How to Make Sourdough Focaccia

A good focaccia has a crisp top and a light, soft crumb flavored with olive oil and toppings of your choosing. This focaccia is leavened with sourdough starter and it couldn’t be easier.

It’s been nearly six years since I first tried my hand at sourdough focaccia. My first attempt at leavened Italian flatbread was of the thinner variety, more closely resembling pizza (focaccia’s cousin), quite different from the lofty, fluffy focaccia that’s more popular stateside. I’ve learned since that while there are regional variations in toppings (plain to loaded), type (savory or sweet), shape (rectangular or round) and thickness, the Ligurian focaccia is regarded as the original. In fact, when we think of focaccia we usually mean focaccia (fugassa) all genovese with its dimpled top lightly golden and crisp and boasting a light, soft crumb. The preferred thickness is no more than two centimeters (roughly 3/4 inch) and this is what I set out to achieve for my recent bakes.

The Sourdough Focaccia Process

Before attempting a different type of bread I create an outline of the major steps to understand it. I’ve found that in many cases the process is very similar. For focaccia the steps are: mix the dough, stretch and fold (replaces kneading), bulk fermentation (first rise), overnight cold retard (for flavor development, optional), final proof (second rise), bake. Compared to a basic rustic loaf, focaccia is much easier because there’s no shaping involved. What’s important is to allow the dough enough time to rise properly to get a nice, light crumb.

Most focaccia is leavened with commercial yeast but the use of wild yeast is not uncommon. The main difference between the two is time. Breads leavened with sourdough starter will always take longer but better flavor is our reward for the wait.

That said, while this focaccia is a two-day process like most of my bread recipes, it’s perfectly okay to make it a same-day bake. The primary purpose of the overnight rest in the refrigerator is to allow the dough to develop more flavor (and also to break the process up in two segments) but this is optional. You can mix the dough in the morning (feed your starter the night before) and serve a warm focaccia in the evening. If you’re new to sourdough baking focaccia is a good recipe to start with–it’s very flexible.

Notes and Tips on Sourdough Focaccia

1. Hydration: Higher hydration dough (80%+) is best for focaccia. Since there’s no shaping required for the final product you don’t have to worry about delicate handling but the wetter dough will make the stretch-and-fold process easier and you’ll have a better chance of getting a light, soft crumb. The focaccia recipe here is roughly 87% hydration.
2. Fermentation: The dough requires two rising times, the main bulk fermentation and the final proof so it’s better not to let the dough fully proof on the first round, especially when you’re baking focaccia on a warmer day (dough temperature 78ºF and over). You want the dough to have enough rising power during the final proof to get the coveted bubbles and also for oven spring during baking. The good thing is this recipe is flexible. After the stretch and fold sessions, continue with bulk fermentation until the dough rises about 50% before storing it in the refrigerator overnight. If timing is an issue, it’s okay to refrigerate the dough immediately after your last stretch-and-fold. The final proof time will just be a little longer.
3. Toppings: You can keep it simple with just olive oil, coarse salt and/or fresh rosemary but you can have fun with your toppings. Here I’ve added olives and tomato slices but you can add your favorite vegetables and herbs.
4. Baking: It was by luck employing what I’ve learned from my years baking sourdough bread that I spritzed the top of the focaccia dough with water during one of my bakes. I learned later that focaccia bakers will often pour a salt and water brine or spray the top of the dough with a mixture of water, olive oil and salt so a crust doesn’t form too early. Another way to incorporate moisture for oven spring and to prevent a crust from forming prematurely is to have a separate baking pan with hot water for steam during part of the baking time.
5. Baking Pan Size: I used a 10×15-inch baking pan for this recipe and for the ingredient amounts below my focaccia was 1 3/4 inches at its tallest (in the middle). I mention this only because most quarter sheet pans are 9×13 inches and if that’s what you happen to have, your focaccia will be taller. This is no problem at all but neither your focaccia nor mine will likely pass the focaccia all genovese height test. It will still be delicious, though.
6. Baking Schedule: If you want to mix the focaccia dough first thing in the morning, feed your starter the night before so it’s ready in the morning.
7. Leftover Focaccia: Leftover focaccia can be refrigerated and it will keep for a few days. You can refresh it by warming a few minutes in the oven (200-250ºF). Plain sourdough focaccia can be cut up in cubes and makes wonderful croutons.