Through the Wildwood

Handmade food, living with nature, and cultivating a cozy home

  • Seasonal Living
  • The Cottage Apothecary
  • Sourdough Recipes
  • About

Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

Sometimes I want something more simple than the rustic sourdough loaf. On these days I just want to mix the dough, stretch and fold a few times, and then let it ferment without scoring or shaping. If you have ever wanted an even less involved sourdough recipe, or are just craving a soft bread flavored with olive oil and herbs, then this sourdough focaccia bread recipe is the one for you! 

This Focaccia is completely customizable. You can add whatever seasonal toppings you have on hand to go with almost any meal. For this recipe, I chose to add sundried tomatoes, feta, and kosher salt but you can really get creative with it and add whatever you like. 

My favorite focaccia topping ideas:

Parmesan 

Fresh herbs

Edible flowers

Green onions

Roasted garlic

Goat cheese

Tomatoes, fresh or sundried

Olives

Roasted red peppers

Nuts and seeds

How to keep toppings from burning 

After the final dimpling of the dough, you can press toppings into the dough to prevent burning. You can also add more delicate toppings halfway through the baking process. For example, garlic will burn much faster than green onions so it would make sense to add garlic after the bread has been in the oven for a while. You can assess on a case-by-case basis which of your toppings are more likely to burn. 

A few tips for making the perfect Sourdough Focaccia

From my recipe testing I made a few mistakes that could have been prevented had I known the following tips:

Do not be afraid to dimple the dough

When I first tried focaccia I was terrified of handling the dough. After making lots of sourdough loaves where I need to be very gentle in order to preserve the bubbles and gas built up, I brought that same approach to focaccia. I later realized that the focaccia is very forgiving. Dimpling the dough well will keep it from puffing up too much. 

Spread it out over the surface of the pan 

Another way to keep Focaccia from puffing up too much is by spreading it out over the surface of your pan. One mistake I made is baking mine in a cast iron that was too small to allow the dough to be spread out. This caused the dough to be too puffy. When you make this recipe I would highly recommend you use a larger cast iron or a sheet pan with sides. 


Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe

Print Recipe
Course bread
Cuisine Sourdough
Keyword sourdough focaccia
Prep Time 1 hr
Cook Time 40 mins
resting time 15 hrs
Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

  • 425 g flour
  • 15 g sea salt
  • 315 g warm water
  • 100 g active starter
  • Olive oil to taste

Instructions

  • Mix the wet ingredients together
  • Add the wet ingredients to the flour and allow to autolyse for 20-30 minutes
  • Add salt to the dough and knead for 3-5 minutes until dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl and is fully incorporated
  • Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes before performing 4 stretch and folds every 45 minutes. This should take around 3-4 hours total
  • After the last stretch and fold, place the dough in a well oiled bowl and cover. Place dough in the fridge for 8-12 hours or overnight
  • Take the dough out of the fridge and place it in a well oiled baking pan, large cast-iron skillet, or dutch oven
  • Allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 2 hours (it’s okay if you need to go a little over or under this time as the dough is very forgiving)
  • After the dough is at room temperature, spread it out over the surface of the pan. You can really pull at it here but try not to flatten it with your hands.
  • Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 F.
  • Drizzle with more olive oil and dimple the dough with your fingers or knuckles being sure to make large and small dents
  • Add your toppings of choice, pressing them into the dough. I added sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt, and feta.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes
  • Tint the bread with tin foil and bake for another 10 minutes
  • Allow bread to cool (if you can wait!) and slice and enjoy
  • Sourdough Focaccia will store at room temperature wrapped in a tea towel for a few days. After that, place in the fridge for a week or so.

Thanks for subscribing!

Posted In: Sourdough

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Copyright © 2023 Through the Wildwood · Theme by 17th Avenue

Do you Accept Cookies
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT