This sourdough focaccia is everything! Light, soft, fluffy, airy, and so easy to make. This bread has so much flavor on its own, or can be enhanced with fresh herbs, garlic or cherry tomatoes. Serve on its own or turn into the best sandwich.
I love homemade sourdough bread. There is nothing quite like it! The taste, texture, and process to make it are something I cannot get enough of.
That was until I discovered focaccia. This simple bread has a taste and texture that is like no other.
While I certainly still love bread, this focaccia recipe is officially one of my favorites! With some practice, it can be very simple to make and turns out just so soft every time.
This dough does require an active sourdough starter. If you do not have one, learn how to make your own sourdough starter.
Want to make bread your friends and family will ask for over and over? This recipe is it!
Looking for other sourdough recipes? Check out my sourdough bagels, sourdough naan, and countless sourdough discard recipes.
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💡Tips for Making the Best Focaccia
One thing to keep in mind before attempting focaccia is that it will be a very wet, sticky dough.
If you have never worked with a wet dough before, it can be a bit frustrating.
Here are some tips to give you the confidence to take it on. With some practice, you will be making focaccia like a pro!
- Use wet hands: When handling sticky dough, it's best to get your hands wet rather than trying to use more flour.
- Dimpling: This gives that classic focaccia look. Drizzle olive oil all over the loaf and then gently press your fingers into the dough and rock them back and forth.
- Olive Oil: The olive oil on top of the dough will help keep it from sticking to your fingers. It will also make the top nice and golden brown.
- Top with Sea Salt: Use a flaky sea salt to top the focaccia right before baking. This will enhance the flavor of the bread.
🍞Ingredients
Sourdough Starter: This recipe requires an active starter. That means it has been fed and doubled in size.
All-Purpose Flour: AP Flour is going to give you the best texture. Bread flour can be used but it will lead to a very different consistency.
Warm Water: Use lukewarm water (90-100 degrees) in this recipe. I like to warm my water up in a pot on the stove so I have full control of how warm it is.
See full information on ingredients and quantities in the recipe card.
🥣How to Make
Start off by feeding your starter equal parts of flour and water by weight. Cover and let it rise for 6-8 hours or until it is at its peak. Learn more about how to feed and maintain a starter.
Make the Dough
Step 1: In a glass bowl measure out the 200 grams of fed sourdough starter. (Image 1).
Step 2: Warm the water 90-100 degrees. Then, zero the scale out and pour in 312 grams of warm water. Mix with a dough whisk or fork until it is fully combined. (Image 2).
Step 3: Zero out the scale again and measure out the salt and honey.
Step 4: Mix really well again with the dough whisk until it is a smooth consistency and everything is incorporated. (Image 3).
Step 5: Add in the AP flour and mix until it starts to form a ball. (Image 4).
Step 6: Using your hands, bring the dough together to create a rough ball.
💡Pro Tip: Sourdough focaccia dough is very sticky. Try to not use more flour or it will alter the consistency and become more dense. Get your hands wet or use a bowl spatula to help handle the dough.
Step 7: Cover the bowl with a warm damp towel and rest for 1 hour. The damp towel will keep the top of the dough from drying out.
Step 8: After an hour, work the dough by picking up one side and folding it over. Repeat on all four sides. This process is called stretch and folds (Images 4-6).
Step 9: Cover and rest for 1 more hour.
Step 10: After the hour, perform another set of stretch and folds, (image 4-6) cover, and rest 1 more hour.
The dough should go from rough to a smoother texture and consistency.
Shaping
Step 11: After the last hour, prepare a baking sheet by lining with a piece of parchment paper. Generously coat the parchment in olive oil. This will prevent the dough from sticking.
Step 12: Turn the dough onto the parchment and gently pull push and stretch the dough until it makes a 9"x10" rectangle. (Image 7 & 8).
You can also use a 9"x13" baking dish. Just be sure to generously coat the pan in oil so the dough doesn't stick.
💡Tips for shaping:
- Use wet hands.
- For even baking, make sure the dough is the same thickness throughout the whole pan.
- Use both a pushing and pulling method to get it completely spread out.
- Coat the parchment in olive oil.
- If the dough is having a hard time forming, let it rest 10 minutes and work it again. Do this as many times as necessary.
Step 13: Cover with a very light tea towel or flour sack towel, and let rise for 6-8 hours. It is ready to bake when it has risen and is light and puffy.
