FOCACCIA! It is taking over the food industry and for good reason. It is an Italian flatbread, with a crispy exterior and a light and airy interior and is incredibly versatile. This dough has a higher hydration than the original dough, plus some olive oil. This gives it a tender crumb and more elasticity, making it perfect for not only focaccia, but pizza,garlic knots, calzone, pizza boats, cinnamon twists, flatbreads, bread sticks, stromboli, scaccia… the possibilities are endless!
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This is the dough I use in my cottage bakery for both pizza and focaccia and it’s as simple as it is versatile.
Tools I use:
- My favorite pan for focaccia. No parchment needed and it’s the perfect size and depth.
- kitchen scale. If you’re a sourdough baker, you should definitely have one of these by now. And if you’re looking for a scale that can handle bulk baking – here’s one with a 30kg capacity.
- Flaky sea salt
Sourdough Focaccia
The only sourdough focaccia recipe you'll ever need! This bread is crispy on the outside and airy on the inside. Can be used for sandwiches, toasties, toast, as a side for dinner… and you can top it with ANYTHING!
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 100 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 375 grams warm water
- 20 grams olive oil
- 500 grams All-purpose flour or bread flour if using all-purpose, make sure it's +11% protein
- 10 grams sea salt
Instructions
- Mix In a large bowl, stir together the starter, water, and olive oil until cloudy. Add flour and salt. Mix until there’s no dry flour left. Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Stretch + FoldDo 3 rounds of stretch and folds, spaced 20-30 minutes apart. Each time the dough should feel a bit stronger.
- Bulk FermentLet the dough rise at room temp until it’s doubled in size, and is airy and slightly jiggly — about 8 hours at 70°F.
- ShapePlace entire dough in a well-oiled 9×13" baking pan. Stretch the dough so that it reaches the corners, and dimple dough with oiled fingertips. Drizzle with more oil and sea salt and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before baking.
- BakeBake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp on the edge. Optional: quickly brush with more olive oil after baking to give it a lovely shine. Let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it and enjoy!
Good news – you can top focaccia with ANYTHING. Here are some flavor combo’s to give you some inspo!
| Name | Ingredients Added Before Baking |
| Rosemary & Sea Salt | Olive oil, fresh rosemary, coarse sea salt |
| Tomato & Basil | Halved cherry tomatoes, torn basil, olive oil, sea salt |
| Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese | Caramelized onions, goat cheese, thyme |
| Olive & Sun-Dried Tomato | Mixed olives, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, olive oil |
| Garlic & Parmesan | Minced garlic, grated parmesan, olive oil, and add parsley after baking |
| Potato & Thyme | thinly sliced potato, thyme, minced garlic |
