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.
1,237 Comments on “Simple Sourdough Focaccia: A Beginner’s Guide”
Great easy recipe. Perfect every time!
Wonderful to hear this, Susan!
I made this recipe twice already! We love it. I modified it a bit: 1) salt is added after 30min of the initial fermentation and 2) following the tartine bread baking folded for 3 hours. Simply yummy.
The only issue is that the focaccia sticks to the pan after baking despite being heavily oiled. Any tips?
So nice to hear all of this, Sonja! Regarding sticking: I recommend buttering your pan prior to oiling it. I have had disasters with sticking … it’s so frustrating. A layer of butter will provide that non-stick barrier. Parchment paper is an option, too.
Is there an alternative to butter? Would parchment paper on the bottom work?
Yes, parchment works great!
Came out great! I was looking for something to do with the starter and this was the perfect choice. Thank you!
Wonderful to hear this, Gloria!
Brilliant. So easy and tasty. Thank you. Thumbs up from all the family.
Wonderful to hear this, John!
Great recipe. Added chopped olives and some rosemary for olive foccacia (mixing them in about an hour or two into the bulk fermentation when I do a few folds). Also went for that USA pan, made a big diffence in stopping it from sticking. Made it a few times and my family loves it. Many thanks!!
Oh awesome! So nice to hear all of this, Steve. LOVE the idea of adding olives and rosemary during the folds. Absolutely going to give this a go.
Hi! I’m brand new to sourdough breads, and I’ve started following your site because you have the most clear directions and helpful tips! My whole wheat(ish) loaf came out mostly okay, but I know it will be a learning curve with the variations due to heat / season / humidity. I’ve started the focaccia but the started didn’t activate as planned so I had to start again, leaving me putting it in the pan at 9 pm! So I have a question for the future – you said in one of your responses to someone else that it’s okay to put the bread in the pan into the fridge but it will delay the second rise. Any thoughts how long? And what’s the process? Take it out, let it come to room temp, then wait for it to double?
Hi Tarissa! So nice to hear this. And yes, sourdough definitely is a “journey.”
To answer your question: Yes, you can use the refrigerator as needed, in either the bulk fermentation or the proofing phase. I use the fridge during the bulk rise if, say, I need to go to bed, but I can tell the dough will more than double if I leave it out at room temperature. So, I stick it in the fridge, then I take it out in the morning, and pick up where I left off, letting the dough rise at room temperature till it doubles.
For your example, you could have put your pan with the dough in it (well coated in oil) in the fridge at 9 pm and then picked up in the morning where you left off. You could also, use a bowl or other smaller container to hold your dough in the fridge; then transfer it your pan in the morning. Once the dough is in the pan at room temperature, just be patient with the rise. It might take 8 hours. I might take less (or more!). When it looks poofy and as though it’s filling the pan, dimple it and bake it.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
I cannot say enough about the ease of this recipe! From my first comment, I ended up putting in the oiled pan overnight, let it come to room temp and rise and then baked. It was DELICIOUS! I’ve made this 4 times now, each time having some small hiccup (starter being poky slow, bulk fermentation going faster / longer than expected), but each time, it’s come out beautifully. One thing I’ve learned from you is that sourdough (at least in this form) is more flexible than you think. My entire family gobbles it down in less than a day and then they all look at me wondering when the next pan is coming out of the oven. I may get cocky now and try one of those beautiful boules you make! Thank you for such a great site and all of your recommendations! I’ve acquired the straight side quart container and the USA pan – both are great!
Oh my goodness, Tarissa! Where to begin? This is all so nice to hear, and I’m so happy to hear about your successes and your family’s approval. You are 100% ready for a boule … but can I tell you: focaccia is my favorite. I truly think there is nothing better. So glad you like the USA pan (a favorite!) and the straight-sided container. I find that one so helpful. Happy baking!
