIONS

Methodology

• 35 total tasters
• All ingredients were measured by weight according to King Arthur (unless the recipe specified weights)
• All recipes were baked the day of tasting
• Recipes were baked in 9×13 or 11×18 pans.
• Each taster ranked each focaccia on a scale from 0-10 for flavor, texture and overall as a whole.
• I omitted any toppings (all focaccias were simply finished with olive oil and flaky salt)

Ingredients

• Gold Medal bleached all-purpose flour
• King Arthur unbleached bread flour
• Kirkland extra-virgin olive oil
• SAF instant yeast
• Red Star active dry yeast
• Diamond Kosher salt
• Maldon flaky salt

Types of focaccia

What is considered a classic focaccia? In my research on the different types of focaccia, I quickly became overwhelmed by all the regional varieties. But it seems clear that most consider Ligurian focaccia to be the most traditional Italian focaccia style.

While Samin Nosrat states calls hers a Ligurian focaccia, no other recipe clarifies which style its trying to emulate. Except King Arthur’s, which is a twist on Pan de Cristal, a type of Catalan bread. Needless to say, I doubt any Italians will be calling this a super authentic focaccia bake off. But for the purposes of testing mostly popular American recipes, I still think this was a fun experiment!

Here’s a brief overview of some of the different types of Italian focaccia:

• Focaccia ligure (from the Liguria region): Typically 2cm thick and soft inside, this is generally considered the traditional Italian focaccia from everything I’ve read. Sometimes referred to as the “mother of all focaccias” with a crisp golden surface, moist dimples and an almost creamy interior. I love this description. Focaccia genovese comes from Genoa, also within the Liguria region, as does recco focaccia (thin layers of focaccia with cheese in between).
• Focaccia pugliese (common in Puglia/Southern Italy): Flatter than the Ligurian style, this dough rises only once for a flatbread dough that’s more pizza-like than traditional focaccia. Tends to be topped with vegetables and herbs.
• Focaccia barese (common in the Puglian city of Bari): This focaccia is typically thick, fluffy and soft with crunchy edges. It’s often studded with tomatoes and sometimes contains mashed potatoes in the dough
• Focaccia dolce (more common in northern Italy): Apparently there are a few sweet variants in northern Italy–focaccia dolce, which can come sprinkled with sugar and may include raisins or honey. Focaccia veneta is closer to a panettone and includes eggs, sugar and butter.

Results

After analyzing the data from 35 tasters, results of the crowd rankings are below!

As always, please take these results with a grain of salt. There is always some element of baker’s error and these scores are very specific to my particular group of tasters. I truly believe all of these recipes are delicious and would be someone’s ideal focaccia!

Factors: what factors play into the best focaccia recipes?

Knead vs. no-knead

Unlike some types of bread, focaccia doesn’t necessarily require kneading to build structure in the dough. Out of the 9 recipes I tried, only 3 required explicit kneading (Sally’s, Joshua and Claire). Several required a series of folds (Grateful Pizza, King Arthur). And a few required just mixing and shaping with minimal folds (Bon Appetit, Samin Nosrat, Alexandra Cooks, Recipe Tin Eats).

Ultimately, there was no clear indication that a specific technique yielded a better outcome. While our #1 recipe was kneaded, #2 was no-knead and #3 required a set of folds. This was a heartening finding to me as it shows that minimal effort can get you pretty far when it comes to focaccia!

Salt

Based on the scores, I think the correlation between the salt ratio and flavor rating is quite strong. The recipes that received the highest flavor scores (Claire Saffitz and Bon Appetit) used 1 tsp of salt per cup of flour.

When looking at some of the bigger anomalies between flavor/texture scores, Grateful Pizza had a texture score of 6.2, but a flavor rating of just 5.8. Given that this recipe uses .4 tsp salt per cup of flour, it makes sense that this dough felt underseasoned compared to the “gold” standard of 1 tsp salt to 1 cup flour. Meanwhile, Samin Nosrat received a flavor rating of 6.4 with a texture rating of 5.8. Not only does Samin use a ratio of 1.13 tsp salt per flour in the dough, she also adds a salt water brine on top to season the dough.

