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Samin Nosrat's Ligurian Focaccia (Overnight)

Samin Nosrat's Ligurian Focaccia (Overnight)

Samin Nosrat's famous Ligurian focaccia, made with an overnight ferment and a salt brine dimpled into a pillowy, olive-oil-rich crumb. The peppery bite of a fresh high-phenolic oil runs through every bite, with a crisp golden bottom and a soft, custardy inside.

By Olivea Kitchen | Published July 19, 2026

Jump to Recipe
Prep 30 min
Cook 25 min
Total 840 min
Intermediate

Why We Love This Recipe

We love this focaccia because it is built on a short, honest list of whole ingredients: flour, water, salt, a little yeast, a touch of honey, and a great deal of real extra virgin olive oil. There is no butter and no dairy here, so the fat that gives the bread its richness and its crisp golden bottom is olive oil, the cornerstone fat of the Mediterranean diet and a source of monounsaturated fats. The long overnight ferment also makes the bread easier to digest and deepens its flavor without any added enrichment.

Because olive oil is doing so much of the work, the oil you choose shapes both the taste and the nourishment. Our High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich in polyphenols, specifically hydroxytyrosol, the most studied olive polyphenol, at a lab-verified 500+ mg/kg. That peppery, slightly bitter character you taste in a fresh high-phenolic oil is the polyphenols themselves, so the same oil that flavors the crumb is the one carrying its goodness to the plate. Polyphenols are highest in fresh oil and fade with time, light, and heat, so a generous pour of a fresh bottle in the dough plus a raw finishing drizzle is how the most of them reach the table. If you want to understand how these compounds are absorbed, the bioavailability research is a good place to start.

Olivea's oils are USDA Certified Organic, single-origin from Messinia, Greece, early harvest, and cold-pressed within hours of picking, with the polyphenol content qNMR-verified by the University of Athens and the whole line developed with Harvard-trained cardiologists who set the target for each oil. The bread itself contributes small amounts of iron and B vitamins from the flour, and the flaky finishing salt is used with a light hand. Enjoyed as part of a plant-forward, Mediterranean-style table, this is a genuinely satisfying bread with a real point of view.

View Nutrition Facts

Recipe Success Tips

Give the dough the full overnight rest.

The long, slow ferment is what makes this focaccia so light and flavorful. Mix the dough the night before and let it rise 12 to 14 hours at cool room temperature, or refrigerate it overnight for an even deeper, tangier flavor and pull it out a couple of hours before shaping.

Do not skimp on the oil in the pan.

A generous coating of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil under the dough is what fries the bottom into a crisp, golden crust rather than steaming it soft. Use enough that the dough almost floats, and swirl it to coat the corners.

Dimple with confidence.

Press your fingertips all the way to the bottom of the pan to make deep, distinct dimples. These pockets hold the salt brine and the oil so that every bite gets a little pool of savory, olive-rich flavor.

Brine right before baking.

Whisk flaky salt into a spoonful of warm water and drizzle it into the dimples just before the pan goes in. The brine seasons the surface and helps the top set into a lacy, blistered crust.

Reach for a fresh, peppery oil.

Because olive oil is the dominant flavor, a fresh high-phenolic bottle makes a real difference. A grassy, peppery oil like the High Phenolic gives the crumb depth, and a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic over the warm bread adds a bright, throat-catching finish.

Ingredients

12
servings
  • 3/4 cup High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
  • 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 5 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for the brine and finishing
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for finishing (optional)

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Large Mixing Bowl
Rubber Spatula
13x18-inch Rimmed Baking Sheet
Small Bowl
Wire Rack

How to Cook Samin Nosrat's Ligurian Focaccia (Overnight)

MIX

1
In a large bowl, whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast, and honey until the yeast dissolves. Add the flour and kosher salt, then stir with a spatula until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy, wet, sticky dough.
2
Pour 2 tablespoons of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a clean large bowl and turn the dough in it to coat. The oil keeps the surface supple as it rises and adds its peppery, fresh-olive flavor from the very start.

REST

3
Cover the bowl tightly and let the dough ferment at cool room temperature until doubled and bubbly, 12 to 14 hours. For a deeper, slightly tangier flavor, refrigerate it overnight instead and bring it back to room temperature before shaping.

SHAPE

4
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil onto a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet and spread it to coat the bottom and sides. Scrape the risen dough onto the sheet and turn it once to coat in the oil.
5
Gently stretch and tug the dough toward the corners of the pan. If it springs back, let it relax for 10 minutes, then finish stretching so it fills the pan in an even layer. Let it rest, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes until pillowy.

