How to Make One No-Knead Focaccia Bread with Two Flavors: Strawberry Cheesecake & Tomato Pesto Focaccia Recipe
I love bread. I love to eat bread, I love to make bread, I love playing with bread dough. It’s simply the best. I first became truly fascinated by focaccia after watching Samin Nosrat make focaccia with a lovely older Italian woman in Italy, on Salt Fat Acid Heat (P.S. If you haven’t seen the show on Netflix, what are you DOING with your life??).
Focaccia dough is one of the most fun to play with as it’s quite forgiving and very soft and jiggly. I mean, you can’t have a bad day when you’re pressing dimples into dough swimming in olive oil. You cannot.
The best part about this recipe? You get two flavors in one batch! Oh, and there is no kneading required, simply a little mixing and a few folds (which don’t count as kneading in my book) before spending some time to allow the flavors to mingle and the dough to rise.
This is one of my new favorite recipes, and I can’t wait for you to love it too! If you do, please leave a review below and tag @accentgolden in your posts on social!
WHAT IS FOCACCIA?
Focaccia is a delicious, flat Italian bread with a high hydration point – which basically means that there is a high percentage of water to flour in the dough, making it rather wet but creating those big air pockets and a super-soft texture. It’s often baked in a lot of olive oil, giving it both flavor and the perfect crispy exterior. Before it’s baked, you use your fingers to press in and dimple the focaccia – which creates little pools for the olive oil to settle in while preventing the dough from rising too much as it bakes – creating that signature rippled appearance. It’s perfect paired with soup or salad and makes a delicious sandwich (well, a savory or simply salted version…).
How to check if your yeast is active: When you pour your yeast over your warm water, let it rest for 5 minutes. You’ll notice the yeast becomes frothy, and some bubbling may occur; this means your yeast is active and ready to use for baking! If not, your yeast may have expired and won’t allow your bread to rise properly.
INGREDIENTS
- Warm Water: The key ingredient for hydrating your dough, with the warmth of the water used to activate your yeast (just be careful it’s not too hot or it could kill it!)
- Sugar or Honey: Helps to further wake up the yeast and give it something extra to feast on plus a key ingredient for your strawberry jam, adding both sweetness and texture while preserving it
- Active Dry Yeast: Gives your baked focaccia that delicious rise and puff
- Bread Flour: The higher protein helps with gluten development resulting in larger air pockets and a chewier texture than using all-purpose flour
- Salt: Adds to the flavor of the dough while slowing down the yeast, helping with the final taste and texture of the bread
- Olive Oil: A key ingredient quintessential to focaccia for both flavor and that crispy crust and also necessary to bring together your pesto
- Flaky Sea Salt: Pops the flavor and adds a nice little crunch
- Cherry Tomatoes: Make for the perfect acidic topping to complement the other flavors
- Basil: The base to your delicious pesto
- Garlic: Just a little does the trick to make your pesto even more delicious
- Parmesan: Brings the salt and tang to your pesto
- Pine Nuts or Walnuts: Add texture and flavor to your sauce
- Strawberries: I prefer frozen for jam as you cook them down anyways (I’ll save fresh fruit for my parfaits)
- Lemon Juice: The acid balances the flavors while helping the jam set
- Cream Cheese: The base for your delicious glaze
- Powdered Sugar: Blends seamlessly into your glaze and offers a bit of sweetness
- Milk: Loosens your cream cheese and sugar mixture, making it easily spreadable
- Vanilla: You can never go wrong with a splash for a little extra flavor
Can I make this recipe just one flavor? Absolutely! You simply need to double your inclusions. For the pesto version, double the amount of tomatoes and pesto. Simply double your jam and cream cheese glaze for the strawberry cheesecake version.
HOW TO MAKE ONE FOCACCIA WITH TWO FLAVORS
You’ll start prepping your focaccia dough the day before you want to eat it, as the dough spends some time in the fridge to rise and let all the flavors meld.
Begin by blooming your yeast in a small bowl filled with warm water and sugar, letting it sit for five minutes to get frothy. Next, grab a large bowl and combine your flour and salt before adding your water mixture and combining it thoroughly with a spatula or your hands until all the flour is mixed in and your dough forms.
