No-Knead Breakfast Focaccia

A crispy, fluffy sheet pan focaccia featuring sunny side up eggs, crumbled bacon, and lots of cheese.

SERVES9

PREP4 hours

COOK30 minutes

like to think of this playful recipe as the best way to serve bacon, eggs, and toast to a crowd. The crispy, fluffy focaccia combines everyone’s favorite breakfast trifecta into one, so that all that’s left to do is grab some plates and pour the coffee.

No-Knead Dough Makes the Easiest Homemade Focaccia

This crowd-sized sheet pan focaccia is inspired by our easy skillet focaccia, in which the food processor mixes up the dough for you. If you’re new to bread-making, this recipe is a great place to start; you’re rewarded with an impressive, fluffy focaccia without doing much work at all. In fact, a no-knead dough is actually the best way to make focaccia, because it prevents too much gluten from developing (which can result in tough, chewy bread).

INGREDIENTS

• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 3/4 cups warm water
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling the bowl
• 8 strips bacon (about 5 ounces), cut in half
• 9 large eggs
• 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1 ounce finely-grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Ranch dressing, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the flour, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and pulse until a rough ball of dough forms, 12 to 15 pulses. The dough will be very sticky.
2. Lightly oil a large bowl. With floured hands, scoop the dough out of the food processor and form it into a ball. Place in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
3. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil onto an 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Punch down the dough, transfer to the baking sheet, and turn to coat the dough in the oil. Use your fingertips to stretch the dough to the edges of the baking sheet. Cover again and let sit in a warm place until puffed, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, cook the bacon.
4. Place the bacon in a single layer in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until just crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
5. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 475°F. Using the bottom of a flat-bottomed 1/4-cup measuring cup, make 9 evenly-spaced wells in the dough (this will be for the eggs), then use your fingers to make the wells even more defined. Sprinkle the dough with remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
6. 
   Bake until the focaccia begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Press the same measuring cup in the wells to make them even deeper. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, then carefully pour into one of the wells. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Crumble the bacon over the focaccia, then sprinkle with the cheddar and Parmesan. Season with lots of freshly ground pepper.
7. Return to oven and bake until the egg whites are just set and the yolks are runny, 7 to 9 minutes more. Garnish with the parsley and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve with ranch for dipping if desired.

RECIPE NOTES

Make ahead: The dough can be left in the covered bowl to rise overnight in the refrigerator — the slower rise actually provides extra flavor. In the morning, transfer the cold dough to the rimmed baking sheet and allow it to warm up a little, about 30 minutes, before stretching and proceeding with the recipe.