Easy No-Knead Olive and Pistachio Focaccia
Recipe from J. Kenji López-Alt
There’s something magical about how a humble no-knead dough can transform into bakery-level focaccia with nothing more than time and olive oil. This recipe is an easy riff on the classic, studded with briny green olives and buttery pistachios for added texture and flavor. I wanted a bread that brings just enough complexity to the table without complicating your day—and this delivers. The dough takes all of five minutes to mix together, and from there, the fridge and Wonder Oven Pro do the work. The result is a crackly, golden crust; a plush, airy interior; and savory bits of pistachio and olive in every bite. You can serve it as an appetizer, a side, or just tear into it straight from the pan. No stand mixer, no stretch-and-fold, no drama.
Watch the Recipe
10 min active +
8 - 24 hrs resting
16 - 24 min
4 - 6
What You'll Need
Ingredients
500g (17½ oz, about 3¼ cups) all-purpose or bread flour
15g (0.5 oz, about 1 tbsp) kosher salt
4g (0.15 oz, about 1 tsp) instant yeast
325g (11½ oz, about 1½ cups minus 1 tbsp) water
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 oz pitted green olives, sliced
¼ cup roasted pistachios, roughly chopped or lightly pounded
2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, very roughly chopped
Coarse sea salt, for topping
Directions
Step 1
Combine flour, salt, yeast, and water in a large bowl. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. The bowl should be at least 4 to 6 times the volume of the dough to account for rising.
Step 2
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, making sure that edges are well-sealed, then proof in the Wonder Oven Pro for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours at 80°F. Dough should rise dramatically and fill the bowl. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, then knead and fold the dough until the oil is fully incorporated.
Step 3
Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour, then transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Form into a ball by holding it with well-floured hands and tucking the dough underneath itself, rotating it until it forms a tight ball.
Step 4
Pour half of the remaining oil in the bottom of the Wonder Oven Pro roast pan. Transfer dough to the roast pan, turn to coat in oil, and position seam-side-down. Using a flat palm, press the dough around the roast pan, flattening it slightly and spreading oil around the entire bottom and edges of the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough stand at room temperature for 2 hours. After the first hour, preheat the Wonder Oven Pro to 450°F on Bake.
Step 5
At the end of the 2 hours, dough should mostly fill the roast pan up to the edge. Use your fingertips to press it around until it fills every corner, popping any large bubbles that appear. Lift up one edge of the dough to let any air bubbles underneath escape and repeat, moving around the dough until there are no air bubbles left underneath and the dough is evenly spread around the roast pan. Spread olives and pistachios all over the surface of the dough and press down on them with your fingertips to embed slightly. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt.
Step 6
Transfer the roast pan to the Wonder Oven Pro and bake until top is golden brown and bubbly and bottom is golden brown and crisp when you lift it with a thin spatula, 16 to 24 minutes. Using a thin spatula, loosen focaccia and peek underneath. If the bottom is not as crisp as desired, place pan on a burner and cook over medium heat, moving the pan around to cook evenly until it is crisp, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, slice, and serve. Extra bread should be stored in a brown paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in the Wonder Oven Pro at 300°F for about 10 minutes before serving.
J. Kenji López-Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt is a chef, food writer, and bestselling author known for blending science and cooking with an approachable, curious style. A graduate of MIT, he shifted from biology to kitchens, working in fine dining before becoming managing culinary director at Serious Eats. His column “The Food Lab” earned a James Beard Award and evolved into a New York Times bestselling cookbook. He later authored The Wok and Every Night Is Pizza Night. Today, Kenji shares recipes and experiments through his books, YouTube channel, and social media, inspiring home cooks worldwide.
