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.
1,243 Comments on “Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide”
So if I up the starter amount to 100g do I need to adjust the flour or water amount?
Nope! I always use 100 grams starter in this recipe.
Hi! I am just on my first try of making your beautiful focaccia. One thing that concerns me now – in your recipe, step 3 (after the 30 min mark of the first stretch) I am to drizzle some olive oil on top, before the bulk rise. In the video however, you do not cover the dough with oil. Did I mess up? Will this impact the bulk ferment? Hope to hear from you!
Hi! I’m likely too late here. The answer is that it doesn’t matter. A little olive oil will help the dough from drying out, but it’s not necessary. Hope it turned out well!
I make this recipe for my family of 8 Weekly. IT is fool proof! I have over proofed, underproofed you name it I have messed it up and it’s STILL delicious every time!! This and your tortillas are THE BEST. One of my little ones has a gluten intolerance and since starting sourdough she has been SO happy to have “regular” bread. THANK YOU for being part of our journey!!!
Oh yay to all of this but especially to your little one being able to have good bread again 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thanks for writing!!
Could you refrigerate the dough after the first rise? And then after removing dough from the fridge let the second rise happen? I have tried this recipe and it turned out great the first time. I was just wondering if the dough could be refrigerated which would be very convenient, especially if starting the dough in the middle of the day. Thank you!
Yes, absolutely! Go for it. I’ve done this many times.
Thank you! I tried it and it worked out great. I think letting it sit in the fridge after the first rise helped to bring out the sourdough flavor even more. So delicious!
Great to hear! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
I’m halfway through making this and need to try the opposite! Wasn’t sure how long it would take to do first rose and don’t think it through. It’s now doubled in size but I need to go to bed so have deflated and put on the tray for second else and am putting it in the fridge to take out early in the morning. Really hope I’m not going to ruin it!!
First time cooking sourdough focaccia; first cooking focaccia at all. It was delicious!
Crunchy yet satin soft and glossy inside.
Definitely cook again.
Great to hear, Tracey! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi , I am about to make this recipe, unfortunately I read the active yeast recipe but I want to use SD starter. Can this cold ferment for up to 3 days like the active yeast recipe ? I’m going to have to try it as I don’t need it for a few days .
Should be fine! You’ll need to give it some time at room temp, so if you can do the bulk fermentation at room temp until it increases in volume by roughly 75%, then deflate it and ball it up, you can return it to the fridge then for 2-3 days.
I always use this recipe to make focaccia for my family and for family gatherings. It is ALWAYS a hit! I always double the recipe and make one bread loaf and one focaccia.
Great to hear, Chris! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Ali! Love this bread SO much!! It was so easy and tasted amazing! Do you recommend storing it in a airtight container on the counter (if so for how long) or in the fridge?
Yes! Room temp, airtight container for 3 days. Always reheat before serving. If longer than 3 days, I would freeze it. Thanks for writing!
This recipe is just perfectly written and works well! I love the options for timing since it’s so tasty fresh. Reading the comments was also interesting and informative. I was wondering about add-ins. I frequently add ingredients such as caramelized onion and walnut pieces to my yeast focaccia and to sourdough loaves during stretch and folds. When would you suggest adding mix-ins if there is no stretch and fold as described. Do you think it would affect the bulk rise time?
Hi Laurie! Great to read all of this. I think you could add a few sets of stretches and folds to help incorporate the mix-ins. I would mix the dough, wait 30 minutes, sprinkle the ingredients over top, stretch and fold, wait another 30 minutes, then stretch and fold again. I think 2 sets should do it.
Hi Ali,
The first time round this recipe turned out fine. But thereafter I tried 3 times but the dough refuses to rise after the bulk rise. It’s too runny with no bubbles. I even reduced the water to 420 gms. Still. What could be the matter. I live in a high humidity place. Need help please
Hi! It could be that the dough is over fermenting. I would try to use bread flour if you have it, and I would shorten your bulk fermentation.
Easy but delicious add extra toppings
I used 100 g of starter and the bread was very dough-y. I used the greater amount because I wanted to have plenty of bubbles. In the future I think I’d try the lesser amount. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Can you add pizza sauce and toppings on this recipe to make a pizza?
Yes! I’d suggest you check out my Sicilian style pizza recipe, which is essentially focaccia + toppings. You’ll parbake it first, which helps the crust set.
Is it possible to bake this on a cookie sheet or pyrex? Or a loaf pan? 9×13 is the one pan we don’t have haha
What dimensions are your cookie sheet? I think that’s your best bet. The focaccia will be thinner than pictured due to the larger surface area.
Such a delicious and fun recipe!
Great to hear, Karly!
I’ve made this a couple of times and have generally had success. I usually make it with starter that was fed (and then refrigerated) 2-3 days prior. Re-reading it, I realize the instructions don’t say whether or not to use recently fed starter or not (or I’ve completely missed it, which is also probable). Would love feedback on this!
Hi Ali! I started my sourdough journey this February and went through a couple of recipes before I landed on your blog. The other recipes were OK but I was overwhelmed and not happy with results. Since stumbling upon your blog, my sourdough journey became so fulfilling, I don’t feel overwhelmed by recipes anymore and the results are always reliable and delicious! Your sourdough pizza crust, sourdough cuabatta and sourdough foccacia all have become staples in our household. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such easy to follow recipes!
