Bacon & Garlic Focaccia Bread {No Knead}

This is by far the best appetizer to pack when heading over to friends or family's house for supper!

Focaccia bread is super simple to make.  Mix up the dough without ANY kneading in the morning.  Set aside and forget about it all day.  Then toss it in a pan, top it, and bake it!  Voila!  A delicious bread to share!

Bacon, garlic, rosemary, and cheese is our favorite way to top focaccia.  But top it however you like!  You can use sliced cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.  You can use pesto & parmesan.  You could top it like a pizza.  Or try any combination you can think of!

Slice your backed focaccia into small finger or big pieces, it's totally up to you.

Bacon & Garlic Focaccia Bread Recipe

Ingredients for Focaccia:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (traditional or quick-rise)

Ingredients for Topping:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup cooked bacon pieces
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon flake or coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon minced dehydrated garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix the flour & salt together.  In a separate bowl, mix the water and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is bubbly.  Pour the water-yeast mixture into the flour-salt bowl.  Using a fork, mix until all of the flour has been combined.

Cover the bowl with a clean moistened tea towel.  Set the bowl aside on your kitchen counter at room temperature for anywhere from a couple of hours to 12 hours. 

(Mix the dough up before you leave the house in the morning and make this for supper.  Or mix it up a lunch time to cook for supper.  The time is so forgiving on this focaccia it makes it the EASIEST bread to make!)

Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.  Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the lined pan.

Dump the focaccia dough into the pan on top of the oil.  Flip the dough once to coat the dough in the olive oil.

Set aside to rise for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the toppings.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Flip the dough in the pan one more time.  Using your fingers, dip them in a bit of the oil in the pan and then stretch and pull the dough to fill the pan, ensuring that the dough is about even thickness throughout.

Using your fingers to press dimples into the surface of the dough.  Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil evenly over the dough.

Top your dough evenly with the bacon, salt, garlic, rosemary, and parmesan cheese.  Add more toppings if you choose.

Bake the focaccia for 25 to 30 minutes, making sure to move the dough from bottom to top rack and turning the pan around at the halfway mark.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

Transfer to a cooling rack to cool until the bread is cool enough to cut.

Cut the focaccia into pieces and serve.

Store remaining focaccia in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days.  The bread does not have any oil incorporated into the dough and tastes best when eaten fresh, but will re-warm well for a day or two.