Grab a large bowl that has plenty of room for growth (this dough is going to RISE) and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Use your hands to smear the oil all around your bowl so it’s greased and fully coated. Transfer your dough to the larger bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
This is a no-knead dough, but we will do some folds to get that gluten nice and stretchy before going into the fridge. After 10 minutes, perform your first of two stretch and folds, taking the top side of your dough, gently lifting it up, and pulling it over the dough down to the bottom side, then rotate your bowl 90 degrees. Now you have a new top side; lift that up, stretch it over down to the new bottom side. Repeat until you’ve done this four times. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Repeat this step again so you’ll have done two sets of stretch and folds. Cover and rest for another 10 minutes. Lastly, we’re going to do one set of coil folds. Use the pointer and middle fingers of each hand and scoop under the middle of the dough, lifting it gently, and tuck the top side under, towards the middle. Then tuck the bottom side under, towards the middle. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees, and do another coil fold on each top and bottom
Once your folds are complete, lightly drizzle the top of your dough with olive oil and gently smooth it over the top. This is a wetter dough, so be gentle as you spread your oil; we don’t want to tear the dough. Cover your bowl airtight with a lid or plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 15-24 hours.
I would prep your pesto and jam the day before you bake them, so they’re ready to go once your focaccia has cooled. For your pesto, add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Place in a sealed jar or container and store in the fridge. To make your strawberry jam, add all your ingredients to a pot and place it over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. Once the mixture starts to boil, monitor the temperature with a digital thermometer, checking until it reaches 221F. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in a sealed container.
The next day, grab your 9”x13” pan and pour in your ¼ cup of olive oil. Use your hands to spread it all along the bottom, sides, and edges of your pan. Remove your dough from the fridge and gently pop any bubbles on the top with your fingers. If you washed your hands, dip the fingers of one hand in the oil in the pan and use your fingers to gently transfer the dough to the baking pan. Fold your dough like an envelope (right side a third of the way in, left side over right), flip and turn your dough so the seam side is down and the longest direction is running along the longest part of the pan (I got this technique tip from Lacey!). Cover and let rest for one hour at room temperature.
After resting, you’re going to gently pull your dough to fit the shape of your pan. Do not force this! If it’s not stretching, cover and let it rest an additional 10 minutes before trying again. Set aside your pan uncovered at room temperature for an additional 60-90 minutes to finish rising. Your dough will be puffed and jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
Preheat your oven to 425F and drizzle your dough with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use your finger to press deep into the dough, basically to the bottom of the pan without tearing, to make those traditional focaccia dimples. Then, sprinkle flaky sea salt lightly across the top of your dough. On one half of the focaccia, press in your halved cherry tomatoes, cut side up, about 2 inches apart.
On the lowest rack in your oven, bake your focaccia for 20-25 minutes until it is golden brown. You can insert a digital thermometer into the center of your bread to check for doneness; it should have an internal temperature of 190F when ready. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool for 15-20 minutes.
While your focaccia cools, place your pesto and jam in piping bags. To make your cream cheese glaze, add your room-temperature cream cheese to a bowl and sift your powdered sugar over it. Use the back of a spoon to spread together the sugar and cream cheese, until combined before whisking in your milk and vanilla until smooth.
To assemble your focaccia, place it on a cutting board and slice in half, leaving one side plain and one side tomato-d. Use a steak knife to poke holes in the focaccia and insert the tip of your piping bag filled with jam into each hole, filling them up. Pour your cream cheese glaze over top and spread evenly over your focaccia. Leave to dry for at least 15 minutes while you finish your tomato-pesto focaccia. With your pesto in a piping bag, drizzle it back and forth over the tomato side of your focaccia.
Cut your focaccia into squares or rectangles and enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love this bread
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Make sure your dough is well-mixed before you cover and rest ahead of your stretch and folds. If you’re still seeing streaks of flour or some at the bottom of your bowl, keep mixing!
- Make sure the bowl you transfer your mixed dough into has lots of room to rise. I used the bowl of my KitchenAid mixer since it has a decent height on it. Also, drizzle the bowl with olive oil and use your hand (or a paper towel) to spread it around the bottom and sides of your bowl – you want it nice and greasy so your dough can easily rise.
- If you prefer to stuff your pesto into your focaccia, simply follow the same process that you used for the strawberry jam. Use a steak knife to poke holes in the top of the baked focaccia and insert the cut tip of your piping bag into each hole, squeezing until just filled. It looks prettier with the drizzle, in my opinion, though.
- I prefer homemade jam and pesto over store-bought – it’s so easy to make and tastes way better. That being said, you can easily swap it out for your favorite premade jar!
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
You can make the strawberry jam in advance and store airtight in the fridge for up to three months! The pesto can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 6 months. If I know I’m not using a lot of it at once, I’ll store pesto in ice cube trays, to pop out individually when I need a little (perfect for dipping sauce, pasta, eggs, oh my!).
Due to the cheese in both the pesto and the cream cheese glaze, your focaccia should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last 2-3 days. Sorry, but bread is best fresh!
