Description
A forgiving, budget-friendly sourdough focaccia made with just flour, water, salt, oil, and starter. This recipe requires zero active effort and yields a golden, dimpled loaf perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) warm water
- 2 teaspoons (12g) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- Coarse sea salt or flaky salt (for sprinkling)
- Optional add-ins: rosemary, cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions
Instructions
- Feed sourdough starter 4-6 hours before baking until it doubles in size and passes the float test.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add starter and warm water, stirring until no dry flour remains.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
- Wet hands and fold dough over itself from all four sides. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat folding once more.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for 8-12 hours (overnight) for slow fermentation, or let rise at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Generously oil a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- Turn dough into the pan and gently stretch to fill corners. Let rest 5 minutes if it resists, then continue stretching.
- Let dough proof in the oiled pan for 30-60 minutes until puffy and jiggly.
- Drizzle with olive oil and press deep dimples into the dough with oiled fingers. Sprinkle with coarse salt and optional toppings.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes before lifting out and serving.
Notes
The dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. If using store-bought yeast instead of starter, use 1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) and rise at room temperature for 2-4 hours. Do not skip the resting periods when stretching dough to allow gluten to relax. Cool completely before slicing to prevent gumminess.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 180
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: sourdough focaccia, budget friendly dinner, beginner bread recipe, cheap dinner, sourdough starter recipe, easy focaccia, overnight dough