BAKE

6
Heat the oven to 450F with a rack in the center. Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the dough, then press your fingertips straight down all over the surface to make deep dimples. In a small bowl, dissolve the flaky salt in 1 tablespoon warm water to make the brine and spoon it evenly into the dimples, scattering rosemary on top if using.
7
Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the bottom is crisp and browned when you lift an edge. Rotate the pan halfway through for even color.

FINISH

8
Slide the focaccia onto a wire rack and, while it is still warm, finish with an optional raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a bold, grassy, peppery lift that soaks into the crumb. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Serve this focaccia warm with a small dish of your best olive oil for dipping, or split squares to build a focaccia sandwich the next day. It is right at home alongside soups, roasted vegetables, or a simple antipasto spread.
Press cherry tomatoes, thin onion, or olives into the dimples before baking for a more loaded top. If you want a same-day loaf, try our same-day focaccia, and for aromatic versions see our rosemary focaccia or a garlic focaccia. Bakers who keep a starter going will love the depth of a simple sourdough focaccia bread.
For the dough and the pan, reach for the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: its smooth, gently peppery character holds up beautifully to the oven heat and gives the crumb a rich, fruity depth. To finish, a raw drizzle of the bolder, more intensely peppery Ultra High Phenolic over the warm bread adds a fresh top note. Keep both bottles capped and away from heat and light to protect their flavor and freshness.
Focaccia is best the day it is baked. Store leftovers at room temperature in a paper bag or loosely wrapped for up to 2 days, then reheat in a 350F oven for a few minutes to bring back the crisp edges. You can also freeze cut squares for up to a month and re-crisp them straight from frozen.

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 square (1/12 of recipe)
Calories 330
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g21%
Saturated Fat 2.2g11%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 13.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 11.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.8g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 340mg15%
Total Carbohydrate 40g15%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g5%
Total Sugars 1.5g
Includes 1g Added Sugars 2%
Protein 5.5g11%
Iron 2.5mg14%
Calcium 10mg1%
Potassium 60mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Best No-Cook Way to Get Olive Oil Benefits

Baking with a fresh high-phenolic oil gets its polyphenols and flavor into the crumb, and finishing raw brings even more to the plate. If you want an easy daily dose of olive polyphenols without cooking, the Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement delivers a consistent amount of hydroxytyrosol in a single capsule, a simple way to make olive polyphenols a daily habit.

Olivea Hydroxytyrosol Supplement
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$40.00
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Frequently Asked Questions

The two signatures are the long overnight ferment and the salt brine. Instead of a quick same-day rise, the dough sits 12 to 14 hours to develop flavor and a light, custardy crumb, and a flaky-salt brine is spooned into the dimples right before baking for a savory, blistered top.
Yes, that is the whole point of this recipe. Mix the dough in the evening and let it ferment 12 to 14 hours at cool room temperature, or refrigerate it overnight for a deeper flavor and let it come back to room temperature before shaping and baking.
This is a high-hydration dough, which is what gives the focaccia its open, airy interior. Resist adding extra flour. Oiled hands and a well-oiled pan make the sticky dough easy to handle.
Use a fresh, flavorful extra virgin olive oil, since it is the dominant flavor in the bread. A high-phenolic oil like Olivea's High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil brings a peppery, fruity depth to the crumb, and a raw drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic over the warm bread adds a bright finish.
The brine is a mix of flaky salt and warm water spooned into the dimples just before baking. It seasons the surface evenly, keeps the top from drying out, and helps create that lacy, golden, slightly crisp crust the Ligurian style is known for.
It is nearly vegan already. Simply swap the tablespoon of honey for the same amount of maple syrup or sugar to feed the yeast, and the rest of the recipe stays the same.
No. This dough is mixed by hand with a spatula and never kneaded. The long ferment does the work that kneading would, so a bowl and a spatula are all you need.
A standard 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet gives a focaccia about an inch tall with a good ratio of crisp crust to soft crumb. A 9x13-inch pan makes a thicker, fluffier focaccia and will need a few extra minutes in the oven.
Keep it at room temperature loosely wrapped for up to 2 days, then reheat in a 350F oven for a few minutes to restore the crisp edges. It also freezes well for up to a month and can be re-crisped straight from the freezer.
Enjoyed in moderation, yes. Made with extra virgin olive oil as its only fat and served alongside vegetables, legumes, and salads, focaccia fits naturally into the plant-forward, olive-oil-centered pattern of Mediterranean eating.

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