Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe (The Airiest Bread Ever!!)

This Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe is soft, airy, and packed with that tangy flavor that only sourdough can deliver. This classic Italian bread features a beautiful golden brown, crispy crust that makes every bite something you never want to stop eating. 

Using simple ingredients like olive oil, bread flour, and flaky sea salt, this easy recipe works wonderfully for snacks, sandwiches, or even as a beautiful dinner centerpiece. It’s a fantastic way to use up your sourdough starter discard, and if you’re a focaccia lover, my Sourdough Focaccia Bread is the perfect next bake to try once you’ve mastered this same-day version.

Why You’ll Love This Simple Recipe:

• Better flavor than yeasted focaccia: The sourdough starter discard gives the focaccia a subtle tang that builds up during fermentation. Using commercial yeast alone will never give you that extra depth of flavor. The gentle sourness balances perfectly with extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt, much like the flavor profile in my true-sourdough focaccia bread.
• It’s incredibly quick: I’m all about traditional sourdough, but even a patient baker doesn’t always have days to wait. This easy sourdough focaccia recipe is perfect for those times. From mixing the dough to popping it in the oven, it takes just 2.5 hours. A small amount of instant yeast speeds up the dough rise without sacrificing that classic sourdough flavor, similar to my easy sourdough discard sandwich bread.
• A recipe you can truly own: If you have some extra sourdough discard sitting around, this is the perfect canvas for your favorite toppings. Top your focaccia with fresh rosemary, roasted vegetables, or turn it into a hearty sandwich. You can even take it in a sweet direction, much like my lemon blueberry focaccia!

Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

• Water: Use warm water. I used 110°F water, which is warm enough to help the dough rise faster without harming the yeast. Keep your water under 120°F, as hotter water can deactivate the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
• Sourdough Discard: I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard. I suggest using sourdough discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old for the best rise. If you use discard straight from the fridge, it’ll slow down the rise time. And you definitely can swap in the same amount of active sourdough starter (grams not volume). 
• Olive Oil: A good amount of olive oil gives focaccia the flavor and texture it’s known for. It helps the dough stay soft inside while crisping up the edges and bottom. I like using extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor, but any good-quality olive oil will work. Also, drizzle some oil on top before baking to get that golden, dimpled crust.
• Salt: You can use any unrefined salt, but I like Redmond’s Unrefined Salt for the added minerals.
• Instant Yeast: This recipe uses a little commercial yeast to help it along. I go with instant yeast, not active dry yeast. Dry active yeast needs to be dissolved in liquid first and takes longer to rise. Instant yeast can be mixed right into the dry ingredients and works faster.
• Bread Flour: You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe, but I highly recommend using bread flour because it has a higher protein percentage. Using a flour with a higher protein content helps the bread rise better and gives it a softer texture and an airier crumb. 

How to Make Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the starter, olive oil, and warm water until it looks like a milky liquid. Next, add the bread flour, instant yeast, and salt. Mix until all of the flour is incorporated. Then, cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

2. With slightly wet hands, perform a round of stretch and folds (read the recipe card below, as it provides more detailed instructions on what to do). Cover the bowl and let it rest for 30 more minutes.

3. After the second rest, perform the same exact stretch and folds, then cover and let the dough complete its first rise until it has doubled in size.

4. Once the dough has doubled in size, pour the olive oil on the bottom of the 9×13 metal pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the sides of the pan.

5. Pour the sourdough focaccia dough into the pan, shape and cover the dough once more until the dough fills most of the baking dish.

6. Preheat the oven to 425°F, then drizzle more olive oil on top of the dough and on your fingers. Dimple the dough and top with flaky salt and other toppings.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
8. Cool slightly before slicing and enjoy!

How to Store

Let the focaccia cool completely, then wrap it tightly or use an airtight container. At room temperature, it stays fresh 2–3 days. If you need it to last a few extra days (up to 5), pop it in the fridge. And for longer storage, slice and freeze in a tightly wrapped bag for up to 3 months. The next time you crave some focaccia, reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Skip the microwave, as it can make the bread gummy. A quick broil can bring back that golden, crispy top if needed.

More Sourdough Focaccia Recipes

Sourdough Focaccia Bread (Easy True-Sourdough Loaf)

Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia (Easy Sweet Bread)

Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia Recipe with Peanut Butter

Perfect Sourdough Ciabatta Bread Rolls Recipe

If you tried this Sourdough Discard Focaccia recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe

By McKenna Pulda

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Yield: 12 slices

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Rise Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 43 minutes minutes

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Sourdough discard focaccia is soft, airy, and tangy with a golden, crispy crust. It's quick to bake, make-ahead-friendly, and freezes well.

