If you thought it would take days to make soft, squishy delicious focaccia, you were wrong. Let me show you how to make this incredibly easy focaccia that takes about 3 hours start to finish. You get a big slab of soft squishy big-holed bread with a perfectly fried bottom and tender crumb perfect for sandwiches, dipping, or whatever your carby-heart desires. This same day focaccia recipe will be a keeper and a go-to!   How to make 3-hour focaccia I cannot stress how easy this bread is to make. When you make it for the very first time, you’ll likely take your time to make sure everything comes out just right. But after that, you’ll realize how fast and easy it is, and the next time you make it, you’ll breeze through it.  You don’t need a stand-mixer for this recipe. You don’t need to let the dough ferment overnight. Everything takes place in a large bowl, including the kneading. We let the dough rest and proof in a turned-off oven with just the light on. That little oven light creates the perfect proofing spot for just about any dough. I use it religiously because I don’t keep my house warm lol. It’s about 69-72 degrees F in my house at all tmes, period.  I’ve tried no-knead recipes for focaccia and I just can’t stand the crumb. It’s not as soft and squishy and I want it, but that’s completely subjective.  The Best Flour for Same-day Focaccia I use King Arthur Bread Flour. It contains 12.7% protein, and because it’s so widely-available, you should have no problem finding it. Any brand with the same protein content will work. If you have a bread flour with more protein, you’ll need to increase the amount of water used. For example, I also have a 14% high-gluten flour on hand, and with this recipe it will take anywhere from 485 to 515 grams of water to get the dough just right. If you use all-purpose or anything with less than 12.7% protein, you’ll need to decrease the amount of water. I would start with 355 grams and go from there.  Technically, you can use all-purpose flour for this. You’ll need significantly less water, but the end result (to me) isn’t as great. It’s good, but not great. AP flour will give you “C-student” focaccia, whereas bread flour will give you “straight A student”. Equipment needed to make 3-hour focaccia The type of baking dish you use does matter. You’ll want to use something that conducts heat as evenly as possible. Preferably something with a slick, almost nonstick surface so the dough doesn’t stick as it bakes. Cast-iron, or a coated-aluminum dish work great. I’ve used a metal cake pan before, but there was some sticking. If you can, avoid glass. You’ll risk it sticking like hell. If your dish is known sticking, layer it with parchment paper before greasing. You may or may not get the ultimate fried bottom crust, but it will still be delicious. You have to work with what you have. A standard 9×13 high-sided (3-inches) baking dish work’s great for this amount of dough. Include parchment paper if your baking sheet is prone to sticking. I use a 10×14″ Lloyd pizza pan, but this 9×13 cake pan from USA Pans is also a dream to use. You can use any pan you have, as long as it’s properly prepared. This is a thicker focaccia, so you’ll need something with higher sides. If you want a flatter focaccia, you can absolutely use a rimmed half-sheet pan and just let the dough proof in a free-form kinda way. It won’t reach the full bottom of the pan, but if flatter is what you want, then that’s fine. If this is your first time, it may take about 20 minutes of prep-time. The more you do this, the faster you’ll become. The total rest time for the dough is 2 hours and 5 minutes. The bake time is about 20 minutes. That is how this can be categorized as a 3-hour focaccia.  Kitchen scale for accuracy. I use a standard kitchen scale, plus a jewelry-scale for even further accuracy when measuring delicate ingredients such as yeast. Dough whisk or regular whisk to combine dry ingredients. The dough whisk is one of those tools that once you use, you can’t go back. But you do not absolutely need one to get this bread made. Rubber spatula, to help scrape down the sides of the bowl. This dough rises big time, and it’s wet, jiggly, and sticky. A rubber spatula is the best way to keep it all contained when it’s time to fold and flip. Large bowl at least 3 1/2 quarts. This is the minimum bowl size needed for this recipe. If you have anything larger, that’s also great. Flexible spatula to help remove the focaccia from the baking dish. Wire rack for cooling. The bottom of the focaccia “fries” as it bakes, and we need proper aeration as it cools so that the bottom doesn’t get soggy.  How to store 3-hour focaccia I’d be shocked if this bread lasted more than 2 days in your household. Even if you live alone lol. To store it, just portion it and place it into a large freezer bag or airtight container. Make sure absolutely no air can get to it and dry it out. It’s a very moist bread, so it will last about 2-3 days at room temperature. You can also store it (securely wrapped) in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer store, portion it however you like, then wrap it firmly in plastic wrap. Tuck each wrapped piece into a freezer bag. It will stay fresh and frozen for up to 2 months. I make this bread a LOT, and you’ll see different variations of it in my freezer already portioned for a quick fix.