Looking for something new to make with your sourdough starter? This easy sourdough focaccia is light and airy with a perfectly crisp crust. Homemade sourdough focaccia requires little hands-on time and can be made the same day, making it a great beginners sourdough recipe.
Focaccia is a homemade sourdough bread recipe for bakers of all skill levels. It’s incredibly easy to make and even easier to love. This classic Italian bread has a light and airy crumb with a thin and crispy crust that is irresistible. It pairs perfectly with any soup, salad, or pasta dish. Or simply eat it on its own, focaccia is basically its own category of comfort food.
Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter – Use active and bubbly 100% hydration starter.
- Water – Choose filtered or spring water when working with sourdough.
- Olive Oil – Use your good stuff!
- Bread Flour – All-purpose flour wont yield as fluffy of a loaf.
- Salt – Use a coarse sea salt or pink salt for the best results.
How to Make Easy Sourdough Focaccia
Step 1: Mix the Dough
In a large mixing bowl whisk together your sourdough starter and water until the starter is completely dissolved. Then incorporate your flour, salt, and olive oil until a tacky dough forms.
Step 2: Coil Folds
After mixing the dough cover your bowl with a damp cloth and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30-minutes. Once the dough is rested preform a coil fold.
How to Coil Fold:
- Lightly wet your hands before handling the dough to prevent sticking.
- Scoop the dough up from the middle with both hands.
- Pull upwards allowing the dough to stretch under its own weight.
- Once your dough stops falling, set it back in the bowl allowing it to fold onto itself.
- Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the coil fold.
- You will lift the dough and coil fold twice per set.
Repeat this process of resting for 30 minutes and performing a coil fold set one more time.
Step 3: Bulk Ferment
Cover your bowl with a damp cloth and allow it to bulk ferment for an additional 4-6 hours. The dough will be ready when it has doubled in size, has visible bubbles on the surface, and is light and jiggly when you shake the bowl.
Step 4: Second Rise
Once bulk ferment is done, gently turn your dough out into an olive oil coated 9″x13″ pan. Pull the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. The dough may retract slightly, so allow it to rest for 10 minutes before spreading it again.
Cover your pan with a damp cloth and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours.
Tip: Choose a metal pan, like this one, when making focaccia. This will give you a crispy bottom crust and an even bake.
Step 5: Dimple and Bake
After the second rise, wet your hands and gently push the tips of your fingers thought the dough to dimple it. Generously drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough making sure to fill the dimples, about 1/4 cup. Evenly top with with coarse salt to taste, and bake on the middle rack of a 475°F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
After baking, allow your focaccia to cool in pan for 15 minutes before popping it out and transferring it to a cooling rack.
Sample Bakers Schedule
8PM (the day before): Feed your sourdough starter.
9AM: Mix the dough.
9:30AM: Perform a coil fold set.
10AM: Perform a coil fold set.
3PM: Start second rise.
5PM: Dimple the dough and bake.
Other Sourdough Recipes
Easy Sourdough Focaccia
12
servings30
minutes8
hoursThis easy same day sourdough focaccia recipe is light and airy with a perfectly crisp crust. Focaccia is a great sourdough recipe for beginners.
Ingredients
100 g active sourdough starter
400 g spring water
500 g bread flour
15 g salt
30 g olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil for topping
1/2 – 1 tsp coarse salt for topping
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together your sourdough starter and water until the starter is completely dissolved. Then incorporate your flour, salt, and olive oil until a tacky dough forms.
- After mixing the dough cover your bowl with a damp cloth and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30-minutes. Once the dough is rested preform a coil fold.
To coil fold scoop the dough up from the middle with both hands and pull upwards allowing the dough to stretch under its own weight. Once your dough stops falling, set it back in the bowl letting it to fold onto itself. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the coil fold. You will lift the dough and coil fold twice per set. - Let your dough rest another 30 minutes and preform another coil fold set.
- Cover your bowl with a damp cloth and allow it to bulk ferment for an additional 4-6 hours. The dough will be ready when it has doubled in size, has visible bubbles on the surface, and is light and jiggly when you shake the bowl.
- Once bulk ferment is done, gently turn your dough out into an olive oil coated 9″x13″ pan. Use a metal pan to ensure an even bake and crisp bottom. Pull the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. The dough may retract slightly, so allow it to rest for 10 minutes before spreading it again.
- Cover your pan with a damp cloth and allow it to rise for 1-2 hours.
- After the second rise, wet your hands and gently push the tips of your fingers thought the dough to dimple it. Generously drizzle olive oil over the top of the dough making sure to fill the dimples and top with with coarse salt.
- Bake on the middle rack of a 475°F preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
- After baking, allow your focaccia to cool in pan for 15 minutes before popping it out and transferring it to a cooling rack.
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I’m a newbie with sourdough and this recipe is so easy and delicious!! Second time making this
Thanks for sharing Corinne! I am so happy to hear its been a success!
As a beginner sourdough baker, I needed an easy win and this was IT! So so delicious, amazing crumb, crispy outside and tender almost creamy inside. Thanks for the amazing easy recipe!
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Ruth! Sourdough focaccia is my 5 year old’s favorite type of bread. <3
FANTASTIC RECIPE!!!!!!!
Love focaccia. I need to make this more often.
This was my first attempt at making this bread and it turned out great EXCEPT the bottom of my bread got stuck and didn’t crisp. I’m wondering if my dough just absorbed the oil coating the pan during the proof? Any suggestions for next time?
Hey Katie! What type of pan did you use? I would love to help you trouble shoot for the future.