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sourdough discard focaccia

Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe

By McKenna Pulda
Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Rise Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
Sourdough discard focaccia is soft, airy, and tangy with a golden, crispy crust. It's quick to bake, make-ahead-friendly, and freezes well.
4.91 from 11 votes
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Equipment

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 9x13 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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