Hi Bold Bakers! Hands up if your quarantined-inspired sourdough starter is still alive and thriving! (If not, or if you never hopped on that delicious bandwagon, feel free to use my Sourdough Starter Guide to either make your new starter or bring your old one back to life.) Already have an account? My Sourdough Focaccia, inspired by this recipe from Alexandra Kitchen, will yield beautifully bubbly focaccia — even better than what you’d find in most bakeries. Don’t get me wrong! Local bakeries make some incredible loaves, but for some reason, very few have very good focaccia. I blame going too light on good olive oil and salt. Introducing the natural leavening of a sourdough starter will also give your focaccia a flavor boost and keep it softer for longer. [ Make Sourdough Pizza! ] This dough is not kneaded on a machine like a traditional bread would be. Instead, those iconic bubbly results come from a folding technique I outline below. You can get creative with your toppings here, add some sundried tomatoes, some black olives, some parmesan cheese — but don’t skimp on the folding technique! Want to level up your sourdough baking? Check out the internet’s MOST detailed and thorough Sourdough Q&A that myself and my team of sourdough experts created with hundreds of your questions and answers that we have received.
What Is Sourdough Focaccia?
Focaccia is a popular flatbread from Italy that isn’t necessarily far from the chew of good pizza dough. You can get creative with this bread. You can serve it as an appetizer, use it for sandwiches stuffed with prosciutto and aged parmesan, or get artistic with the toppings. “Garden Focaccia” is having a moment on Instagram at the time of writing this. The best focaccia is crispy on the outside, thanks to olive oil, chewy on the inside, thanks to the sourdough starter and bread flour, and covered in a good amount of flaky sea salt.
Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead Of Bread Flour?
Technically, yes, you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of bread flour, but I strongly recommend using bread flour. The big difference between the two is that bread flour has a lot more protein than all-purpose. All that protein produces more gluten, which means you’ll get a chewier and bubblier texture.
What You Need To Make Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough starter Measuring Cups and Spoons Mixing bowls Cling wrap Kitchen towel 9×13-inch pan
How To Make Sourdough Focaccia
Making sourdough focaccia looks like a long process, but most of the time making it is hands-off! Here’s how you’ll make it, including the proper folding technique (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Sourdough Focaccia
Add any toppings you’d like, like roasted red peppers, fresh figs, parmesan cheese, or pesto! This bread keeps in a fridge for up to 1 week. Use bread flour! It really does make a huge difference. The slower natural yeasts in a sourdough starter help the dough to stay softer and last longer in the refrigerator. Use my Sourdough Starter!
How To Store Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough focaccia can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. However, it will stay soft and fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This bread also freezes very well!
Make More Bread!
Sourdough Starter Guide Perfectly Crusty Sourdough Loaf For Beginners No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread White Sandwich Bread Hearty No-Yeast Bread
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook! Full (and printable) recipe below!
