100% SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA INSTRUCTIONS

MIX DOUGH

1. In a straight-edge bowl, mix the active starter and filtered water with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.

   I love using a straight-edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see when the dough is done rising.
   50 grams active sourdough starter, 400 grams filtered water
2. To the wet ingredients, add the bread flour and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated.

   Note: This recipe has a higher amount of water, so it will an extra sticky and wet dough. This is normal. 
   500 grams bread flour, 10 grams salt
3. Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least a half hour before you move on to the next step.

STRETCH AND FOLDS:

1. With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the 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. You will notice the dough will start to look much smoother than before.
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 again, then place the dough in a warm place to rise.

BULK FERMENTATION:

1. 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.
2. In my 70 degrees F kitchen, the bulk ferment took about 8-10 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.
3. Here’s what to look for:

   -The dough has doubled in size.

   -The dough looks light and airy, and jiggles when shaken.

   -There should be visible bubbles in and on top of the dough.

SHAPE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, pour olive oil on the bottom of the 9×5 metal loaf pan (about 28 grams) and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the sides.
   oil for pan & drizzling
2. Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepared loaf pan.
3. 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. Turn the dough so that it is vertical and flip the dough with the seam side down.
4. Cover the dough and allow it to rise again until the dough is just under the rim of the loaf pan. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours.

DIMPLE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, it should fill the space of the loaf pan and be very light and jiggly when you shake the pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. I like to place a small baking sheet on the oven rack underneath the loaf pan just in case any olive oil runs over the pan.
3. Grease your fingers with olive oil 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 loaf pan. To prevent the oil from rolling off the dough, drizzle it on top after the first few dimples and continue to dimple the dough. 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.
4. Sprinkle the sourdough with flaky sea salt and any other delicious toppings fresh herbs (coat in oil so they don't burn), sliced cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, olives, shredded cheese , pesto, etc.
   flaky salt
5. Gently press the toppings into the dimpled focaccia.

BAKE

1. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is perfectly golden brown. Then cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake for 20-25 minutes more or until the internal temperature is 205 degrees F.
2. Remove the Sourdough Focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool in the loaf pan for a few minutes before removing it and placing the bread on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled slightly, slice and enjoy!

SOURDOUGH DISCARD FOCACCIA INSTRUCTIONS

MIX DOUGH

1. In a straight-edge bowl, mix the sourdough discard, olive oil and filtered water with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.
   100 grams sourdough discard , 28 grams olive oil , 400 grams warm water
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.

   Note: 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 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.

SHAPE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, pour olive oil on the bottom of the 9×5 metal loaf pan (about 28 grams) and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the sides.
   oil for pan & drizzling
2. Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepared baking dish.
3. Pour the sourdough discard 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.
4. Cover the dough and allow it to rise again until the dough is 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 45-60 minutes.

DIMPLE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size and looks puffy/jiggly, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. I like to place a small baking sheet on the oven rack underneath the loaf pan just in case any olive oil runs over the pan.
2. 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 discard focaccia until you lightly touch the bottom of the loaf pan. To prevent the oil from rolling off the dough, pour some after the first few dimples. Drizzle about 28g (2 Tablespoons) more of olive oil on top of the dough and continue to dimple. 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 fresh herbs (coat in oil so they don't burn), sliced cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, olives, shredded cheese, pesto, etc.
   flaky salt

BAKE

1. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is perfectly golden brown. Then cover with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake for 20-25 more minutes or until it an internal temperature of 205 degrees F.
2. Remove the Sourdough Discard Focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool in the loaf pan for a few minutes before removing it and placing the bread on a wire rack to cool. Cool slightly before slicing and enjoy!