Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide
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Sourdough is having a moment. Longtime sourdough bakers may cringe at this proclamation, just as our grandparents likely roll over in their graves when they hear “toast” is a thing.
But it’s true. I cannot open a magazine without seeing a feature on a bakery and its naturally leavened loaves; I cannot scroll through Instagram without seeing a crumb shot of a halved sourdough miche, a beautiful web of irregular holes, or an intricately scored, thick-crusted boule being presented like Simba to the animal kingdom.
My interest in sourdough in recent months has been spurred by a number of requests about how to make my mother’s peasant bread with a sourdough starter. Initially, I thought why? The beauty of the peasant bread is that it doesn’t require a starter or a long rise or any fussy techniques; it can be on your table start to finish in three hours. Everyone will rave.
Over the years, I’ve been able to answer questions relatively easily about how to make the peasant bread morph into something else: a boule with a thick crackling crust — thank you Jim Lahey — or a thinner round to use for pizza or something palatable for the gluten-free crowd.
But achieving that sour taste — even a subtle sour taste — is something yeast, even with a long slow rise cannot achieve. And, moreover, natural leavening is natural leavening — no yeast allowed.
So I began experimenting. I tried reviving my old starter, long neglected in my fridge, and when it proved altogether spent, I ordered one from Breadtopia. I followed the instructions to activate it, and within a day, I had a vibrant, bubbling starter.
After a bit of trial and error, I soon found a nice rhythm, mixing the dough in the afternoon, letting it rise all evening, splitting the dough into two portions and plopping each into a buttered Pyrex bowl in the morning. By early afternoon, the bread was ready to bake. The resulting loaves looked just like the peasant bread, golden crusted, soft crumbed, but with a nice subtle sourness. (Photo below.)
Using the sourdough peasant bread proportions, I decided to make focaccia, my favorite, a bread I love for so many reasons: its versatility — sandwich bread, appetizer, dinner bread — and its flavor and texture: the oil-crisped crust, the generous amount of salt, the chewy crumb.
I also think focaccia is an ideal bread with which to begin a sourdough journey. Why?
- First, it requires no special equipment — not a Dutch oven or a Baking Steel to create a thick crust; not two Pyrex bowls to create a golden, less-thick crust. You likely have a 9×13-inch pan somewhere in your kitchen. This is all you need.
- Second, it requires no tricky shaping technique on a floured work surface. Shaping free-standing sourdough boules is an art and it takes practice and repetition. It’s a beautiful thing when you get the hang of it, but it can be frustrating until you do.
- Third, it requires no scoring. With focaccia, you don’t need a razor sharp lame — you use your fingers to dimple the dough.
For those intimidated by sourdough bread baking, this recipe, as well as this simple sourdough bread recipe, are the recipes I suggest making first, both for their simplicity and flavor. Another great beginner’s bread recipe to try is this overnight, refrigerator focaccia, which requires minimal effort but yields spectacular results.
Curious about Sourdough? Let’s Start From the Top.
You need a sourdough starter, and you can make a sourdough starter from scratch in just about a week. I only recommend doing so if it currently is summer (or a very warm fall) where you are. While it is immensely satisfying to build a starter from scratch, there is no shame in buying one for a few reasons, namely: when you purchase a starter, you are guaranteed to have a strong, vigorous starter from the start.
I’ve purchased sourdough starters from King Arthur Flour and also from Breadtopia. Both were easy to feed and activate. Once your starter arrives, follow this guide on How to Activate, Feed, and Maintain A Sourdough Starter.
Four Reasons to Buy (or Procure) a Starter
- First, if you’re curious about sourdough, get to it! Making a starter from scratch takes weeks. I did it once many years ago following the instructions in Tartine Bread, and after nearly losing my mind, I literally jumped for joy when I dropped a spoonful of my starter into a cup of water, and it floated. Making a starter from scratch is a really cool exercise, and it’s something to be proud of should you succeed (or not!), but why not start experimenting with an active sourdough starter while you build a starter from scratch on the side?
- Second, feeding a mature starter will help you understand how to build one from scratch. You’ll observe how a starter rises and falls, what happens when you feed it more regularly, what happens when you neglect it, how it smells at various stages, etc.
- Third, they’re relatively cheap (or free if you get one from a friend).
- Fourth, maybe you embark on a sourdough journey and decide it isn’t for you. Why go through the trouble of building a starter till you know you enjoy the process of sourdough baking?
