Simple Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

This sourdough focaccia recipe creates deliciously soft and chewy bread. While effort is minimal and ingredients are simple, this bread does not lack flavor!

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Keeping a sourdough starter in your kitchen means you can make your own nourishing and easier-to-digest bread. But you are not limited to just a standard loaf. You can also make sourdough focaccia!

The nice thing about focaccia is that it is more forgiving than a sourdough loaf. So even if your starter is not that strong(a new starter) or you missed your starter’s peak, you can still use it to create a lovely bread to enjoy.

Because of this, sourdough focaccia is a great bread to start with if you are a beginner sourdough baker.

In this recipe, I am sticking with simple toppings of salt and optional fresh herbs. It allows the focaccia to be used for multiple things or at any meal.

This recipe makes a smaller loaf that is great for smaller families or just one or two meals.

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is a flat bread that is lightly topped with various ingredients.

It includes olive oil in the dough lending to a loaf of soft and chewy bread.

Topping ingredients can range from savory to sweet.

Equipment needed to make sourdough focaccia

• Large mixing bowl
• Kitchen scale
• Rubber spatula
• Towel or lid that fits your bowl
• Baking dish – a 9×13 or similar size
• Parchment paper – to line your baking dish with. This is optional but I like to easy removal of the bread.

Sourdough focaccia ingredients

The ingredients for sourdough focaccia are so simple but they make a lovely loaf!

• Sourdough starter: it needs to be active. It is ok if it is slightly passed peak.
• Water
• Flour
• Olive oil
• Unrefined salt: I like to use fine salt in the bread and coarse salt as a topping
• Fresh herbs: Herbs are optional but well worth adding.

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How to make sourdough focaccia bread

1. In a large bowl combine water and starter, and stir until starter begins to dissolve.
2. Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the bowl. Mix together until you no longer see any dry flour. Add a little more water, about 5 grams, at a time if there is any flour that will not incorporate.
3. Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute increments. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or the lid of the bowl between each set.
4. Once the 3 sets of stretch and folds are complete, cover and allow the dough to bulk ferment on the counter for 8 to 12 hours until it doubles in size.
5. After bulk fermenting, line your baking dish with parchment paper and pour a generous amount of olive oil into the dish. Spread the olive oil out evenly across the bottom.
6. Transfer the dough to the baking dish and top with more olive oil. Using your fingertips, gently push the dough out. It is ok if it doesn’t cover the dish completely.
7. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30-60 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
9. After the dough has rested, top it with more olive oil, and using your fingertips, gently and deeply dimple the dough.
10. Top with coarse salt and herbs, if using.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
12. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before cutting.

Tastes great with

As mentioned before, this is a simple recipe giving it the ability to be very versatile. Here are a few ways to enjoy sourdough focaccia:

Use it instead of regular sourdough to make a sandwich.

It pairs really well with tomato soup! In my house we like to either make it into grilled cheese using raw cheddar or just eat it as is, dunking it in our soup.

Add this easy-to-digest simple sourdough focaccia to just about any meal that doesn’t already contain carbs to create a well-rounded plate. It goes great with my Sheet Pan Chicken recipe. Enjoy it with meatloaf or a roasted chicken and some roasted veggies.

Tips for making

Be sure to thoroughly dimple the dough. If you don’t, it will puff up a lot creating a large void.

Be sure not to pop any of those lovely bubbles that form by pressing too firmly. You want to use a gentle hand while dimpling the dough.

Just about any fresh herb will work for topping the focaccia. My favorites are oregano and rosemary.

How to store sourdough focaccia

I find that sourdough focaccia bread stores best when wrapped in a tea towel and placed under a bowl on the counter. In a cake stand would work great too.

I would love to know what you think of this sourdough focaccia recipe. Let me know if the comments below.

And don’t forget to pin the recipe for later!