The BEST Sourdough Focaccia

Updated at: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 18:27:14 GMT

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, water and extra virgin olive 
oil. With a large spoon, stir in the fine sea salt (don’t whisk…once you add salt, the mixture 
tends to stick to the whisk).

Step 2

Using the same spoon, mix in the flour until everything is
 evenly combined and no dry flour patches remain. Scrape down bowl with dough scraper to keep everything tidy.

Step 3

Cover bowl with tea towel, bowl cover,
 shower cap or plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Step 4

After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, wet your hand to prevent the dough from sticking and perform your first stretch and fold. Your aim is to perform three sets of stretch of & folds within the first 2 hours of the dough proofing, spaced roughly 30 minutes apart from one another.

Step 5

After you’ve performed your third stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let the dough sit undisturbed, at room temperature, for around 3.5-4 hours. Basically, we are looking for the dough to have grown in size and look puffy, jiggly and full of air. This may take shorter or longer in your kitchen depending on the temperature in your home and the health/strength of your sourdough starter.

Step 6

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, a reusable plastic shower cap and place into the fridge overnight. It will continue to grow a bit in the bowl overnight, so just make sure there is room for the dough to expand. If you would prefer to bake the focaccia on the same day, simply leave the bowl out at room temperature for an additional 1 hour and then carry on with the recipe as written (skip the fridge).

Step 7

Prepare your 9” x 13” (23cm x 33cm) baking tray (also called a quarter sheet pan). Put a tiny bit of oil on the tray, rub it all around and then place a sheet of parchment paper on top and press down. The oil helps the parchment to stick in place. Then drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on the parchment paper and spread it evenly around the base and sides of the paper lining the tray/pan. I line my tray because I’ve had focaccia stick to tray in the past. You can skip this part if you’re confident that the bread will not stick to your tray.

Step 8

Using a curved dough scraper or oiled hands, gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl and tip the dough into your oiled and lined tray. Now, you are going to oil your hands and fold one side of dough towards the middle of the blob of dough. Repeat with the other side. It should look a bit like a burrito. Then flip the dough so the seams are at the bottom and the smooth side of the dough is up at the top - see my video tutorial on Instagram or TikTok for reference.

Step 9

Cover the tray by placing an inverted tray of the same size or bigger on top of it. You just want to ensure the dough isn't being exposed to air because it may dry out
 while proofing. If you don’t have another tray, a large plastic storage box can work too. Do not cover the dough with plastic wrap or a tea towel, it will stick.

Step 10

Let proof in tray for about 2 - 3 hours. The dough will have spread a lot in the tray over this period of time. If it hasn’t spread all the way to the edges, then oil your hands and gently slip your hands under the dough and pull the dough towards the edges, being careful not to disrupt the bubbles in the dough too much. You want the dough to be an even thickness in the tray - see video tutorial.

Step 11

Once you think the dough is ready (it will be floofy and jiggly when you shake the tray), it’s time to preheat your oven to 220C/430F.

Step 12

Drizzle the top of the dough with a little more extra virgin olive oil and then rub a bit of the oil onto your hands. Using both hands, press your fingers into the dough, gently touching the bottom of the tray. Repeat until the entire tray of dough is dimpled. There is such a thing as too much dimpling though…you can lose some of the nice bubbles you’ve created in the dough if you dimple too much. Just be mindful of air pockets and try not to pop them…these bubbles are what make the crumb of a focaccia so interesting and delicious.

Step 13

Top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Add anything you’d like to the top by gently pressing toppings into the little dimples: olives, rosemary (coat rosemary in a bit of oil so it doesn’t burn), cherry tomatoes, onions, jalapeños + cheese. Before dimpling, you could top with basil pesto or with my chimichurri sauce if using oily toppings like these, then omit the drizzle of olive oil.

Step 14

Bake your focaccia for about 22-25 minutes in a 220C/430F oven. I bake it on the lowest rack in the oven because I think it helps to crisp the bottom of focaccia and prevent the top from burning. If you have a pizza setting in your oven, use that; the bulk of the heat source will come from the bottom which I think is ideal for baking focaccia. Check the focaccia after 22 minutes (it might still need more time!) and remove from oven when it’s reached a deep golden brown colour.

Step 15

I let it cool for a couple of minutes in the pan and then I transfer it to a cooling rack so the bottom doesn’t steam while sitting in the tray. I want it to stay nice and crispy on the bottom. You can top with more olive oil when it’s come out of the oven if you wish for it to look burnished and glistening. If I’ve topped the focaccia with pesto or chimichurri I don’t tend to do this. With other toppings I do a little drizzle and it soaks right into the crust when it’s hot out of the oven.

Step 16

Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting in with a sharp bread knife!

Step 17

Brilliant for entertaining a crowd, used for sandwiches, served alongside a cheeseboard or soup/salad. Everyone loves focaccia!

Step 18

Focaccia best enjoyed on the same day as it's baked - the texture of the crust will lose its crispiness over time. If you’d like to save some for the next day, wrap it in foil to store and then pop into oven (still in foil) and bake at 180C/355F for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil for the last minute or two to finish crisping up the crust. This will bring the focaccia right back to life. You can also store it in a large plastic zip top bag - this will retain the moisture in the bread, but just be warned that the crust will really lose its crispness. It can also be wrapped in foil and frozen. Bake the foil-wrapped focaccia straight from frozen at 200C/390F for about 15-18 minutes. Remove the foil for the last minute or two to finish crisping up the crust.

Step 19

You’ll notice I always use a digital scale for my bread related recipes. Measuring flour with measuring cups can vary too much (how tightly the flour is packed, etc) which means the recipe might not be as reliable. Digital scales are inexpensive, easy to use and they help to save you from having to wash up too many measuring spoons/cups - you just measure ingredients right into the bowl. If you plan to start baking your own bread, pizza dough or focaccia, invest in a digital scale to ensure you're getting precise measurements.

↑Support creators by visiting their site 😊

272 liked

29 disliked

Delicious

Go-to

Easy

Crispy

Fresh