Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup sourdough starter
- 3 cups bread flour (1/4 ounce packet)
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Topping
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , divided
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Brine
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Make dough. Add 3 cups bread flour, 1 1/4 cups water, and 1/2 cup active sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl and mix with a dough whisk. Mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It should be sticky, but if it’s too sticky to handle, add an extra tablespoon of flour. Allow the mixture to rest (autolyse) for 20 minutes.
- Add salt. Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoon salt over the dough. Mix until evenly incorporated and dough starts to smooth out again. Rest for another 20 minutes.
- Complete one set of stretch and folds: Gently pull the dough up and toward the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat 8 times. Coat the dough with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the bowl with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 1½ hours at room temperature, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Optional long fermentation: At this point you can finish the focaccia or place the dough in the fridge to make 12 to 24 hours later. If making later, remove the dough from the fridge 1 hour before you’re ready to complete it, so it can come to room temperature.
- Stretch dough in pan. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Set the dough in the pan and gently press the dough by lifting and stretching the sides (avoid flattening). If the dough won’t stretch easily, give it a 10-minute rest and try again. Once it’s stretched, let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes.
- Dimple dough. By this stage, the dough should look bubbly and relaxed enough to fill the dish, with a light, airy feel when gently poked. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the surface. Using your fingertips, press dimples into the dough without pushing all the way through.
- Make the brine by mixing together 2 Tablespoons water and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour the mixture evenly over the top of the dimples (this creates that classic focaccia crust). Sprinkle the top with 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt. Immediately put in the oven.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack before slicing.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Use a kitchen scale for this recipe. Precise measurements make a big difference with sourdough. Easily double the recipe for a crowd and bake on a half sheet pan (13 x 18 inches).
Substitution: If you don’t have any sourdough starter, you can still make this! Make sure the water is warm (around 105°F) and use 2 teaspoons of instant yeast in place of the sourdough starter.
Variation: Press halved cherry tomatoes into the dimples. After baking, top with burrata and fresh basil.
Nutrition
Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 383mg, Potassium: 24mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 0.1g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 0.001mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
