My Easy No-Knead Spelt Focaccia is a great way to experience the satisfaction of baking your own bread. It is a simple recipe that needs no more than 15 minutes of hands-on time. You just add all the dough ingredients to a bowl, stir with a wooden spoon and then set aside for about 5 hours for the dough to rise. Then, tip the dough into a baking tin and add toppings of your choice. After about 20 minutes of baking in a hot oven, the Spelt Focaccia will emerge, golden, crispy and tantalisingly aromatic.
250ml(1 cup) water - at room temperatureSee Note 2
½teaspoonsugar
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oilSee Note 3
1teaspooncoarse sea salt
Toppings:
½teaspoonsea salt flakes
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
½cupcherry or grape tomatoes - halved
¼cupfeta cheese - cubed
¼teaspoonred chilli pepper flakes
½teaspoondried oregano
Instructions
Combine the flour, yeast, water, sugar, olive oil and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon just until all the ingredients are incorporated. The mixture will be quite damp - more like a cake batter.
After covering the bowl with cling wrap, set the dough aside to prove for about 5 hours.
The dough will double in size and appear very bubbly. The dough is now ready to use. (See Note 4)
Preheat your oven to 220 Degrees C (430 F).
Line a 27cm x 18cm (11″ x 7″) brownie/slice tin with non-stick baking paper, ensuring that the base and sides are well covered.I have found that the easiest way to do this is to dampen the paper, wring it out thoroughly, and press it into the tin. (See Note 5)
Starting at one end of the brownie tin and moving the bowl toward the other end of the tin, gently tip the dough into the tin. Be careful to retain as many of the air bubbles as possible. The dough will slowly ease itself into the shape of the tin. If necessary, dampen your fingertips and gently ease the dough into the corners.
Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the dough and add your toppings.Set the dough aside to prove for a further 30 minutes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and the dough sounds hollow when the base is tapped.
Cool slightly on a wire rack to keep the focaccia crisp. Serve whilst still warm.
Video
Notes
Spelt flour: You will find spelt flour in supermarkets or health food stores. I have used organic for this recipe.
Water: I use filtered water as it is believed that chlorinated water may slow the growth of yeast or even stop it from working altogether.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Make-ahead: if you are not ready to use the dough you can place it in the fridge, ONCE it has doubled in size and is bubbly (ie: after the five hours proving). Just bring it to room temperature before putting in the tin. Be sure to allow 30 minutes of proving before baking.
Baking paper: to get the paper to sit flat, I dampen it slightly, wring it out tight and shake off excess moisture. It will then sit properly in the tin. As the dough is very damp, the brownie/slice tin provides structure for the focaccia.
Storage: the Focaccia is best on the day it is baked, but can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm through leftovers. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.