Hello, my lovely people! I hope you are having a great day. It’s getting a little sunnier day by day these days, and it makes us feel so happy. When spring is getting nearer, it is the best time to bake focaccia! Do you know why? Well, there are fresh herbs growing in the spring, and warmer weather makes it easier to proof bread. I love picking up some fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil and decorating the focaccia with it. You would have a delicious bread that reminds you of spring—the fragrant smell and the festive look.

This recipe I am sharing with you today is not a regular focaccia recipe; it is a whole wheat focaccia recipe. And in my humble opinion, it tastes better than regular focaccia.

Introduction to Whole Wheat Focaccia

Regular focaccia is made with only white flour. That makes it very easy to proof focaccia, which makes the focaccia’s iconic texture that is so soft and moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

But if you know me, I love turning recipes a little healthier (or a lot, haha!) without having to compromise on the taste. So that’s what I did with the focaccia recipe too. After baking some focaccia, I developed this whole wheat focaccia recipe so you can make fresh and healthy homemade focaccia. What’s more is that you can follow this recipe without having to knead.

Why Choose Whole Wheat for Focaccia?

You might ask, “What is all the fuss about making focaccia with whole wheat? 🤔” Great question! Here’s why.

1. High Fiber Content

Whole wheat usually contains 10 to 12 grams of fiber, while white flour usually contains 2 to 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams. This means there can be as much as 6x higher fiber content in whole wheat than in white flour! If we replace 2 cups of flour in the recipe with whole wheat, that gives us nearly 20 g of extra fiber in just this focaccia. That already takes up most of the daily fiber intake.

2. Rich in Vitamins & Minerals

Whole wheat contains lots of nutrients such as selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E, and B vitamins, which are much less in white flour. That is due to the bran and germ that are intact in whole grains that have lots of nutrients. But you make white flour by removing all the bran and germs from the whole grains.

3. More Antioxidants

For the same reason as whole grains are rich in vitamins and minerals, whole wheat has much more antioxidants than white flour! Lots of phyto-antioxidants, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids, are found in whole wheat flour, which keeps us healthy and rejuvenated.

4. Nuttier & Deeper Flavor

I hope I didn’t bore you with all the scientific facts about why whole wheat flour is healthier for you! Hahaha. But I also like baking bread with whole wheat flour because of its delicious flavors.

Whole wheat flour, and whole grains in general for that matter, have a nuttier and deeper taste and fragrance. And I love that so much about whole wheat breads and baked goods.

Try This Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe!

So next time if your kids complain and ask why the focaccia is so dark, explain to them why they need to eat more whole wheat focaccia. 😄

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe

The ingredients for the whole wheat focaccia are nearly the same as the regular focaccia recipe. You just need to add some whole wheat flour.

You can add any kind of toppings you like before baking, like I did here. But the dough base has simple ingredients.

1. Fine Whole Wheat Flour

There can be many different kinds of whole wheat flour, but we are going to use fine 100% whole wheat flour here for the best-proofed bread.

2. White Flour

We still need some white flour here to make the focaccia fluffy. We will use a 1 to 1 ratio of whole wheat to white flour here. I saw many whole wheat focaccia recipes with 1 to 2 ratios, but I think it’s too little whole wheat content to call it “whole wheat focaccia.”

Also, I used regular white flour here instead of using Tipo 00, which is a more refined version of white flour. These are also called “flour for pizza” or “flour for focaccia.” The point of baking whole wheat focaccia is to enjoy the fiber and nutrients that are in whole grains, but what is the point if we add the more refined version of white flour?

3. Water

It is very important to add more water when you are using whole wheat to bake bread. This is because whole wheat flour takes up more water and is harder to develop gluten to achieve soft and structured bread.

4. Yeast

We are going to mix water with yeast first and then mix it with the flour.

5. Salt

In most baking, you mix all the dry ingredients, including salt. Then go with the wet ingredients. But we want to maximize the proofing here as we use whole wheat. So we will add salt later in the recipe.

6. Olive Oil

We will use a generous amount of olive oil throughout the process of making focaccia. I heard someone saying that focaccia is like “fried bread,” and that shows that it needs quite some oil to make this focaccia.

We will use olive oil when making the dough, around the ovenware, and over the dough with toppings to bake this best whole wheat focaccia.

Expert Tips for No-Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe

Another great thing about this focaccia recipe is that it requires no kneading. The best bread is made with time, in my opinion. You just need to make some effort throughout the process.

1. Mix Water & Yeast First

In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour and white flour.

Mix water, oil, and yeast. Let it rest for a bit for 20 minutes.

Then add the water with the flour. Mix and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Then add salt to the dough. Having salt in direct contact with yeast can kill the yeast. We are using little yeast and whole wheat, which can slow down the gluten development. So we are letting the dough have some time to bloom before adding the salt here. Mix again.

2. Stretch & Fold

Instead of intense kneading, you can use the stretch and fold method.