Oh my goodness! First off, I’m not an experienced ‘bread baker’ – I have made some yeast breads successfully, and had a sourdough starter for a while 3-4 years ago and made some good sourdough breads then as well – but THIS. IS. THE. BEST. bread I’ve ever made. Seriously delicious, the instructions were easy – it was a beautiful day today, and from start to finish this took 10 hours, (it was very warm where it was rising, probably 80-90 degrees) I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Oh wonderful! So nice to hear this, Megan 😍😍😍 Thanks for writing 💕💕💕
Thank you so much for the recipe and for the so informative tutorial, it made the whole process easy and understandable. The result was beyond expectations! An Italian friend who tasted focaccia said that if he closes his eyes he feels the taste of Italy 🙂 Too bad I can’t attach a photo with the beauty that came out!
I’m so happy to hear this, Rodica! Love this image, too 😍😍😍😍 You can always email me a photo (alexandra@alexandracooks.com), but I’m happy to close my eyes and dream, too 💕💕💕
Thank you for the best focaccia I’ve ever made! I was looking for a favorite blog to go to in need of sourdough recipes and this is it!
So nice to hear this, Camille! Thanks for writing 😍😍😍
I made your focaccia yesterday and it was delicious! Very easy and tasted great! Since I’m only quarantined with one other person right now it was a lot of bread…I was wondering how it freezes. I’ve been making a more traditional sourdough as well and freezing that with great success, but I wanted to see if you had tried freezing your focaccia. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear this, Kate! It freezes beautifully! I often freeze half a loaf in a ziplock bag, and I’ll pull it out when we’ve made it through what fresh bread we have on hand. So glad you liked this one!
I’m new to sourdough baking, and this recipe came out jut perfectly. It’s absolutely delicious and so easy. It’s gone right into permanent rotation. ❤️
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So nice to hear this, Cheri!
I’ve made this once with all whole wheat flour and twice with half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. For the whole wheat one, I increased the hydration very slightly.
It’s come out very nicely each time. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful to hear this Jake!
I made this last week… the first product of my homemade sourdough “pandemic” starter, and while it wasn’t perfect, it was excellent and I’ll definitely make it again. The videos have been especially helpful… thank you!
So great to hear this, Dolores! 😍😍😍😍
Hi! This is my second go at this delish recipe!! I do have one question how do I keep the bread crispy? I allowed it
To cool and put it in a ziploc bag and it got soggy and the salt was soggy too 😢. Any advice? I’m new here lol
Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! So nice to hear this 😍 There really is nothing you can do to keep the crust crisp after a day. A ziplock bag (or an airtight vessel) is the best way to keep the bread fresh the longest. On day 2, you have to reheat it before serving. The good news is that it revives beautifully in the oven (350F for 15 minutes) or the toaster.
Hi- are we supposed to cover the sourdough when proofing for the second time? Thanks!
Nope! I’ll make a note. The dough should be coated in olive oil all around, but there is no need to cover while proofing.
Ooh, would covering it during the second proof make a difference? I covered it (fruit flies) and it seemed doughier/chewier than the first 2x I made it (which turned out wonderfully even tho I messed up the recipe the first time!). I think it rose too much overnight, or maybe today. I saw the comment above about using less water, too. Also, don’t get me wrong, my family of 3 has already eaten most of it! 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Allison! I don’t think covering it while proofing would make a difference. If it’s doughier, you definitely could try reducing the water. How long roughly was your bulk fermentation? And how long was it in the pan before you baked it?
Truly delicious! Easy to follow and gave me great results even with all purpose flour!
Wonderful to hear this, Michelle!
Had my first tip toe into the pond over the weekend trying to do a Sourdough loaf. It was a bloody disaster (or should I say di-starter). BTW does it matter if my starter is a mix of plane white flour and whole grain flour? And then just using plain white flour for the recipe?
Taking a step back to learn the basics with your recipe. So far going very very well.
It’s 11c degrees here in Melbourne so I have left it out over night. I can see tiny bubbles in there. Very very excited. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe.
