Sourdough Focaccia
This is the base recipe behind every pull-apart focaccia on the blog. High hydration, hands off, and incredibly forgiving. Five ingredients mixed together, a few sets of stretch and folds, and an overnight ferment is all it takes to get a golden, pillowy focaccia with a deeply crisped bottom.
Servings: 12
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- 9x13 inch light colored aluminum baking pan
- Danish dough whisk or stiff spatula
- Plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel
Ingredients
- 500 grams bread flour 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
- 400 grams water room temperature (1 and 2/3 cups)
- 75 grams active sourdough starter 1/3 cup
- 10 grams fine sea salt 1 and 2/3 teaspoons
- 60 grams extra virgin olive oil for the pan 1/4 cup
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on top 2 to 3 tablespoons
- Flaky sea salt for topping
- Fresh or dried rosemary for topping optional
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dough
- In a large bowl combine the bread flour, water, active sourdough starter, and salt. Mix well until no dry flour remains. The dough will be very wet and sticky. That is correct. Do not add more flour. Cover and let rest for one hour.
Step 2: Stretch and fold
- With wet hands, grab one side of the dough and stretch it up as far as it will go without tearing, then fold it down over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Complete four folds to finish one set. Repeat this a few times, until you can feel the dough starting to build strength and hold its shape slightly better with each set. It will not feel like bread dough. That is normal.
Step 3: Slap and fold
- Once the dough has built some strength, perform one slap and fold. Pick the dough up, slap it down onto the surface, and fold it over itself.placing the seam underneath and a smooth top facing up. Cover.
Step 4: Bulk ferment
- Leave the covered bowl at room temperature for 8 to 14 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. The dough is ready when it has doubled or tripled in size, is visibly domed, has bubbles across the surface, and pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl when you run a spatula around the edge. It should be very jiggly when you gently shake the bowl. Watch the dough, not the clock.
Step 5: Prepare the pan
- Pour the olive oil into the 9x13 pan and use your hands to work it evenly across the bottom, into the corners, and up the sides. If your pan is not a reliable nonstick, lay a sheet of parchment in the pan before adding the oil.
Step 6: Envelope fold and transfer
- Carefully turn the dough directly out of the bowl and into the oiled pan. Using oiled hands, bring the bottom edge of the dough up to about the two thirds mark, then bring the top edge down to the bottom, layering the dough over itself. Flip the dough so the seam side faces down, then rotate it so it sits vertically in the pan rather than horizontally. See the photo above for reference.
Step 7: Second rise
- Cover the pan and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours until it is light, fluffy, and very jiggly when you gently shake the pan. It should look soft and alive. Do not rush this step.
Step 8: Preheat and dimple
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F. Run your hands under cool water and flick off the excess so your hands are just barely damp, not dripping. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the dough. Starting at the edge closest to you, press your fingers straight down through the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan, then pull them out and continue working your way across the entire surface in rows. Press firmly and go all the way down. The dimples hold the oil and create the signature golden peaks as the focaccia bakes.
Step 9: Season and bake
- Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Add rosemary now if using, pressing it gently into the dimples. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are visibly crisped. Lift a corner to check the bottom. It should be a rich, even golden brown.
Step 10: Cool and serve
- Let the focaccia rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer immediately to a wire rack so the bottom stays crisp as it cools. Slice and serve warm.
Notes
On hydration: This dough is 80% hydration, which means it will be very wet and sticky right after mixing. Do not add more flour. The stickiness is correct. The gluten develops during the overnight ferment rather than through kneading, and the dough transforms significantly between mixing and the next morning. If you are new to high hydration doughs, you can reduce the water to 375 grams (1 and 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) for a slightly easier to handle dough at 75% hydration with very similar results.
On starter: Your starter needs to be active and at peak before mixing. It should have at least doubled since its last feeding and be bubbly throughout. A ripe starter is the single most important factor in this recipe. If yours is sluggish, give it another feeding and wait until it is fully active before mixing the dough.
On fermentation timing: Watch the dough, not the clock. The bulk ferment can take anywhere from 8 to 14 hours depending on your kitchen temperature. The dough is ready when it has doubled or tripled, is visibly domed and bubbly on top, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. It should be very jiggly when you shake the bowl gently. Do not move forward until all of those signs are present.
On the oil: Do not reduce the oil in the pan or on top. The oil in the bottom of the pan creates the crispy, almost fried bottom crust. The oil drizzled on top before dimpling keeps the surface from drying out and creates those golden peaks between the dimples. The oil is doing real structural work, not just adding flavor.
On flour: Bread flour is strongly recommended here. It has a higher protein content than all purpose flour, which gives the dough more structure and creates a better open crumb at this hydration level. All purpose flour will work but the crumb will be softer and less defined.
Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To revive the crust, reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. To freeze, slice the cooled focaccia, freeze individual pieces flat on a sheet pan, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.
On toppings: Flaky sea salt is the only required topping. Fresh rosemary pressed into the dimples before baking is the classic addition and works beautifully here. Dried rosemary works just as well if fresh is not available. Beyond that, thinly sliced garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, olives, or caramelized onions all pair well with this dough. Keep any toppings lightly coated in olive oil so they do not burn during baking.