In conclusion, a good rule of thumb is to adjust whatever recipe you use to use 1 tsp salt* to 1 cup flour for a well-seasoned dough. Of course, if you’re sensitive to salt or prefer things less salty, then reduce the amount accordingly.

*IMPORTANT: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt which is far less salty than fine table salt or Morton kosher salt. Make sure to adjust accordingly!

Hydration

As someone who loves a hydrated crumb, my hypothesis was that higher hydration breads would outperform lower hydration recipes. The only 100% hydration recipe (King Arthur) ended up coming in third. A respectful finish, but not in the top slot probably due to other factors.

However, I do think that Sally’s recipe ended up coming in at the bottom due to the breadier texture that resulted in part from a lower hydration. In fact, the three recipes with the lowest hydration (Sally’s, Recipe Tin Eats and Samin) all ended up with lower ratings. A lower hydration typically yields a closer, tighter crumb which was not generally preferable in this bake off.

Overnight fermentation

While pretty much any bread recipe generally benefits from a longer fermentation flavor-wise, it was interesting that Claire’s recipe (made same day) took top honors. King Arthur, also made same day, took third place. Meanwhile, BA and Joshua Weissman both called for overnight rests and took second/fourth place respectively.

In general, resting your dough overnight (or even longer) will help develop a more complex, sourdough-like flavor. However, if you want to index on a crunchy crust or just a nice salty/olive oil flavor, an overnight rest is not at all necessary.

Analysis of the best focaccia recipes

Sally’s Baking Addiction: a soft, bready focaccia with a pillowy, close-crumbed texture

Sally’s recipe requires around 10 minutes of kneading, which can be done by hand or with a machine (I used the latter). It’s a bit unusual in that you’ll knead, let it rise, shape, and THEN let it rest for an hour up to overnight before baking. Most recipes call for doing an overnight rise before shaping, doing a final rise, and then baking. But this process is great for a make-ahead focaccia that you can bake off in the morning!

This dough was notably thicker and easier to work with (i.e. not as wet and sloppy) compared to others. I suspected that the texture of the dough meant the final product wouldn’t yield my ideal stretchy, moist crumb.

And sure enough, this focaccia had a really pleasant, soft and even crumb that was on the drier side. The texture felt more bready (for lack of a better word) rather than chewy, with little contrast between the fairly soft crust and soft interior. With its perfectly even crumb, this almost reminded me of a focaccia you might find in a grocery store. The flavor was pleasant (decent level of salt), but not overly memorable.

Overall, I enjoyed this focaccia–but it’s definitely for those who like a soft and bready texture!

Taster comments:

• Mmm so soft and bready! Objectively maybe bad focaccia but I love the softness. Good salt level. Mostly just feel like a roll
• A little on the doughy side, nice flavor and good texture inside, lacking crunchy exterior
• Really like the flavor of yeast oil & flaky salt. I love the pillowyness of this one but It did feel more like regular bread. tighter crumb
• A little bit too soft and spongy, not what I would want in a focaccia, and doesn’t really taste like olive oil
• This had a denser and cakier crumb with a very light top. it felt more like a sandwich bread and didn’t have the crispy vs. soft element I love in focaccia
• Wouldn’t call this focaccia and is generally just bread
• Don’t like this at all. This just tastes like a dinner roll with a fine, dense crumb, weak flavor that tastes almost chemically, and weak crust.

Recipe Tin Eats: a lightly sweet, squishy bread with pockets of potato

This was the only focaccia barese recipe aka the only recipe that used mashed potatoes in the dough. Naji calls for incorporating boiled, mashed potatoes into the dough by smearing them against the edge of the bowl until evenly incorporated. I confess that baker’s error definitely occurred at the step of mashing the potatoes with a ricer or masher until smooth (I used a fork instead). A few lumps were clearly still present as I smeared the potatoes into the dough. Ultimately, my arm strength/patience definitely gave out before the potatoes were completely smoothly integrated.

Besides the potatoes, this recipe was notable for its use of 16g of sugar per 200g bread flour. This is a far higher ratio of sweetener compared to other recipes (for example, 8g sugar to 600g in Sally’s recipe, or 15g honey to 800g flour in Samin’s recipe). Sugar can be very helpful in activating yeast in bread recipes, but this seemed a bit generous for simply activating the yeast.

Sure enough, this focaccia was notably sweeter than the others. The general taster sentiment was that this was NOT a typical focaccia–but it was strangely crave-able. While slicing into it, it became clear that the pockets of un-mashed potato had created slightly gummy-looking pockets within the bread. This had a similar tight, bready crumb to Sally’s, but with far more moisture from the potatoes and sugar. I loved the moist, soft texture of the bread and the potato pockets were strangely satisfying to eat! I think the added sugar also contributed to a nice golden-hued crust.

Honestly, this is not what I would call a classic focaccia at all. But I would happily make and eat this version again, baker’s error and all. This is the focaccia I kept returning to because I just loved the flavor and squishy texture!

Taster comments:

• It’s like weirdly gooey but I LOVE THE FLAVOR, texture is like a cake. A little sweet and potato-y
• Tastes like cornbread + pancake, which is tasty, but does not have a focaccia feel or taste to it
• Good flavor, nice and rich. Too dense and the bottom looks underbaked.
• Not like normal focaccia more like pound cake but I loved the sweetness and consistency it was very good
• this did not read focaccia at all, super dense like bread pudding, yeasty flavor and sweet (I’m on pins and needles to see what recipe this is!!)
• Very, bland and the cake like consistency made it similar to a regular loaf of bread.the crust was easier to chew which is preferred but it does not resemble a focaccia.
• Gave it such low scores but we actually loved this one. It just felt like it was more cornbread than authentic focaccia so I feel like it should not be a recommended focaccia recipe.
• My least favorite one. Has a cake like texture and a sweet flavor. Doesn’t taste like focaccia to me, more like cake.

Alexandra Cooks: an airy, chewy, coarse-textured focaccia

I sighed in relief when it came time to make Alexandra’s recipe. It’s SO simple–mix the flour, salt, yeast and water and let it sit for overnight up to three days. (There’s also a same day option if you’re short on time.) Then you simply place the dough ball in a pan and let it rise for 3-4 hours until it’s fully risen, then bake!

Given the simplicity of this process, I was curious to see how it would compare to the more elaborate recipes. I’ve made Ali’s no-knead peasant bread before, and this feels very similar. With a nice bubbly exterior, the middle is coarse and open with a rough, chewy, slightly drier crumb and crispy bottom. To me, this had a middle-of-the-road flavor. It wasn’t especially memorable, but it was a very solid payoff for a low-effort recipe.

Taster comments:

• Top and bottom are both a little chewy (even more so than #1), but in a way that’s not familiar for me with focaccia.
• Tastes like sourdough and texture like it too with air pockets
• Firmer. Better oil balance and can taste the salt throughout. Less rich/complex flavor.
• Love the fluffy and chewy texture, and it’s height that bounces back even after being squished and bitten into. Unfortunately, the taste is pretty bland. Wish there was more salt and olive oil.
• there is an airiness to this that the first one didn’t have. the flavours, however, were definitely lacking
• A little plain in flavor but lovely texture. I like the chewy middle and crust top/bottom

Samin Nosrat: a chewy, slightly bubbly focaccia with a perfect notes of salt and olive oil

Like Alexandra Cooks, Samin’s recipe is a very easy no-knead recipe. Simply mix the ingredients together and ferment at room temperature for 12-14 hours! Samin’s recipe is also a bit faster (requires a 75 min rise vs. a 3-4 hour rise before baking). The only extra step is making a salt brine and pouring it over the focaccia prior to baking. This was the only recipe I’d made prior to the bake off AND it won The Kitchn’s focaccia taste tests, so I was excited to be re-testing it.

