SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA
- Sam
- Aug 7
- 6 min read
Ever since starting my sourdough journey, I have been looking for sourdough recipes other than regular sourdough bread. When I came across Justine Snacks recipe for sourdough focaccia on instagram I instantly wanted to try it myself.
INGREDIENTS
LEVAIN
50 grams Sourdough Starter
50 grams Bread Flour
50 grams Water
DOUGH
750 grams Bread Flour
600 grams Warm Water, 78-85°F
150 grams Active Levain (the mixture above)
2 grams Active Dry Yeast
15 grams Diamond Crystal kosher salt
15 grams granulated sugar
75 grams warm water, 78-85°F
BAKING/TOPPINGS
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Flaky Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Start the dough the day before you plan to bake. About 4-6 hours before you plan to begin the dough, mix the levain. In your starter, mix 50 grams of bread flour and 50 grams of cool water. Let this activate until doubled in size and very bubbly, about 4-6 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the 750 grams of bread flour and 600 grams of warm water. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
Add in the 150 grams of active levain, 2 grams of active dry yeast, 15 grams of salt, 15 grams of granulated sugar, and 75 grams of warm water.
Using the hook attachment on the mixer, mix on medium speed for ten minutes. The dough will look like a batter. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
Continue to mix on medium high speed for 10-15 minutes. The dough will go from wet batter consistency to tacky and pulling away from the sides. Come back for the last few minutes, and if it needs a bit of encouragement, turn the mixer up to its highest setting.
When you can reach in and stretch up the dough with your hands, then it is time to transfer to the pan you are baking it in. Make sure the pan is at least 2.5 inches deep.
Begin the first series of "slaps and folds." Using a damp hand, lift the dough up completely, then "slap" it down on itself and gently fold it toward you so that it rests into a mound. Repeat this again, and as you slap and fold you'll start to see the dough gain more structure. Repeat until you have a tight mound of dough in the center of the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, repeat the slaps and folds again. Cover and repeat this step two more times, for a total of four rounds of "slaps and folds." This is building up gluten and dough elasticity.
After the last slap and fold, transfer the dough to the fridge and let it proof for 12 hours up to overnight.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, about 2 hours. It should have relaxed out to all sides of the pan and be very bubbly.
Gently scoop the dough out of the pan and set it to the side. Coat the pan in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add the dough back in, then "stitch" it up the center like you would a sourdough. Cover and let the dough proof another hour and a half, or until it has fully relaxed to the edges of the pan and is bubbly.
Preheat the oven to 550°F. (Or as high as it can reach to that point).
When the dough is ready, dab your fingers in a little of the olive oil pooling at the edges, then dimple the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with flaky salt and bake for 18-19 minutes or until dark golden on top. You'd rather this be a little darker on top than light. To avoid burning on top, I loosely lay a piece of foil over the top for the second half of the bake.
Remove from the oven, let it cool to the touch before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve!
Start the dough the day before you plan to bake. About 4-6 hours before you plan to begin the dough, mix the levain. In your starter, mix 50 grams of bread flour and 50 grams of cool water. Let this activate until doubled in size and very bubbly, about 4-6 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the 750 grams of bread flour and 600 grams of warm water. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
Add in the 150 grams of active levain, 2 grams of active dry yeast, 15 grams of salt, 15 grams of granulated sugar, and 75 grams of warm water.
Using the hook attachment on the mixer, mix on medium speed for ten minutes. The dough will look like a batter. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
Continue to mix on medium high speed for 10-15 minutes. The dough will go from wet batter consistency to tacky and pulling away from the sides. Come back for the last few minutes, and if it needs a bit of encouragement, turn the mixer up to its highest setting.
When you can reach in and stretch up the dough with your hands, then it is time to transfer to the pan you are baking it in. Make sure the pan is at least 2.5 inches deep.
Begin the first series of "slaps and folds." Using a damp hand, lift the dough up completely, then "slap" it down on itself and gently fold it toward you so that it rests into a mound. Repeat this again, and as you slap and fold you'll start to see the dough gain more structure. Repeat until you have a tight mound of dough in the center of the pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, repeat the slaps and folds again. Cover and repeat this step two more times, for a total of four rounds of "slaps and folds." This is building up gluten and dough elasticity.
After the last slap and fold, transfer the dough to the fridge and let it proof for 12 hours up to overnight.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature, about 2 hours. It should have relaxed out to all sides of the pan and be very bubbly.
Gently scoop the dough out of the pan and set it to the side. Coat the pan in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add the dough back in, then "stitch" it up the center like you would a sourdough. Cover and let the dough proof another hour and a half, or until it has fully relaxed to the edges of the pan and is bubbly.
Preheat the oven to 550°F. (Or as high as it can reach to that point).
When the dough is ready, dab your fingers in a little of the olive oil pooling at the edges, then dimple the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with flaky salt and bake for 18-19 minutes or until dark golden on top. You'd rather this be a little darker on top than light.
To avoid burning on top, I loosely lay a piece of foil over the top for the second half of the bake.
Remove from the oven, let it cool to the touch before removing it from the pan. Slice and serve!
I love dipping this sourdough focaccia in an olive oil and balsamic dressing (which I know Italians use purely olive oil but the balsamic is so good).
I cut half of my bread so it could be used as sandwich bread. A nice and thick focaccia sandwich is one of my favorite ways to eat it!
I sort of hated the idea of adding yeast to the dough when I already had starter in the recipe. That being said, added yeast makes the recipe more predictable, especially if your starter is unpredictable or not active enough. It can take much longer to proof and ferment. So definitely better to add it in and be able to predict proofing times.
If you plan on saving this recipe for later via Pinterest, feel free to use this image!
Please tag me if you end up making this recipe, I would LOVE to see how it turns out!!
A video is up on my Pinterest and Instagram of the recipe in full.
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