Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe

Homemade, nutritious, easy to digest sourdough bread is so good, am I right? And what about airy, soft, lightly-oiled focaccia bread? Extra good. When you put the two together, sourdough focaccia is utterly exceptional!

If you are familiar with our basic sourdough bread loaf recipe (or baking sourdough in general), you should be quiet comfortable with this focaccia recipe. The process is pretty similar, with just a few tweaks! The main differences are that focaccia creates a slightly wetter dough because it calls for more starter and a tad more water than our classic bread recipe does, and also is proofed and baked in a different vessel. If you aren’t yet intimate with sourdough, don’t worry! I will breakdown the steps in understandable terms for you.

Sourdough focaccia Ingredients

  • Sourdough starter- Approximately 160 grams of active starter will be used in the recipe. If you don’t have one yet, you can grab one here! All it will need is flour and a little water to get it started!
  • Flour- 450 grams total. For this recipe, we usually just use organic all-purpose flour.
  • Salt- 9 grams in the dough, plus additional for sprinkling on top. Sea salt or himalayan salt is preferred over iodized table salt in sourdough baking.
  • Filtered water-350 to 400 grams 
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Toppings of choice-Popular focaccia toppings include olives (green, black, or kalamata), whole or sliced fresh garlic, grated cheese, fresh or dry herbs, tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried), roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, nuts and seeds, or seasonings such as “everything but the bagel”. I also use violet flowers or whatever herb flowers are freshly available in my yard like nettles or dandelion.

Equipment Needed

  • A large mixing bowl
  • A kitchen scale
  • A baking pan. I have used glass and this 9×13″ non-stick (silicone-lined) baking pan. No matter how much ghee butter or olive oil i use on the bottom of the glass pan, the bread still gets stuck relentlessly so I have resorted to the silicone-lined pan and it makes all the difference!
  • a lint-free tea towel
  • Liquid measuring cup 
  • Dough scraper-helpful but not necessary.

Step 1: Ready Your Sourdough Starter

Ensure your sourdough starter is at peak activity, ready for use in a recipe. This usually involves feeding it at least once or twice several hours before using it, depending on how you had it stored. A sourdough starter is considered at peak activity when it is bubbling in its container, has more than doubled in size, is no longer expanding, but hasn’t yet started to fall back down and deflate.

Step 2: Combine Active Starter, Water, Salt & EVOO

Using a kitchen scale, measure out the called-for amounts of active sourdough starter, water, olive oil and salt. I suggest starting on the lower end of the water range, and add small amounts later (after the flour) as needed. Again, this is particularly true for those working in humid environments.

 

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the starter, water, oil, and salt until thoroughly combined.

 

 

It is best to add warm water. If you add cold water, it will start off the dough too cool and can slow down the fermentation process. Around 90 degrees F is perfect. You can either let the water sit out to warm up, or quickly microwave it for 15 to 30 seconds. It should feel lukewarm to the touch, but not hot.

Step 3: Add Flour & Stir

Next, weigh out the called for amount of flour. Add the flour to the water-starter mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. If needed, add more water-a tablespoon or two at a time. We use almost the full 400 grams of water.

 

 

The focaccia dough consistency should be slightly more wet than the typical dough for a loaf of sourdough bread. It will also appear slightly chunky and sloppy at first, but will come together more in the next step.

 

Step 4: Bulk Ferment + Stretch & Fold

Cover the bowl with a lint-free cloth, such as a tea towel. Now the focaccia dough needs to sit and ferment at room temperature for about four hours, or until the dough has risen to double in size.

 

 

As much as possible, keep the dough in a temperate location. Around 75 degrees F is ideal for sourdough fermentation. Cooler temperatures will make this process take longer, and hotter temperatures will speed it up. 

 

 

During the first 2 hours of the bulk fermentation time, perform 3 or 4 sets of “stretch and fold” about a half an hour apart. This will help smooth out and further form the dough, and also introduce air. After those 3 or 4 sets, allow the dough to rest and rise uninterrupted for the remainder of the time.

Step 5: Transfer Focaccia Dough into the Baking Pan

Once the dough has risen and expanded to about double the original size, it is time to carefully transfer it into the baking pan. Before doing so, apply a generous layer of olive oil around the pan’s bottom and edges. We don’t want the sourdough focaccia to stick to the pan. Also, let’s be real..an oily crispy crust is one of the best parts about focaccia anyways!

 

 

To transfer the dough, I like to use a dough scraper to gently loosen around the edges of the dough ball. Then, tip the bowl and ease the dough onto the middle of the oiled pan. It should spread out into a fairly thin layer on it’s own (an inch or two) and not stay in a tight blob in the middle.

 

 

To assist in an even spread, use wet or oiled hands to lightly push and pull the dough into the corners of the pan. It will resist, so don’t tear or force it. It will eventually settle in with time. Give it another little push and pull in a half an hour if needed.

Step 6: Continue Proofing Dough (Two Options)

From here you have a couple of options, depending on the time you started on the process. You can either allow the dough to sit out at room temperature to proof for a couple more hours, or move it into the refrigerator to continue a longer proof.

 

 

Either way, the goal is to allow the dough to puff up and rise to about double in size again. On average, this should take around 2 hours at 75 degrees F- though it can vary depending on the strength of your sourdough starter and your climate.

 

 

We prefer a longer proofing time, for the added nutritional benefits and also the increased flexibility for our schedule. After transferring the dough to the baking pan, I let it sit for a half an hour to spread out a bit, and then move it to the fridge. From there, it may sit for as little as 8 hours or as long as 14 hours. The key is to take the pan and dough back out of the refrigerator a few hours before you want to bake. Allow it to warm to room temperature, puff up, and reach that ideal doubling in size.

While the dough is proofing, cover the pan with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap.

Step 7: Dimple & Dress Dough

This is a good time to preheat the oven to 450 degrees f.

 

 

Here comes the fun part!

 

 

By now the dough should have risen and look a bit bubbly. But to create that distinctive dimpled focaccia top, you need to poke it! Wet your hands with either olive oil or water, and press your fingers into the dough repeatedly in many places. Be sure to push all the way down to the bottom of the pan. It should look really bubbly now!

 

 

Next drizzle the top of the dimpled dough with extra virgin olive oil. About two tablespoons is recommended, though we never measure. Also sprinkle over a nice little dusting of course sea salt. Finally, dress up your sourdough focaccia with any toppings you prefer! Press larger toppings such as olives, tomatoes, or artichoke hearts down into the crevices to prevent burning in the oven. In this example, we used violet (Violet tricolor) on the top because we love violets medicinal benefits and they’re just so pretty.

Step 9: Bake

Bake the sourdough focaccia on 450 degrees f for approximately 25 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown. Your house should smell damn delectable right about now! Once it’s done, allow the bread to cool for a few minutes inside the pan, and then transfer it onto a cooling rack.

 

Enjoy!

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