Despite the extra step of moving the focaccia to the upper rack of the oven during the last few minutes of the bake, the focaccia didn’t quite brown as desired. I got the same pale-tan hue as I did the last time I made this recipe rather than the golden finish in this video. (I wonder if it could be oven issues?) Though the bottom did get quite crisp and golden!

“Make sure you use really good olive oil…since the dough essentially fries in it,” says one poster on Reddit. I couldn’t agree more–I liked the chewy, semi-bubbly texture, but I feel like the flavor is where this focaccia really shone. This is the only focaccia that specifically called for getting brushed with more olive oil out of the oven. I really enjoyed the prominent olive oil and salt flavor that permeated the entire bread. Some tasters noted enjoying the fermented/yeasty notes, which I found quite subtle.

While I generally would prefer a more bubbly, airy texture, this is a very solid focaccia payoff for a low level of effort!

Taster comments:

• Very fluffy and airy which was delicious. Little too oily and didn’t have crispy crust
• Very olive oily which I like, but I wish the crust was a little more crisp
• Since Genoese focaccia often has coarse salt on it, my general assumption is that it’ll be salty, but compared to all the others, I feel like this one was *actually* salty — like the bread itself carried quite a bit of saltiness to it. Personally, I tend to prefer salty, but I don’t know if others would agree. There’s a very, very mild sourness as well that I liked because I tend to like sourdough, though I assume none of these are sourdough focacce since that’s not “standard” and would require using starter.
• I like the saltiness and richness but dislike the flat top and denser crumb. Wish it was fluffier and more bubbly.
• Too yeasty and chewy other than that good
• The crumb seemed all wrong to me and not a lot of flavor; crust is too blonde and midchew is disappointing

Grateful Pizza: a holey, crusty focaccia with mild flavor

This recipe came recommended by my former intern (hi Melody!) who is an avid follower of Caroline Anderson‘s focaccia adventures. The base of this recipe Is similar to Bon Appetit but with slightly less water and with a series of folds. She also adds an autolyse (hydrating the water and flour for 30 minutes at the beginning of the recipe) for a better texture. While this recipe is still relatively low-maintenance, the autolyse and series of 4 folds add an extra 1.5 hours of process time compared to the BA recipe.

Despite my slight skepticism, there was a definite textural difference between this recipe and BA! With a crackly, ultra-crispy top and more holey, irregular crumb structure, this focaccia felt more artisanal.

However, I found the flavor a bit lacking compared to others and I wonder if this was due to the amount of olive oil I added to the dough. Caroline doesn’t list olive oil measurements, so the amount is up to your discretion. Perhaps had I been more generous, this would have received higher flavor marks. As is, I think this has an excellent texture and would be fantastic topped with something like olives, roasted red peppers and garlic. (Per my salt observation under “Factors” above, I might increase the salt to 4-5 tsp or 12-15g next time to boost the flavor.)

Taster comments:

• The is my ideal focaccia. Beautiful, golden brown bubbly crust with a truly crunchy bottom crust. The tallest of the bunch, with fluffy and chewy crumb with large pockets. Perfectly salty and you can taste the olive oil.
• Has more airiness and height. Has a richer structure and crust is good. Initially tastes like a baguette, but it breaks as you chew.
• Love the height on this one, the browning at the top is good. I loved the airiness but the taste leaned towards the blander side of things. This tasted the most yeasty and had a good amount of chew.
• Hearty structure and flavor, rustic, almost tastes healthy but satisfying nonetheless
• Love the crispy crust and nice airiness and bounce. Lacking a bit in flavor and a bit dry.
• Flavor was ok but lacking a little, air pockets were too tall for me
• Missing flavor (olive oil and salt are light), and tastes more like a sourdough loaf slice

Joshua Weissman: a spongy, chewy, slightly more rustic focaccia

Joshua’s recipe won David Seymour’s focaccia taste test, so I was very curious to try it. This was one of three recipes to call for kneading (along with Claire and Sally), and this was the only recipe to use whole wheat flour. This also had the longest fermentation time of 48-72 hours (mine was closer to 36 hours but I figured we’d still get the general vibe). Because this calls for ~25 total minutes of kneading, I probably wouldn’t attempt this recipe unless you have a mixer.

