Look at them holes, isn’t it majestic?
I enjoyed the simplicity of un-enriched breads and baguettes so focaccia doesn’t come to the top of mind. I’ve mostly had them at Italian restaurants where they bring them out as a complementary side; there is only a handful of times where I seek out and bought one. In general, I think focaccia is just a tad bit too rich for my palette. My partner in crime, on the other hand, is the opposite. He doesn’t see how I can eat a whole plain baguette in one sitting, and prefers bakes with more flavor.
Sourdough tends to be pretty involved, but making focaccia is very simple to make. For anyone new to sourdough, making focaccia is the best thing to start with. Under or over-proofing is probably the one thing to look out for, but sourdough is time forgiving, allowing a rough 4-hour peak window to execute.
This recipe is for an 85% hydration focaccia with a fermentation time of 18 hours. It fits perfectly in a 10-10.5″ baking dish or cast-iron skillet. I usually mix in the evening and let the dough go overnight. The next day, I transfer the dough to a baking dish and let it finish its rising, baking in the late afternoon– just in time for dinner! You can check out a sample baking schedule below.
Sample baking schedule:
Day 1:
- 10:00pm: Combine sourdough starter, water and salt. Add flour until a sticky dough forms. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- 10:30pm: Stretch and fold the dough over itself, rotating the bowl while doing. Do about 6 stretches and folds. Generously drizzle and coat the dough with oil. Cover and let rise at room temperature overnight or about 8-12 hours.
Day 2:
- 10:00am: Generously coat your baking dish with olive oil and transfer the dough into the dish. Gently pat the dough down and fold the four sides of the dough into itself. Turn the dough over seam side down, generously drizzle and coat with olive oil and let rise for another 4-6 hours. The dough should have double and spread to fit most of the pan.
- 4:00pm: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Oil your fingers and gently dimple and stretch the dough to fit the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt or seasoning salt mix if choice. Bake 25 minutes or until golden.
Looking for more sourdough recipes?
- Sourdough Discard Garlic Cheddar Pull Apart Bread
- Flakey Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Sourdough Neapolitan Pizza Dough
- Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Focaccia
Equipment
- medium size baking dish like an 8x 8pan or 10" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 25 g sourdough starter
- 212 g water
- 5 g kosher salt
- 250 g bread flour
- olive oil
- flakey sea salt or seasoning/herb mix of choice to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Combine sourdough starter, water and salt. Add flour until a sticky dough forms. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough over itself, rotating the bowl while doing. Do about 6 stretches and folds. Generously drizzle and coat the dough with oil. Cover and let rise at room temperature overnight or about 8-12 hours.
- Generously coat your baking dish with olive oil and transfer the dough into the dish. Gently pat the dough down and fold the four sides of the dough into itself. Turn the dough over seam side down, generously drizzle and coat with olive oil and let rise for another 4-6 hours. The dough should have double and spread to fit most of the pan.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Oil your fingers and gently dimple and stretch the dough to fit the pan. Sprinkle generously with salt or seasoning salt mix of your choice. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.