Step by Step How to Make Sourdough Focaccia with a Video
Want a Step by Step How to make Sourdough Focaccia guide? The most important part of making any type of homemade bread is kneading the dough properly. It doesn't matter if you are making focaccia or a loaf of white bread the dough will need to be kneaded. If you are newly embarking on making homemade bread at home it can be a little confusing figuring out the correct amount of time kneading the dough.
You can read a hundred recipes giving you the amount of time to knead the dough but a recipe can not show you or teach you how a properly kneaded batch of dough should look or feel.
The only way to learn how to make homemade bread and knead the dough correctly is to get your hands into a batch of dough and knead it yourself.
Bread Making Tips
Almost all bread recipes will give you an estimated amount of time to knead the dough. That time is an estimate only.
There are many factors that come into play when you are making homemade bread.
The type of flour used, the amount of humidity in the air and the temperature in your kitchen will affect the dough.
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To Make a Sourdough Focaccia
Obviously you are going to need an active sourdough starter to make this recipe. For those of you who do not have a live starter already going you can find my very easy instructions on How To Make a Sourdough Starter.
It is very easy to make a sourdough starter. If you need to make a sourdough starter to make this recipe you will need to start the starter at least 3 days before making the sourdough focaccia recipe.
If your house is cold it may take longer to get a starter going. You will need to keep your starter in a very warm place like on top of the refrigerator or in the kitchen on the top of your stove when you are first getting it going.
The yeast needs warmth to develop.
If you already have a live and healthy sourdough starter in the refrigerator take it out at least 24 hours before starting this recipe and feed it at least 3 times to get it active and bubbly.
To make this recipe you will need an active sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, warm water, olive oil, honey, and sea salt.
For this recipe, I will be showing you how to make the focaccia dough and how to knead it. You can top it any way you like. Or bake it plain with no toppings with a sprinkle of sea salt over the top.
I like to add toppings to mine like this White Cheddar Cheese and Onion Sourdough Focaccia.
Or you can top your focaccia with some of the toppings I love to use below.
Favorite Focaccia Toppings
- Sea salt
- Thinly sliced red and green peppers
- Tomato
- Thinly sliced onion
- Green or black olives
- Chopped garlic
- Cheese
The first thing you will need to do to get started on this sourdough focaccia recipe is to create a sponge using the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, honey, and flour.
Do not skip the honey or substitute sugar if you are tempted to. Even though there is a very small amount needed it is a very important part of the ingredients.
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It will make a huge difference in the amount of rise and softness the final baked bread will have.
Mix all of those ingredients together and place the bowl in a warm place like inside a cold oven with the light turned on. Allow the sponge to get bubbly.
This could take one to two hours depending on the warmth of the area where you place the bowl of sponge.
See all the bubbles on top of the sponge? This is how your sponge will look when it is ready to use. When it looks like this you are going to add more olive oil, flour and some sea salt and mix it well.
Add about 1 cup of flour at a time and mix well with a wooden spoon.
After each cup of flour, the dough will begin to stiffen.
By about the third cup of flour, the dough will be too hard to mix with the wooden spoon.
Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the counter where you will be able to knead the dough and turn the dough out on top of the flour.
Knead the flour into the dough. You may need to knead in an additional 1 to 1 ½ cups of flour into the dough depending on how moist the dough is.
Please see the video below on how to knead this sourdough focaccia dough.
After you have kneaded the dough place it in a bowl that has been greased with olive oil. Loosely cover and allow to rise in a warm area (oven with the light on) until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.
This recipe will make one large rimmed 11 x 17-inch baking sheet or two 9 x 13-inch baking sheets of focaccia. I made the two 9 x 13-inch pans as seen in my photos.
Once the dough has risen gently punch it down. If you are using two pans divide the dough in half.
Pour ¼ (for the 9 x 13-inch baking sheet) or ½ cup (for the 11 x 17-inch baking sheet) of olive oil into the bottom of the baking sheet.
Flatten the Focaccia dough out into the corners of the baking sheet. Use the heel of your hand to gently work the dough to the sides of the pan and into the corners.
Allow some of the olive oil to pool on the top of the dough. Do not pour out what looked like excess olive oil!
If the dough seems too elastic and will not move into the corners allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes then continue to work the dough into the corners.
Loosely cover the dough with a dish towel and allow to rise until doubled in size. This could take 1 to 2 hours. In a warm kitchen, it takes around an hour.
The Focaccia is now ready to be baked. You may add any toppings you would like. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle it with coarse sea salt and bake.
Focaccia is one of those recipes that are perfect because you can top it with whatever you want or eat it plain.
Check out this Onion Cheddar Cheese Focaccia Appetizer recipe I made using this Sourdough Focaccia recipe.
More sourdough recipes
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Step by Step | How to Make Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
Sourdough Sponge Ingredients
- 1-½ cups active sourdough starter (always feed your starter the day before you are going to bake and stir before measuring. The sourdough starter needs to be active)
- 1 cup warm water
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
Focaccia Ingredients To Add to the sponge
- 4 cups flour
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil high quality
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Instructions
Instructions to Make Sourdough Sponge
- In a large bowl, mix the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil and honey until combine well.
- Add one cup of all purpose unbleached flour to the bowl. Mix the flour into the liquids.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm spot away from drafts.
- Allow the sourdough sponge to ferment and bubble for one to two hours or until bubbles of differing sizes are covering the surface.