Begin with an Easy Recipe
As noted above, I think focaccia is a perfect sourdough-bread-baking starting point. It will teach you the fundamentals of working with sourdough without the potentially frustrating steps of shaping, scoring, and baking with a Dutch oven. The recipe below also can be baked in a loaf pan, another great option if you do not want to deal with shaping and scoring and Dutch ovens.
PS: Whole Wheat(ish) Sourdough Bread recipe
PPS: Essential Equipment For Sourdough Bread Baking
How to Make Sourdough Focaccia: A Step-by-Step Guide
Get a starter. If you don’t have a starter and don’t have a friend who can lend you one, I recommend buying one. I bought mine from Breadtopia, and I’ve managed to keep it alive for 6 months now. Score!
I store my starter in this quart container. When I’m ready to use it, I discard some of it, and add about 45 g flour…
… and 45 g water. You don’t have to be exact, but when you’re getting started, I think it’s helpful to weigh both the water and flour. Depending on how long the starter has been in the fridge, it may need one or two feedings before use.
If you stick a rubber band around your starter vessel, you’ll know when …
… it has doubled and is ready for use.
If you need reassurance as to if it’s ready, you can do the float test: drop a spoonful of starter into a glass of water. If it floats, it’s ready.
As with all bread, when mixing sourdough doughs, it’s best to weigh everything with a digital scale. Start with 100 g starter.
Add 10 g kosher (or other) salt.
Add 440 g water. (See recipe notes: If you live in a humid environment, you may want to use less.)
Stir to combine.
Add 512 g bread flour.
Stir to form a sticky dough ball.
Cover with a towel or bowl cover, and let rise for 8 – 18 hours at room temperature (times will vary depending on the time of year and how warm your kitchen is … in the summer, this may take only 4 hours):
When it doubles …
… drizzle it with some olive oil.
Deflate the dough by pulling the sides into the center.
Dough, ready to make it’s second rise, which will take 5-6 hours. Love this USA Pan.
After 5-6 hours, the dough is ready to be dimpled and stretched and salted. Bake at 425ºF for 25 minutes.
Just-baked sourdough focaccia:
Simple Sourdough Focaccia
- Total Time: 24 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
Description
Adapted from my favorite yeasted, slow-rise focaccia recipe — overnight refrigerator focaccia — this recipe replaces the yeast with a sourdough starter.
UPDATE: Video guidance is here! Watch up above or click the link below in the recipe card.
What you need to make this recipe…:
- …a sourdough starter. I bought mine from Breadtopia. It was easy to activate. There are no instructions on the package itself; follow the instructions on the video here.
- …time. Once your starter is ready to go, this recipe requires an initial 4- 18 hour rise, followed by a second 4- to 6-hour second rise. After the initial rise (depending on the time of year and temperature of your kitchen), you can deflate the dough, and stick it in the fridge for 8 to 10 hours (maybe longer), which might help you regarding your schedule. Keep in mind, when you remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to a pan, it will still need to rise for another 5- to 6- hours.
- …water. Apparently, chlorine in water can adversely affect sourdough. Leaving water at room temperature for 24 hours will allow most of the chlorine to escape.When I am in the habit of making sourdough bread, I fill a large pitcher with water and leave it out at room temperature. I use this for my sourdough breads and starter. Truth be told, I’ve used water straight from the tap and have not noticed a difference.
Water quantity: Depending on where you live and the time of year, you may need to cut the water back. If you live in a humid environment, for instance, I would suggest starting with 430 g water. If you are not using bread flour, you also may need to cut the water back a bit.
Timing:
The more I make sourdough, the more I realize so much depends on the time of year and the temperature of my kitchen. In the summer, because it is so warm, the first rise (bulk fermentation) takes between 4 – 6 hours; in the winter the first rise takes 12 – 18 hours.
The key with this recipe is to make sure the first rise doesn’t go too long — you want the dough to nearly double. A straight sided vessel (as opposed to a bowl) makes gauging the first rise easier. (Note: If your dough rises above double, don’t despair … recently my dough tripled in volume during an overnight rise, and the resulting focaccia was still delicious, light, airy, etc.)
A few thoughts: If you are making this focaccia in the summer (northern hemisphere), use 50 g of starter and check the dough every couple of hours. If you are making this in the winter, use 100 g of starter, and plan for a long first rise.
