Sourdough Focaccia

This simple sourdough focaccia requires no kneading and only a few minutes of hands-on time. This sourdough focaccia is incredibly soft, fluffy, and filled with lots of air pockets. After baking, the bottom and edges get golden and crispy. This focaccia is great to use for sandwiches, or eat as is.

Sourdough has always been intimidating to me, honestly just because I don’t have a lot of time. Well, this sourdough focaccia recipe is the PERFECT recipe for those of you that don’t have a ton of extra time. It does require a long rise, which I like to do overnight, while I’m sleeping. But, otherwise, it requires very little hands on time.

I love using this sourdough focaccia for sandwiches, but it’s also delicious to eat on its own. The best part about this sourdough bread is that it is fully customizable. You can add any toppings you desire to it. My personal favorite is rosemary and sea salt, but you can add tomatoes, olives, and any other fresh herbs you desire. I’ve even added caramelized onions to the focaccia, and that was delicious!

Here’s how to make the Sourdough Focaccia

mixing the dough and the bulk rise

This sourdough focaccia is literally the easiest bread I have ever made. It requires no kneading, just mix and let the dough do the rest of the work. I must also admit, I am the worst with keeping up on my sourdough. I did not feed my sourdough exactly 2-4 hours before and use an active super bubbly starter. I fed my sourdough starter 6-8 hours prior to using and while the starter had a few bubbles, it wasn’t overly active like you may see in some pictures or videos. You know what? The recipe still worked, beautifully! Needless to say, this recipe is very forgiving and you do not need to be a bread expert to make it.

Okay, so the first thing you need to do for making this sourdough focaccia is to mix the dough. Simple enough, right? Truly it is as simple as it sounds. Add all your ingredients to a large bowl, then mix with a wooden spoon, or danish dough whisk, until a shaggy dough forms. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit on your counter for 8-12 hours. I mixed mine the night before, then made the focaccia the next day. This first rise is called the bulk rise.

second rise

Once the bulk rise for the sourdough focaccia is done, your dough will have expanded. Very gently, using a bowl scraper or rubber spatula, scrape the dough out into an oiled 9×13 pan. Carefully flip the dough over so that the entire dough is covered in the oil. Focaccia bread loves oil! Plus it makes it taste delicious, because it contributes to the crunchy golden texture after it has baked.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot for 2 hours. The dough should be very puffy. It may take a bit longer than 2 hours, if your house is cooler. Alternatively you can preheat your oven to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the oven reaches this temperature, turn the oven off. Place your covered pan in the warm oven and allow to rise for 1-2 hours in the warm oven, or until very puffy.

indent the dough, then bake

With oiled fingertips, indent the dough. This simply means you will press your fingertips into the dough. Top the dough with your desired toppings. I used fresh rosemary and sea salt. It’s simple, yet adds delicious flavor. You can also use cherry tomatoes, and other fresh herbs.

Bake the sourdough focaccia in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and crisp around the edges. Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing.

FAQ

how do i make sourdough starter?

Sourdough starter is surprisingly easy to make and I have the perfect recipe that makes this process even easier! The best part about this starter is you don’t have to worry about discarding it. So many starter recipes require that you discard a portion of the starter. With my recipe, you don’t have to, and it produces great results every single time. You can find that recipe here.

what if I forget to feed my sourdough starter?

Okay, so I have a bit of a secret for you. You don’t have to feed your sourdough starter before making this! The flour and water in this recipe acts as the “food” for the sourdough starter. Now, with that being said, it will take a couple extra hours of rise time as you will need this extra time for the starter to sort of wake up and get active. However, it can be especially helpful if you forget to feed your sourdough starter 4-6 hours before making this.

what kind of toppings are best for this sourdough focaccia?

This sourdough focaccia recipe is great, because it is fully customizable. You can add rosemary and sea salt, my personal favorite, or you can even add cherry tomatoes, olives, and other fresh herbs.

Here are a few other sourdough recipes I think you will love

• Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
• EASY No Discard Sourdough Starter

Let me know what you thought!

If you make this Sourdough Focaccia, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I absolutely love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture of your and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It truly makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.

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