This is the easiest small batch focaccia I've ever made, and may just be our most-loved. It requires very little effort and bakes up fluffy and with a developed flavor thanks to the long fermentation, some sourdough discard, flavored oil and spices. And the size is just right for a small family since it's baked in a mini sheet pan.
Mini Sheet Pan or ⅛ Size Sheet Pan
As someone who loves to bake small batch recipes, I adore mini sheet pans. Also called ⅛ sheet pans, they measure about 9 ½ by 6 ½ depending on the brand. The focaccia in the photos was made in a Nordic Ware mini sheet pan. Wal*Mart sometimes has them in the store, too. USA also makes a nice mini sheet pan, which is slightly smaller for some reason, but still considered a ⅛ sheet pan.
If you don't have a mini sheet pan, you could use an 8-inch square pan. You could also try making it without the pan, as many focaccia recipes are. However, the sides of the pan give the dough a little extra support. I have not yet tried making this in a cast iron skillet, but I have a feeling it would work very well.
How to Make Small Batch No-Knead Focaccia
The procedure is simple. You mix water, yeast and sugar in a tub, then add flour and starter to make a soft and squishy dough. Let stand for 4 hours, Work in salt and oil, then leave it along for another 4 or 5 hours or until ready to bake. To bake, spread in a well-oiled mini sheet pan, dimple with fingers, and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Add a light slick of salty water and oil, dimple again, then bake for about 25 minutes.
About the Dough
This is a simple stir-together dough that doesn't require kneading or stretch-and-folds, though you can certainly do a few if you enjoy the process. The photo below shows the dough about 4 hours into its rise, just after I stirred in the salt and olive oil. I use the delayed salt method with some of my bread recipes because it gives the flour a chance to hydrate before the salt is added, making the dough a little easier to work with. It may or may not make a noticeable difference in this recipe, but it's a habit I've stuck with.
This is what the dough looks like after being spread in a mini sheet pan coated with chili oil. Part of the fun of this recipe is you can mix and match different types of oil to flavor the focaccia. This is a chili flavored oil (brand). I think for my next batch I'll use a slick coating of chili crisp! The topping is a mixture of rosemary, Everything But the Bagel seasoning and Calabrian chili powder.
The finished loaf looks like this.
And here's a picture of the underside, which usually comes out fairly crisp if you remove it from the pan right after baking.
I hope you try the recipe, and if you do, let me know how it goes! Choosing the flavored oil is half the fun. I'll update when I try the chili crisp version.
Recipe
Small Batch No-Knead Focaccia
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup warm water (150 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 grams)
- 2 tablespoons sourdough discard, but use the weight (30 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put warm water in a plastic tub. Add sugar and yeast and let stand for 5 minutes to proof.
- Add the flour and and stir until fully mixed. Cover the bowl or tub and set it aside.
- Measure out the salt, but don't add it yet. Set it next to the tub of dough along with the olive oil.
- You are going to let this sit all day or for about 8 or 9 hours. About 4 hours in, work in the salt and olive oil by stirring it in with a heavy duty scraper and using your fingers and the scraper to do stretch and folds. Don't expect the dough to hold its shape, just check for elasticity.
- Lin a mini sheet pan with foil (or you can use parchment, I like foil) and coat generously with flavored oil of your choice and if you feel like it, a few bits of salted butter. Sprinkle a little flaky salt in the oil if you like or tiny bits of seasonings.
- Scrape dough into the pan and press it over the surface of the pan using oily fingers. With four fingers dipped in a little oil, make dimples all over the dough. You'll do this again after the rise as well
- Let rise for 45 minutes or up to 90 minutes. The long rising time will make it fluffier, and it's not likely you'll overproof this particular dough so don't worry too much about that. Also, preheat the oven far in advance to 425F.
- After the rise, mix a tablespoon or so of water with about ½ teaspoon of salt to make a really salty brine. Do not brush or dump it on the loaf, just dip your fingers in it and dab it over the dough so that the salt water gently coats the top. Dimple again and drizzle your choice of oil over. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings. Use whatever you feel like. Some things we like are dried minced garlic, Everything but the bagel, Calabrian chili powder, rosemary.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, lift it out of the pan and separate it from the foil while it's still hot. Let cool on a wire rack.
Anna says
I can't wait to hear the report. Leftovers make great croutons, btw.
Sue K says
I LOVE homemade focaccia. I will for sure try this and let you know how I did with it. Yours looks absolutely delicious.