Troubleshooting: If you have issues with your dough being too sticky, please read this post: Why is my sourdough so sticky? The 4 common mistakes.
Flour choice:
- I’ve been using King Arthur Flour’s special patent flour — bought a 50-lb. bag of it at Restaurant Depot. Its protein content, 12.7%, is the same as the protein content of its bread flour. I also have used all-purpose flour (11.7%) with success, but I recommend bread flour, which seems to be more reliable for people especially those living in humid climates. If you only have ap flour on hand, you may consider reducing the water a bit — bread flour absorbs slightly more liquid than all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
- 50 g – 100 g (1/4 to 1/2 cup) active starter, see notes above
- 10 g (about 2.5 teaspoons) kosher salt
- 430 – 440 g water (1.75 cups – 1.75 cups + 2 tablespoons), room temperature, see notes above*
- 512 g (about 4 cups) bread flour, see notes above
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
- Nice, flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Instructions
- Place the starter, salt, and water in a large bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine — it doesn’t have to be uniformly mixed. Add the flour. Mix again until the flour is completely incorporated.
- If time permits, perform one “fold”: 30 minutes after you mix the dough, reach into the bowl and pull the dough up and into the center. Turn the bowl quarter turns and continue this pulling 8 to 10 times. See video for guidance.
- Drizzle with a splash of olive oil and rub to coat. Cover bowl with a tea towel or bowl cover and set aside to rise at room temperature (70ºF/21ºC) for 4 to 18 hours (the time will vary depending on the time of year, the strength of your starter, and the temperature of your kitchen — in summer, for instance, my sourdoughs double in 6 hours; in winter, they double in 18 hours. Do not use an oven with the light on for the bulk fermentation — it will be too warm. It is best to rely on visual cues (doubling in volume) as opposed to time to determine when the bulk fermentation is done. A straight-sided vessel makes monitoring the bulk fermentation especially easy because it allows you to see when your dough has truly doubled.).
- When dough has doubled, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13-inch pan. (I have been using this USA Pan, which I love. I have had no sticking issues. If you are using a glass pan, you may, as a precaution, want to butter it it first — I have had disasters with bread sticking when I’ve used oil alone with other baking vessels.)
- Drizzle dough with a tablespoon of olive oil. Use your hand to gently deflate the dough and release it from the sides of the bowl. Gently scoop the dough into the center of the pool of oil in your prepared pan. Fold dough envelope style from top to bottom and side to side to create a rough rectangle. Turn dough over so seam-side is down. Video guidance here.
- Rub top of dough with oil. Leave alone for 4 to 6 hours, uncovered, or until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Heat oven to 425ºF. Rub hands lightly with oil, and using all ten fingers, press gently into the dough to dimple and stretch the dough to nearly fit the pan. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden all around. Remove pan from oven and transfer bread to a cooling rack. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Incidentally, this same recipe can be used to make sandwich bread. You need one large loaf pan, 10×5-inches, such as this one.
As noted above, this same recipe can be baked, like the original peasant bread recipe, in buttered Pyrex bowls. More on this soon.
Just-baked sourdough peasant bread.
Sliced sourdough peasant bread.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
1,252 Comments on “Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide”
I love this recipe. It makes a great focaccia everytime I use it. Thank you for the recipe and video too. Do you have any tips for using wholewheat flour to make focaccia, instead of the white flour.
Hi! I recommend starting small: try swapping 1 cup of ww flour for 1 cup of white flour and see how you like the result; then adjust with more or less wheat flour depending on how you liked it.
Hi making this for the first time (I love your other recipes YUM!) for this recipe, I’m a dope and didn’t look at the second rising time & it’ll be late to stay up – if I have to ‘pause’ between rises, can I refrigerate it overnight and resume the next day? And should I refrigerate after I’ve put it into the baking pan or just keep it in the bowl (after first rise) thanks!
Hi Abbey! Apologies for the delay here! Yes, always use the fridge as needed. And you can do it either way: in the bowl it was rising in or in the prepared baking pan. The key is to make sure the dough and/or pan are properly covered with plastic wrap to ensure the dough doesn’t develop a crust.
Holy Moly. This focaccia bread was so good. Thank you so much for your detailed notes as it was my first recipe using my sourdough starter.
I was so happy with the results and my husband said it was the best bread that he has tasted.
