Sourdough Focaccia Bread
This easy Sourdough Focaccia has a crunchy crust, open and irregular crumb and great chewy texture. A long slow fermentation and your choice of toppings makes a bread with irresistible flavor.
Table of contents
About Sourdough Focaccia Bread
Though it’s often made with commercial yeast, Focaccia is a natural choice for sourdough bread. A great focaccia should have an open and irregular crumb and light, chewy texture.
This Sourdough Focaccia recipe is extremely versatile. The dough can be baked in a cast iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Make it round, rectangular or square shape.
Spread the dough thinner to serve it as a flat bread, or you can bake it a little thicker and use it to make sandwiches.
For topping the focaccia you can keep it simple with just a sprinkle of sea salt and a few fresh herbs. Maybe some cherry tomatoes for a fresh burst of flavor.
For a heartier bread add my crispy garlic (see how to make it in the process photos in this post).
You can even top the bread with fresh or dried fruits for a sweeter take that would be lovely for breakfast or brunch.
If you don’t have one, check out my post to learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter. Then check out my system to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Bread Flour – Bread flour has a high protein content which makes the dough strong enough to expand in the oven and hold in the large air bubbles formed in the dough. You can use all purpose flour for a slightly softer crumb. I’ve used both with good results.
- Whole Wheat Flour – I add just a touch of whole wheat flour to enhance the flavor of the bread. You can substitute AP or bread flour for the whole wheat flour.
- Sourdough Starter – This recipe was developed using 100% hydration starter. If your starter has a different hydration adjust the flour or water in the recipe as needed.
- Toppings – Sea salt, fresh herbs, crispy garlic, cheese, onions, olives and cherry tomatoes are just some of the popular toppings for focaccia. Use your imagination and what you’ve got available.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Combine the starter, water and some of the flour in a mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Add the salt, olive oil and the rest of the flour.
- The dough will start out quite shaggy.
- After 5 minutes of kneading the dough should clear the sides of the bowl and gather on the hook.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.
- Set the bowl aside at room temperature for bulk fermentation (about 3-5 hours).
- Every hour fold and turn the dough.
- Refrigerate the dough overnight (or up to 2 days).
- Transfer the dough to a cast iron skillet or baking sheet that is liberally coated with olive oil. Handle the dough carefully to maintain the bubbles in the dough.
- Flip the dough over to coat with oil.
- Spread the dough to fill the pan and set it aside to rise.
- After the dough rises, use your fingers to dimple the dough all over.
- Sprinkle the toppings over the dough.
- Bake until crisp and golden brown
How to make Crispy Garlic Topping for Focaccia
- To make crispy garlic sauté an entire bulb of minced garlic in 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Strain the garlic and use the flavored oil to bake the focaccia.
A timeline for making Sourdough Focaccia
- If your starter needs feeding, do that the night before or early in the morning of the day you want to make the dough.
- Mix the dough in the afternoon or early evening of day one.
- Leave the dough at room temperature for bulk fermentation (with the hourly folding and flipping) until bed time.
- Before going to bed, put the dough in the fridge for cold fermentation overnight. The dough can be held in the refrigerator to up to 2 days.
- Take the dough out the next day to finish assembling and baking.
Storage
Sourdough focaccia is best the day it is baked but will keep at room temperature for a day.
The bread can be frozen for up to a month. Warm in a low oven to re-crisp the bread.
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a star rating and a quick comment. Ratings and comments help my recipes show in search results. Thanks!
Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- 10 oz warm water (1 ¼ cups)
- 2 ½ oz whole wheat flour (½ cup, see note)
- 12 ½ oz bread flour (2 ½ cups, see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt
- 2 oz olive oil (¼ cup)
Finish
- 2 oz olive oil (¼ cup)
- toppings of your choice
Instructions
Make the dough (day 1)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz active sourdough starter with 10 oz warm water and 2 ½ oz whole wheat flour. Add 7 ½ oz bread flour to form a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
- If using a stand mixer switch to the dough hook attachment. Add 1 ½ teaspoons table salt, 2 oz olive oil and the remaining flour, Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. If mixing by hand stir in as much flour as you can, then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand.
- The dough will start out quite sticky but will eventually clear the sides of the bowl and cling to the hook. If working by hand, keep your hands and the surface floured to prevent the dough from sticking. This is a fairly wet dough.
- Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature for 3-5 hours of bulk fermentation. Every hour repeat the following procedure: Uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough over into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. You're basically turning the dough inside-out to redistribute the yeast. By now the dough should be lively, elastic and airy. If the dough is still sluggish give it another hour or two at room temperature.
- Put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. Alternately, you can go ahead with shaping the dough if you want to bake it the same day. The dough can be held in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Bake the Focaccia (Day 2)
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Lightly oil a 1/2 sheet pan or 12" skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the dough onto the oiled pan (trying not to deflate too much) and flip it over to coat it with a film of oil. Use your fingers to spread the dough to a 1/2" thick square or rectangle if using a sheet pan or if using a skillet spread the dough to fill the pan. Allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour until well risen,., bubbly and puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use your fingers to dimple the top of the dough all over. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with toppings of your choice.
