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No-knead focaccia bread is baked in a cast iron pan with bubbles all over top. It is sitting on a wooden board.
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5 from 6 votes

No-knead Focaccia - Parāoa Pokapoka Kore-Poke

A delicious and fluffy no-knead focaccia bread with flavours of garlic, honey, thyme and lemon.
Course Baking
Cuisine Bread
Keyword Best focaccia recipe, Focaccia bread with lemon, garlic, honey and thyme nz, No-knead focaccia recipe, No-knead focaccia recipe nz, te reo Māori
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 1 large loaf

Equipment

  • 1 x 23 cm Cast Iron Pan (Option 1)
  • 1 x 25 cm x 30 cm tray (Option 2)

Ingredients

Cast Iron Pan or Oven Tray Preparation

  • 2 tablespoon noni (oil).

The Dough - Te Pokenga

  • 1 ½ C (375 ml) wai aromahana (lukewarm water)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon mīere (honey, this can be swapped for maple syrup or sugar)
  • 2 teaspoon (6 g) īhi tere (instant yeast)
  • 3 C (450 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
  • 1 teaspoon tote (salt, fine)
  • 3 tablespoon (45 ml) noni (oil)

The Condiments - Ngā Kīnaki

  • 4 kāriki (garlic cloves)
  • 2 teaspoon mīere (honey or maple syrup)
  • Tote me te pepa (salt and pepper)
  • Kiri rēmana pīrahirahi (finely grated lemon zest, of two lemons)
  • 15 g tāima (thyme)
  • 2 tablespoon noni (oil)

Instructions

Prepare the Cast Iron Pan or Oven Tray:

  • Oil a 23 cm cast iron pan or a 25 cm x 30 cm tray with 2 tablespoon of noni (oil). 
    Rub it all over so every part of this pan or tray is covered.

Activate the Yeast:

  • Add the wai aromahana (lukewarm water) and mīere (honey) in a to a large bowl. Stir it until the honey has dissolved.
  • Sprinkle over the īhi tere (instant yeast), stir, leave for 5 mins to activate. 
    The īhi (yeast) has activated when it has floated to the top.

Add the remaining Ingredients:

  • Add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir with a knife for 1 minute until the ingredients are all combined.
    It will look sticky but just trust the process.

First Rise:

  • Cover with a tea towel or bowl cover and leave for 15 - 20 minutes. 

First Stretch and Fold:

  • It is time to stretch and fold the dough.
    Take a handful of the dough from down the side of the bowl, pull the dough up as high as it can go and place it in the centre of the bowl. ¼ turn the bowl and repeat the process.
  • Every time you place the dough in the centre of the bowl and quarter turn the dough, is one count. Stretch and fold 12-15 times. It should take a minute to do.

Second Rise:

  • Cover the dough and leave for 15 - 20 minutes.

Second Stretch and Fold:

  • Repeat the stretch and folding process for the second time, completing 12 - 15 stretch and folds.

Third Rise:

  • Cover the dough and leave for 15 - 20 minutes.

Third and Final Stretch and Fold:

  • Stretch and fold 12 - 15 times in the bowl a third and final time.

Transfer to the Dough:

  • Add the dough into the oiled pan and gently stretch it out, I do this by rubbing my hands underneath the dough to gently tease it out.
    Refer to the video for clarity.

Fourth and Final Rise:

  • Cover and rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 
  • Before the time is up, prepare your toppings.
    Note: Focaccia doesn't have to have toppings, you can keep it plain and drizzle with a bit of noni (oil) and tote (salt). The options are endless - choose what you love!

Prepare the Toppings:

  • Add the kāriki (garlic), mīere (honey), tote (salt), pepa (pepper) and kiri rēmana (lemon zest) in to a mortar and pestle. Smoosh it all together until a paste forms.
    If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can just cut everything finely on to a chopping board.

Preheat the Oven:

  • Preheat the oven to 220 °C.

Add the Toppings to the Dough:

  • When the dough has risen, add the delicious paste all over the dough.
  • Pull the fresh tāima (thyme) from its sprigs and add evenly all over the dough.
    Drizzle over the noni ōriwa (olive oil).

Dimple the Dough:

  • Once the toppings are added, press your fingers deeply into the dough, pressing the flavour right to the bottom. 
    Leave for 5 - 10 minutes.

Bake the No-knead Focaccia Bread:

  • Slide in the delicious parāoa (bread) and bake for 5 minutes at 220 °C.
    Then turn it down to 170 °C, bake for 25 more minutes.
  • Slide it out of the pan while still hot and eat warm.
    This is perfect to go alongside any meal.

Storing the Focaccia Bread:

  • This parāoa (bread) will be at its best on the day but will also make great toast or epic toasties the next day. 
  • I keep homemade bread in a plastic bag for a day on the bench. Beyond that I slice it and store it in the freezer and remove a piece at a time for toasting.