The medium-airy, chewy texture reminded me of a cross between the texture of Samin and Alexandra Cooks. The bubbly crumb felt slightly loftier than Samin (but less so than Grateful Pizza) and rustic in a similar manner to Alexandra Cooks. I like that the whole wheat flavor was quite subtle, letting the flavors of the yeast and salt come through more strongly (though I would have liked more olive oil). This had a good sponginess but although the bottom was nice and crispy, the top didn’t have as much contrast.

This would be a great pick if you want a focaccia that you can make days in advance.

Taster comments:

• Cohesive, excellent balance across the board, olive oil, crumb, crust, chew align perfectly.
• Well-developed flavor and was the one with the most complex/rich flavor. However, the ratio between the crust and the inside was off (i.e., not enough of the airy inside). If it had more of a rise and airiness to make it more proportional it would be best one.
• Flavor was a perfect balance of olive oil and salt without a bitter/fermented taste. The texture was a little rough for me but the bread had an evenly bubbly, chewy crumb which made it still feel light.
• There’s something more rustic and earthy about the flavor profile of this one than the others — like I can taste the grain more fully, but not nearly as obviously as whole wheat. I really love said flavor profile, but the texture kind of kills it for me as it’s a bit tougher, mostly from the bottom crust.
• Reads more like a breadstick, couldn’t taste olive oil or salt, crunchy crust on the bottom was the best part
• The crunchiest of the bunch, but lacking on the flavor side. Almost too crunchy (my jaw hurt a little chewing)

King Arthur: a crackly crusted focaccia with a wet, moist crumb

This recipe is technically King Arthur’s Pan de Cristal recipe but formed as a focaccia. Pan de Cristal is also known as “glass bread.” Characteristic to the Catalan region of Spain, this has a high-hydration dough (100% in this particular recipe) that results in a very crispy crust and holey interior.

This was by far one of the most labor-intensive recipes I tried. The entire process takes around 5 hours with 3 hours of on and off hands-on time (aka don’t try to leave your house). The initial mix of water, bread flour, instant yeast and salt is simple, as are the following set of coil folds. It’s just all quite time-intensive!

However, over the course of folding the dough, I could indeed feel the dough building structure as directed. And the focaccia emerged from the oven golden and crisp with an ultra-crackly crust. I LOVE high hydration breads, so I loved the light bubbly, silky, soft crumb of this bread with tons of holes. With a good level of salt and olive oil, I also loved the flavor. While it doesn’t feel like the most traditional focaccia, this was a delight to eat and I’d happily make it again.

Taster comments:

• Flavor was rich and great balance of oil and salt. The texture was amazing. My favorite of the bunch.
• Crackly, crispy crust both on the top and the bottom. The interior has that plush sponginess that I love in focaccia. Balanced and bright. It kind of has that quality of good bread where it can be delicious on its own but would also make a killer sandwich. I’m pretty sure I’ve never given 10s on any bake off I’ve participated in because I’m that kind of person, but I *love* this focaccia.
• BEAUTIFUL bubbles and air pockets. Crispy and golden brown, light and airy. The flavor tastes well developed like it has been proofing for longer.
• Unique texture almost like a light pizza in some ways.
• Good springy texture. It feels the most like a traditional focaccia, but the flavor was not as complex/rich.
• The crust is hard and tough to chew – it’s too crispy in a dry way.

Bon Appetit: a thin and golden chewy focaccia with great flavor

Bon Appetit’s “shockingly easy no-knead focaccia” bears a strong resemblance to the Alexandra Cooks recipe. Simply mix, rest overnight (or for 3-4 hours at room temperature if you’re in a rush), then deflate and let rise on a sheet pan until ready to bake. Bon Appetit gives a much wider window during this second rise–1.5-4 hours, vs. 3-4 hours for Alexandra Cooks. Ratios-wise, BA uses 1 tsp per cup of flour vs. 1/2 tsp salt per cup of flour in AC’s recipe. BA also uses about the same amount of yeast as AC for a larger quantity of flour and water.