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4.85 from 13 votes

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Equipment

• mixing bowl
• 9×13 metal baking pan

Ingredients

• 100 grams sourdough discard 1/3 cup
• 400 grams warm water 1 1/2 cups + 3 Tablespoons
• 500 grams bread flour 3 1/2 cups
• 8 grams instant yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 10 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
• 28 grams olive oil 2 Tablespoons
• oil for pan & drizzling
• flaky salt

Instructions

MIX DOUGH

1. In a large bowl, mix the sourdough discard, olive oil and warm water with a Danish Dough Whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.
   100 grams sourdough discard, 400 grams warm water, 28 grams olive oil
2. To the wet ingredients, add the bread flour, instant yeast and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated. This recipe has a higher amount of water, so it will be an extra sticky and wet dough.
   500 grams bread flour, 8 grams instant yeast, 10 grams salt
3. Cover the bowl with a reusable shower cap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

STRETCH AND FOLD

1. With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Now, with slightly wet hands, grab a section of the focaccia dough and stretch it above the bowl, then fold it over on top of the dough. Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter of the way and repeat an identical stretch and fold. Repeat the process until you come full circle.
3. Then, flip the dough ball with the seam side down. Continue to cup the sides of the dough by scooping and tucking the dough underneath itself to create a more smooth looking dough ball. Do this about 10-20 times while turning the dough in a circle. Stop if you start to see the top of the focaccia dough begin to rip.
4. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 30 more minutes.
5. Repeat the same stretch and folds, then cover the bowl and leave to rest until it doubles in size, about 30-45 minutes more.
6. Once the double has doubled in size, pour 28 grams (2 T) olive oil on the bottom of the 9×13 metal baking pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the sides.

   You can use a different sized baking dish, but I prefer this size because it makes the slices nice a tall! I prefer baking in a metal pan so that the exterior gets nice and crispy. You can bake this in glass or ceramic, but I would also recommend that you line the baking dish with parchment paper before greasing it with oil.
7. Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepared baking dish.
8. Pour the sourdough focaccia dough into the pan. Then take the top of the dough and fold it towards the middle and lightly press it with your fingers so that it sticks. Repeat the same motion with the bottom of the dough, to create a tri-fold. Turn the dough so that it is vertical with the pan and flip the dough with the seam side down.
9. Cover the dough and allow it to rise again until the dough fills most of the baking dish, about 45-60 minutes more.

DIMPLE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size and looks puffy/jiggly, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the dough, about 28g (2 Tablespoons) more. Grease your fingers with olive oil as well to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. To dimple the dough, gently press your fingers into the sourdough focaccia until you lightly touch the bottom of the dish. Repeat until the entire dough has been dimpled. Be sure not to over-dimple the dough. This can cause the lovely air pockets to pop and create a dense crumb.
3. Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with flaky sea salt and any other delicious toppings like these – fresh herbs (coat in oil so they don't burn),sliced cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, sliced yellow potatoes, olives, shredded cheese, pesto or cinnamon and sugar

BAKE

1. Bake for 18-23 minutes or until perfectly golden brown with the internal temperature of 205 degrees F. If the top of the focaccia is browning too quickly, top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
2. Remove the Sourdough Focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool in the baking dish for a few minutes before removing it and placing the bread on a wire rack to cool. Cool slightly before slicing and enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Water: Use warm water. I used 110°F water, which is warm enough to help the dough rise faster without harming the yeast. Keep your water under 120°F, as hotter water can deactivate the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
• Sourdough Discard: I used fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard. I suggest using sourdough discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old for the best rise. If you use discard straight from the fridge, it’ll slow down the rise time. And you definitely can swap in the same amount of active sourdough starter (grams not volume). 
• Olive Oil: A good amount of olive oil gives focaccia the flavor and texture it’s known for. It helps the dough stay soft inside while crisping up the edges and bottom. I like using extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor, but any good-quality olive oil will work. Also, drizzle some oil on top before baking to get that golden, dimpled crust.
• Instant Yeast: This recipe uses a little commercial yeast to help it along. I go with instant yeast, not active dry yeast. Dry active yeast needs to be dissolved in liquid first and takes longer to rise. Instant yeast can be mixed right into the dry ingredients and works faster.
• Bread Flour: You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe, but I highly recommend using bread flour because it has a higher protein percentage. Using a flour with a higher protein content helps the bread rise better and gives it a softer texture and an airier crumb. 

Focaccia Topping Ideas:

Sprinkle the sourdough with flaky sea salt and any other delicious toppings like these –

• Fresh herbs (coat in oil so they don’t burn)
• Sliced cherry tomatoes
• Caramelized onions
• Sliced yellow potatoes
• Olives 
• Cheese 
• Pesto
• Cinnamon and Sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 2170kcal | Carbohydrates: 385g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 3912mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg

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