- Bake about 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
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Family loved this today! I love the directions and pictures!
The recipe lists 2 1/2 cups of AP flour. In the instructions it says to add the starter, water, whole wheat flour and mix. Then it says to add 2 1/2 cups of the AP flour to form a thick batter. Then rest for 30 minutes, then add the salt and olive oil and remaining flour. If the total flour is 3 cups and all are added in the beginning what is the flour being added after resting for 30 minutes?
I have made this and held back a cup of AP flour after the rest and it is great, but I’m still wondering if there is something I am missing?
Yikes, thanks for pointing that out. I’ve fixed the recipe card.
Just a note for clarity ~ The directions do not state that the dough goes into the fridge overnight. Above that (in the Timeline) it says overnight in fridge. Probably wouldn’t hurt to add the o/n to the recipe directions. Best, Phawnda
Thanks, I’ve updated the recipe card for clarity.
I can’t wait to try this!!! You mentioned that it could be halved and baked on cast iron skillet – would you preheat the skillet in the oven like you would for bread, or would that cause the bottom to burn?
You want to let the dough rise in the pan, so I wouldn’t preheat it. If you try to transfer it after it has risen you might deflate the dough.
Can you use 2 cups of sourdough instead of 1. If so what would happen?
This recipe sounds amazing. Thank you.
Cheryl
All of my sourdough recipes are written and tested using 1 cup of starter. I wouldn’t recommend changing the amount of starter without doing more testing to see the effect on the dough.
Do you just want to use up starter, or are you trying to get a more “tangy” flavor? You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for a day or two to enhance the flavor.
OMG – this was delicious! I took it to a brunch and someone thought it came from a bakery! I can’t wait to try more recipes. I’ve so enjoyed your website and it has been so great for a sourdough newbie.
That crispy garlic, though!
Where is the video?
If you are using an ad blocker the video won’t show. If you turn off the ad blocker you’ll see the video player.
I’m not sure about the amount of whole wheat flour to use. A half cup should weigh about 60 grams shouldn’t it? Should I go with volume or weight on this ingredient? Thanks!
Weight measures are always the most accurate so if you have a scale I would always use weight measures. A cup of whole wheat flour weighs 5 oz (using the dip and sweep method). I use the conversion of 28g per oz. So a 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) of whole wheat flour should be 70g (2.5 x 28).
If I want to leave it to rise overnight in the fridge how long do you recommend leaving it in for? How many times/ how often should I fold the dough if it is in the fridge?
I would leave it ferment at room temperature for a few hours to get it going. Then you can put it in the fridge for up to 2 days before shaping and baking.
I’ve started this early on Mother’s Day I. Hopes of having it with dinner. Rather than overnight
In the fridge can it rise at room temperature and be baked tonight?
Yes.
Could you skip the overnight rise or is it necessary? I was hoping to get this done for dinner today lol
Yes. The flavor will be a bit different, but it will still be good. Just make sure to let the entire first fermentation happen until the dough is lively and elasic. Then you can go ahead and shape the focaccia.
I’m trying to make the sourdough pretzels, and it says to watch the video for sourdough focaccia (no link) to see how to stretch the dough. This is the closest recipe I’ve found, and it says, “Watch the video…” (again no link), and I can’t find the video anywhere!
If you are running an ad-blocker the video wont’ show up. If you turn off the add blocker you’ll see the video.
Came out beautifully! I followed the recipe exactly as it was written. Outstanding. I cut it up and took it to the hospital for the night shift. They are often overlooked because by the time they come on shift all the treats are gone. I’ll be making this again!
So glad you used my recipe to support the healthcare workers! Isn’t the crispy garlic crazy good?
Hello, I am mid baking this amazing recipe and noticed the recipe mentions putting the salt and oil in twice. Before the 30 min rest and after. Not sure which is right but thought I’d point that out so you could maybe clarify or fix the recipe. Hoping mine turns out as I put it in before the 30 min rest. Fingers crossed. Thanks!
Oooops, thanks for the heads-up. The oil and salt should go in after the 30 minutes rest (no biggie if you put it in before). I fixed the recipe.
What adjustment do you think if I only have AP flour?
Hi Julie, just replace the whole wheat flour with the same amount of ap flour. The whole wheat is mostly there for taste.
Can you make english muffin s with starter?
Sure. I haven’t worked out an exact recipe yet, but you could start by replacing a 1/2 cup of flour and a 1/2 cup of liquid with a cup of active starter.
Its looking lovely. Soon I’m going to try this. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
I don’t know why I have never thought of making focaccia with sourdough. I have to make this asap. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I love the texture and flavor that the starter brings to this bread. I hope you like it.
Love the airy pockets that this sourdough focaccia has. Perfect!
Thanks!
Fantastic focaccia and I love all of the bread geek talk! For a long time I kept three starters at different hydration levels until I figured out how to use baker’s percentages. Doh! Thanks for baking along!
Thanks for a great theme, Karen!
Look at all those beautiful pockets of air!!
Thanks, Wendy!