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Simple Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

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5 from 53 reviews

This Simple Sourdough Focaccia is an easy-to-make, flavorful Italian flatbread featuring a tangy sourdough starter, olive oil, and a crispy, golden crust topped with flaky sea salt. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or to accompany any meal, this recipe requires minimal ingredients and time, relying on natural fermentation and gentle handling to develop its airy texture and great flavor.

Ingredients

Scale

Starter and Dough

  • 50 g – 100 g (1/4 to 1/2 cup) active sourdough starter
  • 10 g (about 2.5 teaspoons) kosher salt
  • 430 – 440 g (1.75 cups – 1.75 cups + 2 tablespoons) room temperature water
  • 512 g (about 4 cups) bread flour

For the Pan and Topping

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling and rubbing on hands
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Mix the Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, kosher salt, and room temperature water. Stir gently with a spatula until combined; it doesn’t need to be fully uniform. Add the bread flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated into a shaggy dough.
  2. Perform One Fold (Optional): If you have time, after 30 minutes, reach into the bowl and fold the dough by pulling it up and folding it into the center 8 to 10 times, turning the bowl a quarter turn after each pull. This helps develop gluten structure.
  3. Bulk Fermentation: Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the dough and rub it to coat. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or bowl cover and let the dough ferment at room temperature (around 70ºF or 21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours, until it has doubled in size. The exact time depends on room temperature and starter activity. Avoid using an oven with the light on as it may overheat the dough.
  4. Prepare the Pan: Once the dough has doubled, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking pan. If using a glass pan, consider buttering it lightly to avoid sticking.
  5. Shape the Dough: Drizzle the dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Gently deflate the dough by hand and lift it from the bowl, scooping it into the center of the oiled pan. Fold the dough envelope-style, folding top to bottom and side to side to shape it roughly into a rectangle. Turn the dough over so the seam side is down in the pan.
  6. Second Rise: Rub the top of the dough with a little olive oil. Let it rest uncovered for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, until it becomes puffy and nearly doubles again.
  7. Preheat and Bake: Heat your oven to 425ºF (220ºC). Lightly oil your hands, then use all your fingers to press gently into the dough, dimpling and stretching it to fit the pan. Generously sprinkle the surface with flaky sea salt.
  8. Bake the Focaccia: Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown all over.
  9. Cool and Serve: Remove the focaccia from the oven, transfer it to a cooling rack, and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Active sourdough starter should be bubbly and recently fed for best results.
  • The exact water amount may vary depending on flour absorbency; a slightly sticky dough is desired.
  • Use a straight-sided vessel for easier volume monitoring during fermentation.
  • Fermentation time varies seasonally; rely on doubling in volume rather than exact timing.
  • If worried about sticking, butter glass pans instead of only oiling.
  • Do not use the oven light during fermentation as it can make the dough too warm.
  • Flaky sea salt like Maldon adds texture and flavor contrast to the focaccia crust.

Keywords: sourdough focaccia, Italian bread, flatbread, sourdough starter, easy focaccia

Find it online: https://www.sanacooks.com/simple-sourdough-focaccia-recipe/