The Best Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe

With a crispy crust and chewy crumb, this easy Sourdough Focaccia Bread recipe is the best! Made with just a few simple ingredients, this recipe is beginner-friendly and the perfect canvas for all your favorite flavor combinations.   

Just starting your sourdough journey? This Sourdough Focaccia is for you!

This simple sourdough focaccia recipe is perfect for beginners and seasoned bakers alike, because it truly is an easy recipe to master, just like my Sourdough Sandwich Bread or Sourdough Bagels!

Plus, it’s a great recipe to express your creativity. Top the dough with your favorite fresh herbs, cheeses, or vegetables and create a new and unique flavor combination every single bake. 

Baked in olive oil and topped with your choice of favorite toppings, the flavor of the crispy crust and chewy center will surely have you reaching for another slice again and again. It’s great for feeding a crowd and reheats beautifully to enjoy the next day. 

Delight in the aroma of fresh bread as you create this easy Sourdough Focaccia.

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What is Sourdough Focaccia?

Sourdough focaccia is a type of flatbread made using sourdough starter as a leavening agent. It’s infamously known for its airy texture, chewy crust, and flavorful crumb. This recipe is super simple and straight forward, making it the perfect recipe for all sourdough beginner’s and experts to enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

Beginner-friendly Recipe

Unlike artisan sourdough bread, Sourdough Focaccia is a no fuss kind of recipe. This dough comes together quickly and with minimal effort – it’s a great recipe for those who are just starting out with sourdough!

Texture

Sourdough Focaccia bread is known for it light and airy crumb and deliciously chewy crust. You certainly won’t be able to just have on slice, it’s just too good!

Flavor Combinations

One of the best parts about Sourdough Focaccia is the flavor combinations are endless, so let your creativity shine! From sliced cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, or fresh rosemary, these are just a few of the many delicious toppings that you can decorate your flatbread with. 

Ingredients

Water

Sourdough Starter – Active sourdough starter will give the perfect lift to this 

Bread Flour – This recipe can be made using all-purpose flour, but for the best results I suggest using bread flour. The higher protein content helps the dough rise for the most airy and chewy bite!

Salt – Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s Unrefined Salt for some extra minerals!

Olive Oil – Use good quality extra virgin olive oil to give the bread delicious flavor and a crispy, golden brown crust. 

Toppings – Garlic powder, parmesan cheese, flaky sea salt, and fresh rosemary are just a handful of the delicious options you might top this sourdough focaccia with. Find an extended list below for more delicious ideas!

Supplies

Large Mixing Bowl

Kitchen Scale

Dough Whisk

Dough Scraper

Baking Pan

Parchment Paper

Cooling Rack

Example Baker’s Schedules

BAKER’S SCHEDULE #1

DAY 1

Feed starter before bed 1:4:4 ratio (ex. 10g starter /40g flour /40g water)

DAY 2

5 am – Mix Ingredients

5:30 am – Stretch and fold

5 pm – Second rise in baking dish

7 pm – Dimple and bake

** This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower will lengthen the process.

BAKER’S SCHEDULE # 2

DAY 1

Feed starter so that it’s active, bubbly, and at its peak (4-12hrs before mixing dough)

8 pm – Mix Ingredients

8:30 pm – Stretch and fold 

DAY 2

8 am – Second rise in baking dish

10 am – Dimple and bake

** This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower will lengthen the process.

Not Ready to Bake Your Sourdough Focaccia?

No problem! After you have placed your dough into the oiled baking dish, cover and place it into the fridge. Later on that day or the next, take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to proof for the second rise. Since the dough is cold, it will take longer to rise.

Once it has filled out the majority of the baking dish, dimple and bake like normal.

How to Make Sourdough Focaccia

MAKE THE DOUGH:

In a large bowl, mix the active starter and filtered water with a Danish Dough Whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.

To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt. 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 an extra sticky and wet dough. This is normal. 

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough rest for at least a half hour before you move on to the next step.

STRETCH AND FOLDS:

With a dough scraper, scrape the dough away from the the sides of the bowl.

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. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before.

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.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or my favorite are these reusable shower caps, then place the dough in a warm place to rise. Some examples may be in a cabinet, on top of the fridge, or in an OFF oven with the light on.

BULK FERMENTATION:

Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.

In an environment of 68-70 degrees, doughs will typically bulk ferment for 12-18hrs hours, but again, you will have to look for the signs that your dough is done fermenting, rather than the clock. Warm temperatures will be faster, while cooler will be slower.

Here’s what to look for:

• The dough should have increased in size by 75%
• The dough looks light and airy, and jiggles when shaken.
• There should be visible bubbles in the dough.

Second Proof

Line a 11 1/2 inch by 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper. You can use a different sized baking dish, but I prefer this size because it makes the slices nice a tall!

Pour the olive oil on the bottom of the pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the sides of the pan.

Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepare baking dish. 

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 like a tri-fold. Now flip the dough with the seam side down. 

Cover the dough again allow it to rise again until the dough fills most of the baking dish. This typically takes anywhere from 1-4 hours, again depending on the temperature of your kitchen. 

Shape

Once the dough has risen, it should fill the space of the baking dish, be very light, and jiggly when you shake the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Drizzle a little more olive oil on top of the dough and on 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 more dense crumb.

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

Gently press the toppings into the dimpled focaccia.

Bake

Place the Sourdough Focaccia on the lowest rack in your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. This helps the bottom of the sourdough focaccia to get nice and crispy. I like to check the bread around 20 minutes. Then I will place it on the top rack to get a little more golden brown color. Continue to bake for 5 more minutes.

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. Once cooled slightly, slice and enjoy!

How to Serve Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia is absolutely delicious served on it’s own, but I also love how versatile it is! Top with your favorite tomato sauce and cheese to transform the cooked bread into a light and airy pizza crust!

Or, slice it into thick squares and use it as sandwich bread. The tasty possibilities are endless!

How to Store

​Cover leftover Sourdough Focaccia in tin foil and store it at room temperature. To reheat, place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Open up the top of the foil for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the top. 

To freeze, cover the cooled Sourdough Focaccia bread in aluminum foil and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, place the focaccia covered in foil in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

FAQs:

Can I use All-Purpose Flour instead of Bread Flour?

Sourdough Focaccia can be made using all-purpose flour, however, I highly suggest using bread flour, if possible. Bread flour has a higher protein content – typically 12-15%, which develops stronger gluten within the dough.

This allows the dough to maintain all of those lovely air pockets which in turn creates that airy and light crumb we all love.

Why is my Sourdough Focaccia dense?

Common reasons for dense Sourdough Focaccia bread could include overworking the dough, improper proofing, or a weak sourdough starter.

Can I bake my Sourdough Focaccia the following day?

Not ready to bake your sourdough focaccia? No problem! After you have placed your dough into the oiled baking dish, cover and place it into the fridge. The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to proof for the second rise. Since the dough is cold, it will take longer to rise.

Once it has filled out the majority of the baking dish, dimple and bake like normal.

Happy baking!

More Sourdough Recipes Like This:

Simple Sourdough Bread Recipe

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Recipe

Fluffy Sourdough English Muffin Recipe