Sourdough focaccia

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA RECIPE

This is such a simple, forgiving, and adaptable recipe that I very nearly brushed off writing it up. Focaccia is a pleasure for me to make because of its versatility and variability. Savory or sweet; two-day fermented or same-day baked; in a round or spread out in a pan; it's going to be delicious just about any way. I'll note the plentiful options and side-routes you can take in the process along the way!

This recipe yields one full pan (approx. 9 x 13 in) of focaccia or two rounds (approx. 10 in diameter) of focaccia, and can be topped with just about anything you desire.

Tip: Make sure your toppings are sliced thinly, or else they can weigh down the focaccia and lead to soggy pockets. My current favorites include coarse sea salt, garlic, and rosemary; cherry tomatoes and basil; peaches, herbes de Provence, and goat cheese; and pesto and nuts.

LEVAIN*

• 40g mature sourdough starter
• 160g water
• 160g bread flour (I use King Arthur Baking's Sir Lancelot flour)

*You can skip this step and use ripe sourdough starter at your normal 1:1 ratio or even a meld of overfermented discard and ripe sourdough starter.

FINAL DOUGH

• 680g water
• 505g all-purpose flour (​I use King Arthur Baking's Sir Galahad flour)
• 360g levain (or starter/discard, as noted above)
• 230g whole wheat flour (​I use freshly milled flour from Castle Valley Mill wheat grains or No. 18 hard wheat flour from Migrash Farms)
• 18g salt
• Approximately 25 - 50g olive oil, for drizzling

EQUIPMENT

• Medium bowl + lid or towel
• Large mixing bowl + lid or towel
• Scale
• High-sided pan or baking sheet OR two cake rounds or high-sided cast iron skillets
• Parchment paper

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA: TOTAL FORMULA BAKERS PERCENTAGES

Ingredient	Weight (g)	Percentage
Water	840	92
All-purpose flour	505	55
Whole wheat flour	230	25
Bread flour	160	18
Sourdough starter	40	4
Salt	18	2
----	----	----
TOTAL	1.793 kg	​196

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA PROCESS
​
Mix

1. Mix your levain approximately 8 hours before you intend to mix your final dough, and roughly a day before you want to eat your focaccia, by dissolving 40g of mature sourdough starter in 160g of cool to room temperature tap water in a medium or large bowl. Mix in 160g of bread flour and leave to rise at room temperature, loosely covered. (I usually do this the night before mixing and let it ferment overnight if I intend to bake the same day that I mix. If intending to let the final dough rise in the fridge overnight, I usually mix the levain in the morning on the day before I intend to bake.)
2. When the levain has shiny bubbles on top and has at least doubled in size, it's ready for your final mix. In a large mixing bowl (or in the same bowl if you used a large one to build your levain), add 520g of water to your levain and mix until milky. Measure out 505g of bread flour, 230g of whole wheat flour, and 18g of salt and mix with the wet ingredients to combine. The dough will be very hydrated and feel gloopy. 
3. Let rise for 3 hours at room temperature, with intermittent folds for strength. It will still feel very loose and slick because of the high hydration, but will gain some strength so that the dough holds together rather than tearing when pulled.
4. If planning to give it an overnight rise, move it into the fridge after 3 hours of fermenting at room temperature and leave it there for about 12 hours. If intending to bake it the same day, let rise at room temperature for another hour.

Final rise

1. Line your pan or rounds with parchment so that tails of the parchment stick out and are easily grasped. Rub olive oil into any exposed sides and onto the parchment.
2. Pour the focaccia dough into the pan or the two rounds and gently tug and spread it out so that it spreads to the edges. Let rise for 1-2 hours, so that it is airy and bubbly.

Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 440 F.
2. Pour olive oil liberally over the top of the focaccia. Then, using your fingers, firmly press into the dough to leave wells and bubbles in the surface.
3. Arrange your thinly sliced toppings.
4. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, rotating halfway through if your oven doesn't heat uniformly. The interior should register at 200 F and the top should be crisp and golden. If using a smaller pan or round than called for, poke the middle with a toothpick to ensure it's baked all the way through, or leave in to bake for extra time.
5. Let cool for 2 hours before digging in! Store leftovers in a plastic bag for a day or two so that they don't dry out, and then slice and move to the freezer.