Once you have mixed the dough, let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature. My room temperature is at 25°C (77°F).

Then stretch the dough.

And fold the dough.

Make sure your hands are thoroughly wet with water when handling the dough. Otherwise, the wet focaccia dough will stick to your hands quite badly!

Turn the bowl so you can fold the other side of the dough too.

Stretch and fold the dough 3-4 times every 30 minutes. Repeat 3 times (1 hour and 30 minutes here.)

3. Overnight Cold Slow Ferment

As you come back to the dough to fold and stretch during the 2 hours, your dough will start to make some gas. You can see the bubbles here!

This is how my dough looked like after 2 hours of 4 sessions of the stretch and fold method. You see bigger bubbles!

Put the dough in the fridge and leave it overnight. I live in a cold climate, so I just put the dough on the veranda where it gets near freezing temperatures overnight.

4. Shaping & Second Proofing

The next morning, take out the dough and bring it to room temperature again. My dough has risen very well overnight! The bubbles got bigger, and the dough had risen.

Oil the ovenware and put the dough straight into the oiled ovenware. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Proof for 1-2 hours until you see bubbles again on the dough.

5. Dimpling & Baking

“Dimpling” is to poke your fingers into the dough to make “dimples” on the dough like this.

Keep making dimples into the dough. Make sure you have put a generous amount of olive oil around your fingers.

Then add the toppings of your choice. I added red onions, olives, cherry tomatoes, garlic slices, and sprinkles of oregano and sea salt flakes.

Then drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough.

Topping Variations for Whole Wheat Focaccia

Here are simple and delicious topping ideas for the whole wheat focaccia. Whole wheat focaccia has a richer and nuttier flavor than regular focaccia made from white wheat, so I like to keep it simple and nice like this to enjoy the whole wheat flavor the best.

1. Rosemary & Sea Salt Flakes

This is the most common and classic Italian topping for focaccia. It is simple yet aromatic. Whole wheat focaccia has a rich and nutty flavor, which I enjoy a lot. If you want to savor the whole wheat flavor, the best, these simple rosemary and sea salt toppings can allow you to do that.

2. Olives & Garlic

This is another classic traditional Italian topping for focaccia. You can use whole or sliced green or black olives with some freshly sliced garlic.

I like to use whole green or black olives with some sliced garlic. The salty olives go so well with some aromatic garlic. When the focaccia is baked in the oven with some olive oil, olives, and garlic, it smells so heavenly!

3. Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onions, Oregano

This is my favorite type of topping for focaccia! There’s something about being Korean myself; we love lots of toppings and a combination of many different ingredients in one dish. I find this topping combination very similar to pizza, and I love it so much for it! Also, they are so colorful. When I feel more extravagant, I like to add some olives to this combo. It looks so festive, and it’s a stunning bread to have on the dinner table when the guests are over.

Serving Suggestions for Homemade Whole Wheat Focaccia

Focaccia originated in Italy, and it can be eaten throughout the day. Here’s how Italians have been enjoying it traditionally.

1. For Breakfast with Cappuccino

Focaccia can be traced back to the 11th century in Genova, Italy! Wow, what a history. So how do they have focaccia in Genova? They have focaccia with a cup of cappuccino for breakfast in the morning.

I thought it was so interesting! I have lived in Milano, Italy, for two years, and people would have a brioche and a cup of coffee for breakfast. Italy certainly has so many amazing, beautiful traditions from city to city.

2. Aperitivo

Aperitivo is an Italian word for the aperitif, and it is an in-between meal before dinner in the evening. You can have focaccia served as an aperitivo with olives, nuts, and a glass of wine such as prosecco or white wine.

3. As a Side Dish or Snack

Focaccia can be served as a side dish to any soup or even just as bread on the dinner table! Or it could be eaten as a quick snack or used as a sandwich bread for lunch.

For brunch today, my husband and I had the focaccia with some tomato soup and a cup of coffee. It was so amazing. 🤤☕🍅

Successful Homemade Whole Wheat Focaccia

Do you want crispy on the outside and juicy and fluffy on the inside, whole wheat focaccia at home? With the tips I gave you above, you are on the right track to the whole wheat focaccia!

And just before getting into the recipe, I must say the key to the successful whole wheat focaccia is enough water—it really needs enough water. Wet dough that is so plump is the key to the great whole wheat focaccia. Let’s get right into it.

No-Knead Best Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe | 3 Topping Ideas

 

Summary of No-Knead Best Whole Wheat Focaccia Recipe

I hope you enjoyed this blog post about this fluffy whole wheat focaccia recipe! It is a no-knead recipe that is so easy to follow and has 40% whole wheat content, which is very high in a focaccia recipe. And yet it is so fluffy and moist on the inside while crispy and full of flavors on the outside. Once you start to enjoy whole wheat focaccia, you might prefer the taste of whole wheat focaccia. It is darker in color and deeper in nutty flavors.

I wish you a wonderful day and I will come back with another delicious post!

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