Great to hear this, John! Keep me posted on how it turns out. Regarding your questions: “Does it matter if my starter is a mix of plane white flour and whole grain flour?” Nope! “And then just using plain white flour for the recipe?” Nope! You’re good to go.
Is your starter pretty active/strong?
Ali,
So very excited. It is 10:30am here in Melbourne. I have just pulled the focaccia out of the oven. She is looking a beaut!!!
Was worried my starter was a little runny yesterday. As all the the starters I see are rather “clag”ish, if that makes sense? But the bread has risen and thats the main thing.
I poked my head under to check the bottom. Was a touch soggy in a patch. So I have left the pan in the oven turned off and the door ajar in the hope of firming up. (Not sure if this is a thing, just have my Nanna in the back of my head telling me to do it.)
CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO TRY!!!! Finally success!!!!
Woohoo 🎉🎉🎉 So great to hear this, John! Nice call channelling your Nanna and leaving the bread in the oven a bit longer 😍. I hope it firmed up the bread for you.
Regarding your starter, do you feed it with equal parts by weight flour and water? No need to change what you are doing if it’s working, but if you want your starter a bit more “clag-ish”, I would decrease the amount of water you are using.
My family can’t get enough, now I’m make for others to take home!! Easy and fool-proof.
My family can’t get enough, now I’m making for others to take home!! Easy and fool-proof.
So great to hear this, Tina! 💕💕💕
Hi Ali! Thank you for making me a pro from the start! I recently started making sourdough (I think I have made 6 loaves now) and they are turning out to be really nice. BUT, this focaccia recipe is my favorite for sure! It’s so simple and delicious, we are thrilled! The video really helped and I loved hearing the little voices in the background. Made me feel so welcome and at home. My fiancé is begging me to make it with olives now, so I will look through your recipes to see how to incorporate “toppings” into the focaccia. Thanks forever and ever. I can’t believe I am finally a bread baker.
Shannon
Tennessee
So wonderful to hear this, Shannon! Glad you like the video (and the little voices, too 😍). I have not yet incorporated any additional toppings into the dough, but several commenters have. The one commenter who used olives, incorporated them during the third set of “stretches and folds.” And continued to do a fourth fold after that. Then proceed with the recipe as written. An olive variation sounds soooo good 💕
FIVE STARS! I posted photos on social media and friends are already asking me to mail to them.
Oh yay! So great to hear this, Shannon! Thanks for sharing 😍😍😍
I made this and it is incredible. I was hesitant because of the lack of add-ins which is usually my favorite part of foccacia, some nice sundried tomatoes or rosemary etc. Anyway, if you’re reading these comments before making the bread, please heed the above warning to butter the pan. I did NOT butter my pan and it stuck big time. I will absolutely butter it next time. In fact, I’m going to make another batch tomorrow with some dried rosemary from the garden or maybe I’ll add garlic and top it with some vegan mozzerella. I can’t wait. Thanks for this wonderful recipe and guide!!
So nice to hear this, Courtney 😍😍😍 Sticking is such a bummer. I’ve been there. When I am not using my USA Pan, I butter generously before oiling it. Parchment works too. Your next batch will be perfect … those toppings sound amazing 💕💕💕💕
I have to say, I just made another batch and the buttering the pan was a dream. NO STICKING AT ALL. I also added generous pinches of sage, thyme, garlic powder and then probably close to a tablespoon of freshly dried rosemary from my garden. Then when I dimpled the foccacia, I added just a bit more of the rosemary and it is wonderful. Because I added these herbs (and because I ran out), I used slightly less salt than the 10g called for, I probably used 7g, but still topped it with a few nice cracks of fresh salt as well.
Oh, wonderful to hear this, Courtney! That combination of herbs sounds amazing 🎉🎉🎉
Hi! I am just letting my dough proof in the 9×13 pan after 18 hours of rising yesterday. Fingers crossed!
I was wondering, if I wanted to add some olives and tomatoes do you have any recommendations so I don’t ruin it? I’m thinking this time maybe I just leave it as is.
