Chocolate Focaccia (No Knead)

This no-knead Chocolate Focaccia recipe is soft, chewy, and studded with pools of melty chocolate, with crisp, golden edges. Easy to make, it’s perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a dessert bread.

Dessert Focaccia for Chocolate Lovers
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make No Knead Chocolate Focaccia
VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
Variations & Serving Suggestions
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Recipe FAQ
More Dessert Focaccia Recipes
Chocolate Focaccia (No Knead) Recipe

Dessert Focaccia for Chocolate Lovers

If you love chocolate in all its forms, this focaccia will quickly become a go-to recipe. Unlike a classic sweet bread, I developed this chocolate focaccia to have a balance between soft and chewy, with crisp edges and pockets of rich, melty chocolate throughout. It’s a fun recipe for Valentine’s Day, a cozy weekend breakfast, or just an excuse to bake something easy but still super deliciousss!

If you’ve tried my classic no-knead focaccia, you already know how simple and reliable a no-knead method can be. This version takes that same easy dough and elevates it with chocolate flavor, and it’s a great complement to other recipes on the blog like Chocolate Bagels recipe or my Chocolate Salt Bread recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy & No Knead: No kneading required. Just mix, fold, and let the dough do the work.
Make Ahead: Prep the dough the night before and bake it fresh the next morning. Perfect for busy schedules!
Sweet and Salty Flavor: Olive oil, butter, chocolate, and flaky salt work together to create a balanced flavor profile.
Versatile & Not Too Sweet: Serve it as a dessert with semi-sweet or milk chocolate and ice cream, or make it more savory by using it as a sandwich with cream cheese or butter.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need for the dough, add-ins, and toppings:

Bread flour
Cocoa powder: The type can affect color and flavor; natural or Dutch-process works.
Sugar
Salt
Instant dry yeast
Chocolate: Optional but highly recommend!! It adds pockets of melty chocolate inside and makes it so much more delicious.
Olive oil
Salted butter

How to Make No Knead Chocolate Focaccia

This recipe was developed to be simple and forgiving, with no kneading required. Here’s the overview:

making chocolate focaccia dough in a bowl with stretch and folds, coil folds and proofing

folding in chocolate into focaccia, dimpling and baking in a pan

Mix the Dough: Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add water and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
Build Strength: Perform a series of stretch-and-folds and coil folds over ~75-90 minutes (four sets with rests in between).
First Proof: overnight or same day
Transfer & Shape: Oil a pan, transfer dough, fold in chocolate chips if using, and fold dough like a letter. Rotate and flip so the seam is down.
Final Proof: Until expanded, bubbly and airy.
Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Drizzle melted butter over the dough, dimple deeply with your fingertips, and sprinkle with flaky salt.
Bake: Reduce temperature to 425°F (218°C) and bake 16–20 minutes until edges are crisp and top is slightly darkened.

VIDEO: Watch How to Make It

Lisa’s Recipe Tips

Use a kitchen scale: Accurate measurements ensure your focaccia comes out with the right texture and chew every time.
Fold the chocolate inside: Chocolate tends to burn if placed on top, so scatter it over part of the dough and fold it in. This keeps pockets of chocolate melty without burning.
Prevent sticking: Focaccia can stick to pans when baked. To avoid this, generously butter the pan or line it with parchment paper.
Temperature & Proofing: Use time frames as a guidelines and go with visual ques as temperature will affect how long it takes to proof.

Variations & Serving Suggestions

This chocolate focaccia’s simplicity is what makes it delicious but it’s also a great blank canvas to fold in other ingredients because so many things pair well with chocolate:

pistachio cream, think… dubai chocolate
peanut butter or other nut butters
dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or raisins

After it’s baked, you can:

drizzle with more chocolaste
drizzle with salted caramel like miso caramel, soy caramel or even gochujang caramel
spread or drizzle pistachio butter, nutella, nut butters or toasted marshmellow butter cream
serve with salted butter
spread jam
spread some pistachio katsifi or peanut butter kataifi filling
make a sandwich with cream cheese and proscutto (i recentlyt did this and LOVE it!!)

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Room temperature: Keep in an airtight bag or container for up to 2 days.
Freezing: Store in airtight bags for up to 2 months. Slice first if you want to reheat individual portions.
Oven / Air Fryer / Toaster Oven: Spray lightly with water and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 5–7 minutes.
Steaming: Place in a steamer basket over boiling water for 1–2 minutes. This makes it extra soft and chewy.
Microwave: Wrap in a damp paper towel for 10–15 seconds in a pinch.
From frozen: Run under water or spray with water before reheating or toasting to prevent dryness.

Recipe FAQ

Can I bake this on the same day?

Yes, increase the amount of instant dry yeast and proof at room temperature.

More Dessert Focaccia Recipes

Enjoy! If you make this Chocolate Focaccia recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and if you share it on social media, tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen. I can’t wait to see your creations!