Baking
Step 14: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the oven is preheating, the dough needs to be dimpled. Dimpling is what will give the focaccia those signature bubbles.
Step 15: Drizzle the dough with olive oil and very gently press holes into the dough with your fingers, rocking them up and down. (Image 9 & 10).
💡Pro Tip: If the dough is sticking to your fingers, use a bit of olive oil to help prevent it.
Step 16: After dimpling, allow the dough to sit for 10-20 minutes to allow it to rest.
Optional: Sprinkle on some flakey sea salt, rosemary or other desired toppings.
Step 17: Place in the oven for 22-25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown. (Images 11 & 12).
Step 18: Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment to transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool, if you can wait that long... I tend to dig right in!
Serve with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix, garlic butter sauce, or turn it into a sandwich.
🧂Topping Ideas
While sourdough focaccia is great on its own, there are lot's of different things you can add to make it even better.
- Halved Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Herbs
- Sea Salt
- Garlic
- Olives
- Almond Basil Pesto
Get creative and give your favorite toppings a try!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
This sourdough focaccia bread is different from a loaf of sourdough bread. Sourdough bread has a round shape and is usually cut into slices. Sourdough focaccia is more flat and cut into squares to eat on its own or made into sandwiches.
Focaccia can be a tricker bread to make because it requires a very wet dough. This can be a challenge to handle. If too much flour is added, the bread will turn out dense and tough. To help handle wet focaccia dough, simply use wet hands instead of adding more flour.
All purpose flour. AP Flour will give you the best texture and consistency. Bread flour will make it more dense.
🥖Other Sourdough Recipes
📋Recipe
Sourdough Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 grams Sourdough Starter - Recently fed and active
- 312 grams Warm Water - 90-100 degrees
- 20 grams Honey
- 11 grams Kosher Salt
- 500 grams All Purpose Flour
- Olive Oil - For the parchment and on top of the dough.
Optional Toppings
- Flakey Sea Salt
- Rosemary
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Garlic
Instructions
Feed Starter
- Start off by feeding your starter equal parts of flour and water by weight. Cover and let it rise for 6-8 hours or until it is at its peak.
Make the Dough
- In a glass bowl measure out the 200 grams of fed sourdough starter.
- Warm the water to 90-100 degrees. Then, zero the scale out and pour in 312 grams of warm water. Mix with a dough whisk or fork until it is fully combined.
- Zero out the scale again and measure out the salt and honey.
- Mix really well again with the dough whisk until it is a smooth consistency and everything is incorporated.
- Add in the 500 grams of AP flour and mix until it starts to form a ball.
- Using your hands, bring the dough together to create a rough ball. Use wet hands or a bowl scraper to make it easier.
- Cover the bowl with a warm damp towel and rest for 1 hour. The damp towel will keep the top of the dough from drying out.
- After an hour, work the dough by picking up one side and folding it over. Repeat on all four sides. This process is called stretch and folds. Cover and rest for 1 more hour.
- After the hour, perform another set of stretch and folds and rest 1 more hour. The dough should go from rough to a smoother texture and consistency.
Shaping the Dough
- After the last hour, prepare a baking sheet by lining with a piece of parchment paper. Generously coat the parchment in olive oil. This will prevent the dough from sticking. See notes for shaping tips. You can also use a 9"x13" baking dish. Just be sure to generously coat the pan in oil so the dough doesn't stick.
- Cover with a very light tea towel or flour sack towel, and let rise for 6-8 hours. It is ready to bake when it has risen and is light and puffy.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is preheating, the dough needs to be dimpled. Dimpling is what will give the focaccia those signature bubbles.
- Drizzle the dough with olive oil and very gently press holes into the dough with your fingers, rocking them up and down.
- After dimpling, allow the dough to sit for 10-20 minutes to allow it to rest.
- Optional: Sprinkle on some flakey sea salt, rosemary or other desired toppings.
- Place in the oven for 22-25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment to transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool, if you can wait that long...
Notes
- Use wet hands.
- For even baking, make sure the dough is the same thickness throughout the whole pan.
- Coat the parchment in olive oil.
- Use both a pushing and pulling method to get it completely spread out.
- If the dough is having a hard time forming, let it rest 10 minutes and work it again. Do this as many times as necessary.
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