To freeze: Once your focaccia has cooled completely, store it in airtight containers for up to a month.
MORE BREAD RECIPES
If you’re craving more sweet loaves, you have to try this Spiced Challah Bread filled with cinnamon, cardamom, and dates—perfect for cinnamon toast or French toast! Something savory instead? Try these Rosemary Challah Buns for a yummy sandwich or a flavorful burger!
No-Knead Focaccia Bread Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake & Tomato Pesto (1 Focaccia, 2 Flavors!)
Print Recipe Pin RecipeEquipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Spatula
- Digital Scale
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Plastic wrap
- 9×13” Nonstick Baking Pan
- Wire Rack
- Food Processor or Blender
- Small pot
- Heat-proof container
- Spoons
- Whisk
- Steak Knife
Ingredients
- 540 g warm water around 110F
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 600 g bread flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- 8 cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ clove garlic
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp pine nuts or walnuts
- 1 cup frozen whole strawberries see notes for details
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
DOUGH
- In a small bowl, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir gently. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes foamy
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix with a spatula or your hands until a dough forms
- Grease a large bowl with room for growth (this dough will rise!), lightly with a little olive oil. Transfer your dough to your bowl – rub a little bit of olive oil on your fingers to help transfer – cover your bowl with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes at room temperature
- After 10 minutes, perform one set of stretch and folds: looking down at your dough in the bowl, imagine it has four sides (like a square versus a circle). Take the top side, gently lift it up, and pull it over the dough down to the bottom side. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees. Now you have a new top side; lift that up, stretch it over down to the new bottom side. Repeat until you’ve done this four times (for all four “sides”). Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Repeat this step again so you’ll have done two sets of stretch and folds. Cover and rest for another 10 minutes
- Lastly, perform one set of coil folds. Again, looking at your dough and imagining four sides, use your pointer and middle fingers of each hand and scoop under the middle of the dough, lifting it gently, and tuck the top side under, towards the middle. Then tuck the bottom side under, towards the middle. Rotate your bowl 90 degrees, and do another coil fold on each top and bottom
- Lightly drizzle the top of your dough with olive oil and gently smooth it over the top – it might be a little sticky, so be careful not to tear it. Cover your bowl airtight with a lid or plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15-24 hours
- Pour your ¼ cup of olive oil into a 9×13” pan, using your hand to spread up the sides as needed
- Remove your dough from the fridge. If any large bubbles have formed on the top of your dough, pop them with your fingers. Dip your fingers into the oil in your pan to lightly grease them before gently transferring your dough from the bowl to the baking pan. Fold your dough like an envelope (right side a third of the way in, left side over right), flip and turn your dough so the seam side is down and the longest direction is running along the longest part of the pan. Cover and let rest for one hour at room temperature
- Pull the dough gently to fit the rectangular shape of the pan. Don’t force this; if it’s not pulling, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again. Set aside uncovered at room temperature for an additional 60-90 minutes to finish rising. It will be puffed and jiggly when you gently shake the pan
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Drizzle your dough with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and use your finger to press deep into the dough, making those traditional focaccia dimples. Then, sprinkle flaky sea salt lightly across the top of your dough.
- On half of the focaccia, press in your tomatoes, cut side up, about 2 inches apart
- Bake for 20-25 minutes on the lowest rack in your oven until golden brown. You can insert a digital thermometer into the center of your bread to check for doneness; it should have an internal temperature of 190F when ready. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool for 15-20 minutes
PESTO
- Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan in a food processor or blender, pulsing until well combined. Slowly pour in your olive oil while the food processor is running until fully incorporated. Place into a piping bag and set aside
STRAWBERRY JAM + CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
- For the jam, combine your strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot and place over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. Once the mixture starts to boil, monitor the temperature with a digital thermometer, checking until it reaches 221F. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature before placing it in a piping bag. Place in the fridge while your dough bakes
- To make the cream cheese glaze, add your room-temperature cream cheese to a bowl and sift your powdered sugar over it. Use the back of a spoon to spread together the sugar and cream cheese, until combined. Whisk in your milk and vanilla until smooth
ASSEMBLY
- Cut your cooled focaccia in half, leaving you with one plain side and one tomato side
- Use a steak knife to poke small “holes” into the plain focaccia every inch or so. Insert the tip of your piping bag filled with strawberry jam and squeeze just until the jam fills the hole, repeating until all holes are filled. Then, pour your cream cheese glaze over your focaccia and spread with a spatula. Allow to set for at least 15 minutes
- For the tomato side, zigzag your pesto across your focaccia with your piping bag
- Cut your focaccias into squares and enjoy!
