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–+ servings
Sun-dried tomatoes on focaccia.

Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Artisan bread from your home oven! This easy focaccia bread recipe walks you through each step for the airiest and most flavorful focaccia.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 37 minutes
Bulk Fermenting 12 hours
Total Time 12 hours 52 minutes
Course Baking Recipes + Tips
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 286 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
  • 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 6-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil separated
  • 2-3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil julienned
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Mix water, sourdough starter, salt, and 1 tbsp olive oil together gently in a large bowl.
    Mix starter and water.
  • Add one cup of flour and mix to incorporate.Then, add the rest of the flour and mix until combined. (The dough will be very wet but should still resemble a dough ball in the bowl.)
    Add flour.
  • Oil a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil. Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. If necessary, oil your hands slightly so the dough will not stick as much.
    dough in greased bowl.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set a timer for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, wet your hands and grab a fist full of the dough. Stretch the dough up towards you, then fold it over the top of the dough ball. Turn the bowl and repeat this three more times until you have stretched and folded the whole ball of dough.
    Stretch and fold sourdough focaccia dough.
  • Cover the dough and again set a timer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, repeat the stretch and fold in the previous step.
    Stretch and fold sourdough focaccia dough.
  • Cover the dough and let it sit at room temperature for 12–24 hours. If it is warmer in your house, you can place the dough in the fridge for this part.
  • Once the dough has fermented for 12–24 hours it will have doubled in size and grown more bubbly. At this point, pour 3-4 tbsp of olive oil in an 11” cast iron skillet. Transfer the dough into the skillet and cover.
    Sourdough Focaccia dough in greased cast iron pan.
  • Let the dough rise for 2-3 hours or until it fills the bottom of the cast iron pan.
    Sourdough Focaccia dough in greased cast iron pan.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • After the dough has risen a second time, pour 2 tbsp olive oil evenly across the top. Push all of your fingers into the dough to dimple it, and move your hands slightly while dimpling the dough so that the olive oil will be well dispersed. Repeat this several times across all of the dough.
    Sourdough Focaccia dough in greased cast iron pan.
  • Sprinkle some flaky sea salt on the dough and your preferred amount of rosemary.
    Sourdough Focaccia dough in greased cast iron pan.
  • Bake sourdough focaccia for 30 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown.
  • Take the bread out of the oven, and add sundried tomatoes. Add a few spoonfuls of the oil from the tomatoes for extra flavor.
    Sun-dried tomatoes on focaccia.
  • Place the bread back in the oven for another 5–7 minutes or until it is fully golden brown on top.
  • Let the bread rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
  • Add more flaky sea salt and oil from the sun dried tomatoes and enjoy!

Notes

  • To make this foccacia, your sourdough starter must be freshly fed and bubbly to get the amazing airy texture. I feed mine equal parts flour and water for a 100% hydration starter about 4-5 hours before starting my dough. Depending on the temperature in your house, it might take more or less time for the starter to peak. The best way to determine this is by using a rubber band or dry-erase marker on your starter jar to mark the starter level directly after feeding it. It will be ready to use once it doubles or triples in size.
  • Focaccia does very well with olive oil; if you think the dough seems slightly dry, feel free to add more olive oil before baking.
  • Do not be alarmed by how wet this dough seems after mixing in the flour, as it is a high-hydration dough. Just ensure that it still resembles dough and that all flour and water are fully incorporated without pools of water. If the dough is too wet, add flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it forms a better consistency. 
  • This recipe uses sundried tomatoes and rosemary as toppings, but feel free to get creative with the toppings you use. Some of my other favorites are olives, garlic, and grape tomatoes.
  • If you do not have a cast iron skillet, you can also bake this bread in a 9x13 glass baking dish. It will take slightly less time to bake, so start with 20 minutes and bake until the bread has turned golden brown. 
  • The dough will rise faster if it is warm in your house (above 68–70° F). Still, let it sit for at least 12 hours for the first long fermentation. The second rise will take less time, but make sure the dough has risen before baking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gSodium: 403mgPotassium: 117mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 2mg
Keyword foccacia, sourdough
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