Wonderful to hear this, Julie! Thanks so much for writing. So glad your first sourdough experience was a success!
Wonderful recipe! I’ve tried focaccia a couple of times and this is hands down the easiest and most delicious recipe. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Very good recipe!! Thank you for sharing your time and talent!
Great to hear, Janet! Thanks for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is the best, most fool-proof recipe! I have already made it around 10 times and it has always turned out so good. Thank you!! I have also made your sourdough pizza crust and that is also delicious
So wonderful to hear this, Maddie 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for writing!
I have made this twice, and while the method and recipe are lovely my bread was welded to my Pyrex baking dish and had to be virtually destroyed to get it out of the pan. Next time I am going to line both the bottom and the sides with parchment paper, perhaps this would not have happened with a nonstick pan like in the video. Ah well, live and learn!
Hi! I always recommend greasing with butter before adding the olive oil — with some pans, olive oil alone is not enough to prevent sticking.
This was my first time making focaccia and i am so thrilled! I added garden maters & rosemary to the top. My husband said it’s a keeper and I can’t wait to make again! 🙂
Yay! So great to hear this, Sydney! Love the sound of your topping. Delicious!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe and it’s fantastic, I’m wondering the best way to freeze and then defrost this would be? Thank you!
Hi Tim! I would freeze it once it is completely cooled in a jumbo ziplock bag — I buy the 2 gallon size bags. You may have to cut it to allow it to fit. Seel the bag, freeze for 3 months or longer. Thaw at room temperature (3 to 4 hours). Always reheat before serving: 15 to 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Hi! This recipe was such a crowd pleaser! Absolutely the best bread I’ve made this far. I’m going to try this again but with refrigeration since It might be too late to wait for all the rises. Would I be able to refrigerate it during the first bulk then take it out and if doubled, start the second bulk on the pan at room temperature?
Yes, absolutely! You can really use the fridge at any phase of the process. So nice to read this 🙂 🙂 🙂
Can we use active yeast instead of the sourdough starter?
Yes! Use this recipe: Overnight, Refrigerator Focaccia = The Best Focaccia Bread Recipe
This was really great. I actually thought I ruined it because I just had to go to sleep after putting it in the pan for that final rise and I had left it pretty much uncovered with just a paper towel over it, thinking i would be awake early. Well I didn’t ruin it thank heavens and it turned out beautifully. I made flower designs with mine out of veggies and mozzarella pearls and it turned out so cute and DELICIOUS. Thanks for this recipe I’m making my second one now.
So nice to hear this, Cece! I’m always amazed by how forgiving (sometimes 🤣) bread recipes are. Your focaccia garden sounds lovely! Thanks so much for writing.
This recipe is my absolute favorite for sourdough discard! So light and fluffy and so incredibly easy. It’s my go to now.
Great to hear, Amy! Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi….I’ve made this a few times now and although delicious, I don’t seem to achieve the fluffiness like I see in your video. When I poke it, they disappear. Am I not letting it rise long enough during the second proof?
Hi Erin! It’s possible. Questions: are you using a scale? What type of flour are you using?
One thought: After the bulk fermentation, deflate the dough, then transfer it to the fridge in a lidded vessel. You can leave it there for 24-48 hours. Remove it about 5 hours before you want to serve it. Transfer it to the oiled pan and proceed with the recipe. The cold proof might help you.
Ok, this was my first ever focaccia, and your recipe was literally AMAZING! I used an empty pickle jar as my straight sided vessel. The rise was gorgeous, the crumb was spot on and the crispy bottom was *chef’s kiss*. My forever focaccia recipe! <3
Woohoo! Great to hear, Carly. Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Ali-
I absolutely love this recipe and have made the focaccia at least a dozen times! It is so easy and has always turned out perfectly.
I’m wondering if you could provide more details on how to do the sourdough peasant bread as you mentioned in this post but I’m unable to find the instructions anywhere on your site for it.
Thanks!
Great to hear, Joselyn 🙂 🙂 🙂 Regarding the sourdough peasant bread … I really need to make a separate post! I basically make this recipe, then, after the bulk fermentation, I divide the dough, transfer it to the buttered bowls and let it proof at room temperature until the dough crowns the rim of the bowl. Then I bake it the same way I bake the peasant bread. I slick the top of the dough with oil when it’s in the bowls because the dough can dry out during the room temperature proof. Hope that helps!