Despite such similar processes and ingredients, I was surprised at how differently the two recipes turned out. BA had a much finer crumb with lots of smaller bubbles shot through with a few larger air pockets. The crust had a really crunchy, oily bottom. Most loved the flavor of this focaccia, which I think can be attributed to the healthy ratio of salt to flour (1 tsp per cup of flour).

Overall, this was probably my favorite no-knead focaccia recipe and I can only imagine how delicious this would be with the garlic butter drenched all over the top!

Note: this recipe gives an option to bake in an 13×18 or 9×13 depending if you want a thicker (for sandwiches) or thinner focaccia. A few tasters docked this for a thinner texture, which could be easily avoided if you use the 9×13 option!

Taster comments:

• Nice flavor and texture. Tastes like you’d expect a focaccia to taste. Wish there was a little sea salt on top.
• Flatter, but has good blister. Good chew. More complex, developed flavor. Salt was a little too concentrated, and it would benefit from a lighter salt.
• Flavor was a great balance of salt and oil, texture was nice and crispy and airy. A bit on the dry side though.
• Love the texture, chewy but not too much and not like as if it’s dry. Flavor was really good too. I think it would have been a 10 if there was some Italian seasoning sprinkled on top or rosemary. Also would have been better if it was a little taller, it was a wee bit flat
• Nice chewy flat texture, pretty soft, good salt level. Love the flavor and objectively is good focaccia but I don’t love it

Claire Saffitz: a crisp, airy, chewy picture-perfect focaccia

On the plus side, this recipe can be made in one day with no overnight rest! On the downside, this recipe does call for a decent amount of hands-on time.

Like Joshua, Claire’s recipe is another recipe that calls for so much kneading so that I don’t think I’d recommend it if you don’t have a mixer. I thought I nearly broke mine after mixing the dough on high for 15 minutes. The first time I made this dough, it still looked soupy and hadn’t developed nearly as much gluten as in her video, which I think was due to me cautiously mixing the dough on medium vs. medium high.

But after the kneading, it’s simply a matter of stretching and folding the dough before letting it rest, shaping and baking. Claire calls for quite a bit of olive oil (1/2 cup), and the payoff is clear in the browned, crisp bottom and golden crust that glistens with oil. This stood out to me as having one of the best flavors. There was a nice contrast between the crisp crust and light, and soft, moist and chewy interior. The bubbly texture felt both classic and delicious. Although this requires a bit more work (and can be a little tricky to get right), I think it’s a really delicious recipe that’s worth the effort!

Taster comments:

• This is like the focaccia you get at old school Italian restaurants. Lovely salty flavor, perfectly crispy brown bottom, and a fluffy, chewy crumb. This one was addicting.
• This is so so good!!! Best one of the lot and best bread I’ve had. The crunchiness and flavor were both excellent, I could eat this all day without breaking teeth.
• Perfection! great flavor and perfect crisp to it while still being moist and fluffy
• Liked the crunch of the bottom crust, pleasant flavor, nice texture and flaky salt
• Great crunchy bottom. Not giving much in flavor.
• GREAT crust – loved the crunch – but felt like a little too much for a standard focaccia recipe. Would get tired of eating it after a couple bites.

Recommendations for the best focaccia

These are my high-level picks, but I always recommend reading through the entire blog post to decide which sounds best to you!

Erika’s picks: Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit, Recipe Tin Eats

Crowd favorite/best classic: Claire Saffitz

Best easy no-knead focaccia: Bon Appetit, Samin Nosrat, Alexandra Cooks

Best high-hydration, silky crumb with a very crisp crust: King Arthur

Best chewy focaccia: Grateful Pizza, Joshua Weissman

Best for soft and squishy bread lovers: Recipe Tin Eats, Sally’s Baking Addiction