Easy Cheesy No-Knead Mini Focaccia
Easy Cheesy No Knead Mini Focaccia is a small-batch recipe that is huge on flavor and texture. It requires minimal preparation and no special bread-making equipment like stand mixers or bread machines. This recipe adds shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese to the top, resulting in irresistible, crunchy, crispy, cheesy goodness. (Note: I have included weights below for the ingredients.)
Ingredients
- 120 grams (4.23 ounces, ¾ plus 1 ½ tablespoons) bread flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- ½ teaspoon instant or bread machine yeast
- 3 ½ teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 85 grams (3 ounces, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) lukewarm filtered water
- 57 grams (2 ounces, ½ cup) shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (See Tip 1)
- 28 grams (1 ounce, ¼ cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Whisk together the bread flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. Add water and 1 ½ teaspoons of olive oil. Mix until well combined and a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the dough and let sit in a warm location for 15 minutes. Apply the stretching and folding technique: Use a wet hand to grab a section of dough from one side, lift it up, and then press it down into the middle. Give the bowl a turn and repeat 3 to 5 times until you’ve circled the dough and it’s become resistant to stretching. Cover the bowl and let sit in a warm location for 15 minutes.
- Apply the stretching and folding technique again: Use a wet hand to grab a section of dough from one side, lift it up, and then press it down into the middle. Give the bowl a turn and repeat 3 to 5 times until you’ve circled the dough and it’s become resistant to stretching. Cover the bowl and let sit in a warm location for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat in oil. (See Tip 2)Gently press and stretch the dough, using your fingertips to dimple the surface and cover the entire bottom of the pan.Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm location for 2 hours or until the dough is visibly puffy and has filled the pan.
- In the last 45 minutes of the rise time, preheat the oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the bottom rack. (See Tip 3)
- Turn the oven temperature down to 450°F. Bake the focaccia for 10 minutes on the baking stone or steel until it turns golden on top. Carefully remove the focaccia from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top of the dough, concentrating the cheese around the edges. Return to the oven for an additional 12 minutes or until the cheese is crispy and golden brown around the edges.
- Remove the focaccia from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Immediately run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan to prevent the cheese from cooling and sticking to the sides. Let the cheesy focaccia cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully remove it from the pan and transfer the focaccia to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Yield: One mini loaf of focaccia. (See Tip 4)
Video
Tips/Notes
- I like to shred my mozzarella cheese. I haven't tried pre-shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe, so don't know how it would work.
- You can use an 8 ½ x 4 ½-inch loaf pan instead of the 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
- I have both a baking stone and a baking steel. However, when I've used them, the Master Taste Tester complained about the smell. Therefore, I've used an inverted large cast-iron skillet instead of the baking stone or steel. It works like a charm.
- This focaccia is best eaten shortly after it comes out of the oven. However, once it reaches room temperature, it can be stored in an airtight container for several days. to reheat, wrap in foil and place in a low-temperature (300°F) oven until warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 12gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 673mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 210IUCalcium: 186mgIron: 1mg
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