I have one question- the past couple times my foccacia’s bottom didn’t set after 25 minutes in the oven, it was still soft, so I had to put it back to finish. I didn’t have this issue before. I have a feeling that I just have been putting it on the middle rack in the oven whereas before ( when I didn’t have issues) I put it lower in the oven. So I guess my question is what do you think could cause underbaked bottom and where in the oven/ how far from the bottom would you recommend putting the tray with foccacia? Thank you again!
So nice to read all of this, Yulia 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you for your kind words.
Yes, I think location in the oven could make a difference. I would suggest experimenting with different spots, but start on the lowest rack. If you have a Baking steel or pizza stone, that could help, too.
Finally, it’s possible that with the change of seasons, your dough could be behaving differently — have you noticed that it is wetter in texture? If so, you could try reducing the amount of water slightly.
Love this recipe!! After the first proof I put it in the fridge overnight and did the second proof the next day. Used a 12×18 pan to make a focaccia pizza and it’s just perfect!
Great to hear, Stephanie! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Hi Alexandra, I love this recipe! Would it be okay to double the ingredients and cook it in a larger pan? I’d like to make it for an upcoming bday party, but I don’t think one 9 x 13 pan will be enough, especially considering how delicious it is! Thank you!
Definitely! Go for it 🙂
This is my all time favorite sourdough foccacia recipe! I get compliments every time I make it and it never lasts long at any event! The directions are easy to follow and well written for beginners! I promise you will not regret making this!
Great to hear, Tasha 🙂 🙂 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Question – after the first bulk rise, can I refrigerate overnight like a sourdough cold-retard, and do the second rise in the morning? Thanks!
Yes!
Hi Ali! Thank you for the recipe, this is my easyyy fav bread. And it freezes so well. Just microwave it with a splash of water & then air fryer and boomm, still good! I always make it within a day since temperature here is quite warm 34°C.
Great to hear, Aara!
I love this recipe and I have used it for a while now. Today I stirred in homemade pesto into the dough as I was making it and it turned out awesome!
This is only my 2nd attempt at sourdough baking excluding discard loaves (starter is young only 5 weeks old). The focaccia is delicious but a little gummy. I followed instructions and let it proof on the counter from 8pm (house is 18-20 degrees celcius overnight) thinking it would be ok as house is cold but it had tripled by the time I got to it at 7am this morning! Do you think the over proofing is the reason it is a bit gummy or is it due to having a young starter? Will definitely try again with a day proof so I can watch it! Loving your site, advice, recipes and video’s – all are so easy to follow and learn from. Many thanks.
Hi Nichole! Questions for you: are you using a scale to measure? Do you live in a humid environment? What type of flour are you using?
This is my go to recipe, it never fails me! Sometimes I start early and forget something, but it’s very forgiving and always turns out! The only bread I make in a consistent basis…and it’s gone in a day with only 2 of us!
I baked this last night and it tasted delicious! Texture, color and taste. I rubbed olive oil with minced garlic before baking, Yummm! Thank you!
Yay and yum!
This is the first sourdough recipe I have made. My son and I made a started from scratch. Just like everything else we’ve made using your recipes, it was fantastic! We’ve made the peasant bread and cinnamon rolls also! I purchased your book, and the dark chocolate coffee bread is amazing. We cannot get enough it. Thank you for making us bread makers! Next, we are going to try the enchilada sauce and tomato sauce recipes!
Awww, Gina, it’s so nice to read all of this. I’m making the enchilada sauce today 🙂 Thank you for purchasing my book, and thank you for writing, too 🙂
Hey Ali! Excited to make this for a birthday brunch this weekend. Could I put it in the fridge after the second ferment and bake it in the morning? And if so, should i let it come to room temp for an hour before putting it in the oven? Thank you! Have been baking and loving your simple sourdough loaf recipe for years.
Yes, definitely you can place it in the fridge after the second ferment, but I might stick it in the fridge, halfway through the second ferment or even earlier… once your dough is ready for the oven, it’s tough to stall it. But you can definitely stall it after the first ferment or a little bit into the second ferment.
You will want the dough to come to room temperature/complete the second ferment before baking. It’s hard to say how long this will take, but if you rely on the visual cues: dough relaxed and fitting the pan and increased in volume, you should be fine.
Hope this helps! I’m sure you’re trying to make the dough work with your timeline, which I totally get… sourdough can be tricky this way 🙂
I’ve made this recipe so many times and I love it. My only question is why it sometimes doesn’t get a good rise, and nice big air pockets in it. Usually it’s perfect but this time it was flatter and denser. What am I doing wrong?
Hi! Are you using a scale to measure? What type of flour are you using and are you using the same kind consistently or changing it up?
First time making Focaccia and I have run into a small problem. I originally used the overnight rise and was going to bake this morning after the second rise but had to leave the house unexpectedly and will not have time to bake until late tonight. My question is if I already transferred the dough (after the overnight rise) to my 9×13, would I be able to now refrigerate overnight then bake tomorrow? Any suggestions you have concerning how to salvage this project would be greatly appreciated. The dough worked up beautifully and looks perfect to this point so I’m hoping I can save this Focaccia. I will just bake it tonight if necessary but I was hoping not to have to eat bread at midnight, but if I must I will. 😊
Hi Traci! I’m likely too late here but the answer is yes: just be sure to wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap or tuck it into a jumbo ziptop bag to prevent the dough from drying out. I hope it turned out well! Next time around, know that you can always use your fridge when things come up — it’s the best tool when the timing just isn’t working out as planned 🙂
Thank you! I did end up baking that night and everything was perfect! I’m glad to know about being able to use the refrigerator if needed, it will help a great deal to know I can work the recipes around my schedule.
Oh good, so glad it all worked out. Thanks for reporting back 🙂