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.
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.
If you make this sourdough focaccia, let me know what you thought below. i always appreciate your feedback, as it helps me improve my recipes to make them better for you. Make sure you find me on instagram and youtube for the full baking video for this as well as some fun behind the scenes.
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Sourdough Focaccia
- Total Time: 12 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 focaccia 1x
Description
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.
Ingredients
1/2 cup active starter (115 grams)
1 3/4 cups warm water (398 grams)
4 cups bread flour (490 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (10 grams)
Toppings
Fresh rosemary
Sea salt
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, add starter, warm water, flour and salt. Mix with a danish dough whisk or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 8-10 hours (you can do this the night before and allow it to rise overnight).
2. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9×13 baking dish. Use your hands or a brush to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Gently remove the dough from the bowl and place in pan. Carefully flip the dough to coat both sides in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours, in a warm place, or until very puffy. Alternatively, you can preheat your oven to 100F. Turn the oven off once it reaches that temperature and place your covered dough in the warm oven. Allow to rise for 1 hour in warm oven, or until very puffy. Remove from oven.
3. Preheat oven to 425F.
4. With oiled fingertips, dimple the dough. Add your desired toppings. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Allow to fully cool before slicing.
- Prep Time: 720
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