Hi Tara! I saw your IG post: it looks amazing! Some commenters have incorporated olives into the bread during the 3rd set of stretch and folds. But you can also add them as toppings and dimple them into the dough. Is that what you did?
Can you mix and bulk ferment in the same vessel? Also, besides the Maldon sea salt flakes, when is the time to put minced garlic and rosemary to bake into the focaccia. or even Everything Bagel seasoning?
Yes, you can! I transfer because I find it easier to mix the dough in a bowl but helpful to let it rise in a straight-sided vessel, but there is no need to transfer if you don’t want to/don’t have a straight-sided vessel.
If you want to mix the ingredients (garlic, rosemary) into the dough, you can do this during the third set of stretch and folds. If you just want to sprinkle them on top, you can dimple the dough; then scatter with the ingredients; then dimple again.
Also, in your recipe steps, the video didn’t match to Step 3, adding oil to the top while it bulk ferments, then covering. Which should I follow?
TIA!
Hi! I have been meaning to edit the recipe! Honestly: you don’t have to oil… I got in the habit of oiling when it was really cold out, because the bulk fermentation would take so long and the dough would sometimes develop a thin crust on the top. But also: focaccia loves oil 😍 So, I typically always oil, and this is what I suggest: oil the dough lightly. It can’t hurt! Know that, however, if one day you forget, it will be fine, too.
I’ve made this focaccia recipe three times now and it has not disappointed! Twice, my dough was too wet to dimple properly but even when this happened, the bread was delicious and we devoured it. This website has been a goldmine, with such clear directions and videos; I’m learning so much. Btw, I highly recommend buying the USA pan. What a difference it has made. Thank you, Alexandra!
Oh Laurel, thank you so much for all of this … means the world 😍😍😍 That USA Pan is my fave. So glad you love, too!
I’ve made this as described and it was spectacular, it didnt even survive the afternoon we finished it so quickly!
I’m really curious about incorporating wholewheat flour in this recipe, is it possible?
Wonderful to hear this, Craig! Yes, I would start with 50 g. If that seems too small an amount for you, try 75 g or 100 g. Keep in mind: the more whole wheat flour you add, the denser the bread could potentially come.
Thank you! I’ll be sure to report back once we’ve tried this out
I just made this with my whole wheat starter and replaced ALL flour in recipe with Whole wheat and it still turned out great!
Wow, amazing! Wonderful to hear this, Stephanie!
This recipe was amazing. I used my oven to moderate drafts in the kitchen and turned on the light to warm the oven a touch before adding the starter (did not leave it on for the fermentation) just a touch, which sped up the recipe to about 3.5-4 hours for the bulk fermentation. I was in a pinch for time, so this was a great option given its not warm here at the moment.
Will be trying the recipe again, hopefully using the full instructions for fermentation. Thank you!
So great to hear this, Devan! 🍞🍞🍞
This recipe is so great. My sourdough starter was looking so bubbly and happy yesterday when I was feeding it I decided I had to use it on something and I am so glad I found this recipe. I let it rise for about 8 hours at room temperature, shaped it and put it in the pan and ended up needing to put it in the fridge overnight because it was getting late. Grabbed it this morning and let it come back to room temperature and rise a little more, popped it in the oven (it needed an extra 5 minutes), and it was just amazing. We are excited to make some sandwiches for dinner tonight.. I just hope I can wait that long to eat the rest 🙂 I think the rest in the fridge helped to make it a little more sour, which definitely isn’t an issue for me!
I’m so happy to hear this, Kait! I find the refrigerator to be my best friend when it comes to sourdough. You can never totally predict its timeline, and when you need to go to be or leave the house for a few hours, you can rest assured the fridge will keep your dough safe and sound.
Is 18 hours too long for the first rise?
Yes, possibly. It all depends on your environment and the strength of your starter. If you are in a warm, humid spot, 18 hours likely is too long.