Wow, great recipe. This was my first attempt at making any bread and it came out great. My wife was gifted a 110 year old sour dough starter that I used for this recipe. Will be making again soon.
Wow, amazing! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this.
The porportions and explanation of the timing is just perfect and makes it easy to start it late in the afternoon the day before baking for dinner. I like this recipe a lot but I do the fitting to the pan, the dimpling and add olive oil/water and salt to the top after the overnight bulk ferment. Then I put some cling wrap over the top of my pan (high-sided so it doesn’t touch the dough) and let it proof for the 4-6 hours before the oven. That way it rises and has all of the air pockets undisturbed going into the oven. This is how I have seen it done in Genovese, Italy and if I do the dimpling and then put it in the oven right after, I don’t get the fluffiness.
Easy to make and soooo delicious
Great to hear, Cory!
I love this recipe! Wondering if you have ever used this as a base for focaccia pizza? Topping with sauce and cheese before baking?
Yes, I have! See this post: Homemade Sicilian-Style Pizza
Thank you so much, what a great recipe. I followed exactly and it turned out perfect! I am going to try again and add in some herbs.
Great to hear, Emily! Thanks for writing 🙂 Herbs will be delicious.
I use this recipe all the time and love it. It is one of the easiest sourdough bread recipes I have used. My household is only 2, so I cut it up and freeze it, using as I need it. Recently I added some marinated artichokes on top before baking.
Regarding your comments in step 4: I have also had problems with it burning in a glass pan. I reduced the heat to 375 with the glass pan and haven’t had anymore problems. I extend the time a bit to brown the bottom..
Great to hear all of this, Yvonne! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes regarding the burning and the temperature adjustments. So helpful for others!
I’ve made this recipe several times with excellent results. Recently moved so in my new oven and kitchen the results are a slightly more dense/wet Centre. Still good air pockets but would like the middle to be a little more dry. Any advice you can provide on how to achieve this?
Great to hear, Tony!
I would start by simply reducing the water. Did you move to a more humid environment by chance? Regardless, hold back 50 grams of water and see if that makes a difference.
Love your recipes! I am having a hard time with the second rise… My kitchen is cold because that first rise takes 18 hours. What should I look for? Do you think 5-6 hours is long enough for the second rise?
Hi Laura, the dough will be puffed and 50-75 % larger than the size it was when you put it in the pan. A few thoughts: definitely cover the pan with plastic wrap for that second rise to ensure the dough doesn’t dry out. That might also help the second rise move along. It’s possible your starter needs some boosting. Have you made other breads successfully with your starter? Does it double in volume after you feed it within 6 to 8 hours?
Phenomenal! This was my first ever loaf of sourdough bread and I cried as I ate it. I didn’t think I could bake something so yummy and restaurant quality. The crust was crispy, the inside was airy, moist, tall with the most lovely deep sourdough flavor. I’ve been scared of making sourdough bread for many years, but not anymore! Thank you Alexanders Kitchen for your incredible recipes and clear instructions!
So nice to read this, Zoya 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you so much for writing and sharing all of this 💕💕💕💕
Thank you for a wonderful recipe, this totally gave me confidence to use my starter for more than cracker recipes. I also appreciate the video as well. Excellent outcome!
Great to hear, Helena! Thanks for writing 🙂
Delish! A company pleaser. Very forgiving also. I do the first fermentation in an instantpot on yogurt setting using the default time. Second rise is done on counter for 4 hours. Sourdough foccacia in a day!
Wow, amazing!!! Thanks so much for writing and sharing these notes 🙂
For your sourdough focaccia do you use fed or just active starter?
I use fed starter that has doubled or tripled in volume, usually 6 hours or so after I feed it. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Ai! I started making your sourdough focaccia early this morning and it’s finally doubled but it’s 9pm and I want to go to bed so I’ve put it in the fridge til tomorrow. I’m guessing I can take it out and deflate it in the morning, let it rise and bake it then. Do you have any tips for me? Thanks!
Courtney
Yes, exactly, in the morning, deflate it, get it into a ball, and transfer it to the prepared pan. Proceed with the recipe from there!
This focaccia recipe is so delicious! My only problem was I forgot to grease the baking dish with butter and couldn’t get it out of the baking dish. I just ordered the USA pan. Looking forward to trying this again!
Bummer about the sticking! It’s a shame olive oil alone won’t provide that nonstick barriers with some pans.