Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread
Table of Contents
This Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread proves that making bread is not intimidating. Just a little planning leads to very good bread.
If you love baking that fits into real life, this Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread is for you. You can prepare the dough quickly, let it rest overnight, and bake it into a soft, airy loaf with golden edges and plenty of olive oil flavor. A drizzle of hot honey adds just the right balance of sweet and heat. This easy homemade focaccia doesn’t require kneading or a bread machine, just time and definitely some patience. It’s perfect for entertaining, weekend meals, or eating it straight from the pan.
If you’ve always wanted to make bread, this overnight focaccia recipe is the one that will do it on repeat! This bread is simple, bold, and completely addictive.
If you like one-of-a-kind savory and sweet recipes, try our Almond Flour Olive Oil Pumpkin Loaf, the Simple Rhubarb Olive Oil Cake and the Vegan Matcha Cake
💡Did you know that Focaccia dates back to the 14th century? Check its amazing history on Wikipedia
🍯Why This Recipe Works
- 🕒 Overnight rise builds flavor: a slow fermentation gives the focaccia better texture and deeper taste. You just don’t have to stretch & fold every 30 minutes that the same day recipe requires.
- 🫒 Plenty of olive oil: keeps the crumb soft, airy, and beautifully golden on the edges.
- 🔥 Hot honey finish: adds a sweet-spicy contrast that turns simple focaccia into something memorable with a kick!
- 🥣 No kneading required: time does the work, making this an easy focaccia recipe for any skill level.
📝Ingredients
- 🌾 all-purpose flour
- 🍞 instant yeast
- 🧂 salt
- 💧 water
- 🫒 olive oil
- ❄️ flaky sea salt
- 🍯 honey
- 🌶️ red pepper flakes
👩🏻🍳How to make the Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread
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Baker’s tips for better results
- 🫒 Be generous with olive oil: it prevents sticking and creates that classic focaccia crust.
- 👆 Dimple gently: press your fingers straight down without deflating the dough.
- 🔥 Use a hot oven: high heat helps the focaccia rise and brown properly.
- ⏱️ Be patient and don’t rush the rise: time is the secret ingredient here.
⤵️Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list at the recipe card below
FAQs about the Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread
Why do we have to wait for the dough to rise?
Once mixed, yeast in bread dough breaks down flour starch into sugars and acids. The yeast consume the sugars, releasing carbon dioxide that helps the dough rise and adds flavor. Allowing enough time is key for the best results. This process is necessary for all types of breads and other baked goods.
Can I skip the overnight rise?
You can try the same day rise method. For the same day rise method, prepare the dough, let it rest for 30 minutes, then stretch, fold, and let it rise again repeating this cycle three times. I prefer to make this focaccia using the overnight rise method and proceed with baking the following day. If you’re short on time, you can shorten the rest and rise time, but the focaccia won’t be quite as airy or flavorful.
How do I store leftover focaccia?
Store it tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in the oven to revive the crust before serving.
Can I make this focaccia ahead for dinners and parties?
Yes. Bake it earlier the same day and reheat before serving. Add the hot honey drizzle just before serving for the best flavor.
📖RECIPE CARD
Overnight Hot Honey Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
To make the dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup water
Add-ins
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon flaky sea salt
To make the hot honey
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, yeast, and salt. Mix to combine
- Add water and mix by hand until the dough is well combined for a few minutes. It will be sticky
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight
- The next day, oil an 8-inch pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of flaky sea salt
- Transfer the dough to the pan and coat with a tablespoon of olive oil
- Let it rise, uncovered, until the dough has risen up the sides of the pan about halfway, and is very light and airy, about 3 hours in total
- Preheat oven to 400℉
- Dimple the dough with your fingertips before drizzling with another tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with another ¼ teaspoon of salt
- Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes, until evenly golden
- While the focaccia bakes, heat honey with red pepper flakes and remaining ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Warm just until fluid but do not boil
- Remove the focaccia from the oven and carefully transfer it to the cooling rack
- Drizzle or brush with the hot honey
- Cool and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure that you don’t boil the hot honey mix
- You don’t have to add red pepper flakes if you don’t want your focaccia spicy; just warm the honey and drizzle with plain honey
- TIP: You don’t have to drizzle the hot honey. Keep it and use it to dip the focaccia bread into!