Instructions to Make Sourdough Focaccia
- Uncover the bowl of sponge. Add 4 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour, ½ cup of olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of sea salt to the sponge.
- Mix the ingredients together until most of the flour is mixed into the sponge. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Kneading the dough, dusting with more flour if the dough is sticky for 5 to 10 minutes. Depending on the hydration of your starter, you may end up adding ¼ – 1 cup more of flour while kneading. The dough will be soft and slightly moist from the oil and the kneading.
- Form the kneaded dough into a ball and place the ball into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 1-½ to 2 hours.
- Prepare the baking sheet or baking sheets by pouring ¼ or ½ cup of olive oil into the center of the pan, swirling to cover the bottom and sides.. (see notes)
- Once the dough has risen, gently punch dough down.
- If using two baking sheets cut the ball of dough in half. Place the ball or balls of dough into the center of a baking sheet.
- With your fingers, work the dough into the bottom of the pan until it fills the pan and pushed up into the sides of the pan forming a lip. If the dough is very elastic and pulling away, allow the dough to rest about five minutes and then continue.
- Cover with the pan with a lint free kitchen towel and allow the focaccia dough to rise in a warm area until roughly doubled in size, about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once dough has risen, gently dock the dough with your finger tips all over the top, leaving little impressions in the soft dough. If the dough is a little dry on top, brush on a bit more extra virgin olive oil and then sprinkle with coarse sea salt (mine was not dry; extra virgin olive oil had spilled over onto the dough when I pressed the dough into the pan so all I did was sprinkle with salt. You be the judge of your dough.)
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in it’s pan on a rack.
- Cut into squares or sticks and serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Sourdough Starter: You will need a fed and active sourdough starter to make this recipe. Feed your starter for at least 24 hours before starting.
- Times: The time listed here for the Sourdough Sponge and Focaccia rising times are an estimated time based on my experience. You may find that these steps take longer or less time based on the environment you are cooking in. The temperature and humidity will effect the times.
- Focaccia Baking Pans: This recipe will make one large rimmed 11 x 17-inch baking sheet or two 9 x 13-inch baking sheets.
Bea
Thank you for the great recipe!
Arlene Mobley
Your welcome Bea
rachna
Hi....I tried this recipe today and saw your video too, but my dough is much harder than what yours is seen in the video & is much different from regular almost runny focaccia dough. please advice.
Arlene Mobley
Hi Rancha
Sorry to hear the recipe didn't turn out for you. Did you level off the top of each cup of flour? It sounds like you may have used more flour then the recipe calls for.
Evan
Its always the better option to weigh your flour or any ingredients for that matter on a scale. I hate using cup measuring for dry ingredients because theres way too many times that the flour is much more airy or more dense resulting in different overall weights, hense why one persons dough is dryer than the next using the same recipe where cup measurements are involved.
Arlene Mobley
Evan
Weighing flour for a recipe is, of course, more accurate but the average home baker measures by the cup. Thanks for stopping by!
Jeannine
I'm sure there's a way for you to measure the weight of your flour, and give that as an option on your recipe? King Arthur Flour gives that option, and while I like King Arthur Flour, I also like to venture out and visit food bloggers to fine unique recipes as well. Bread flour and all purpose flour will absorb humidity differently in each environment, and giving what preference is for your recipe would be much appreciated. Bake the world a better place. 🙂
Arlene Mobley
Hi Jeannine
I don't have a proper scale to use. I'll keep your suggestions in mind. Thanks for visiting!
Joe
Jeannine : 1 cup of flour is 125 grams. 1 cupof water is 227 grams and starter is assumed a density of 1 so a cup ITV starter is also 227 grams.
Scaling ingredients is the preferred way of baking!
Farrugia
Hi Arlene, greetings from the UK!
Dropping by to say thanks for the recipe and video - followed it to the dot and the focaccia turned out great. I did use wholemeal flour instead since only had that at the time, but starter was still raised on strong white, so turned out quite good!
Definitely a keeper, and that video was also very helpful 🙂
Keep rockin'!
Arlene Mobley
Farrigia
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe and video!
Jennifer
Hi did you use American cup or UK cup size please?
Arlene Mobley
Hi, Jennifer, I am in the US so it was the American cup.
Crystal
Hi there thank u for sharing this wonderful recipe. I used to work at a bakery and every once in awhile my boss would make all of us focaccia bread pizza and it was the best ever. I'm wondering if you think I should bake the focaccia bread plain first and then add pizza toppings and put back in the oven or add all topping while the dough is still raw then bake it all at once?
Arlene Mobley
Hi Crystal
I've never made pizza with my Focaccia recipe. What a great idea. If I was going to try this, I would bake it for half the time plain. Then add the toppings and bake it again. Keep an eye on it the first time you try it so the bottom doesn't burn.
Jennifer Jacobs
Hi! I'm new to bread making and sourdough and found your recipe and video super-helpful. Thanks so much! I'm finding that the hardest thing about baking bread for me is the timing. I never can time it right so that I have fresh bread for dinner. It seems like it's always ready at midnight! But, today I'm starting early.... I'm making this focaccia now and I have a question.... It says to leave the sponge for an hour or so. If I get distracted and have to leave it for more than that, is it okay? How long can I leave it? What about the other rise times? Can I leave it for longer on those if I want to? Thanks for your help!!
Arlene Mobley
Jennifer
Thank you so much for trying the recipe. It is a very good one.
Leaving the sponge for a longer period of time is no problem. It will develop a tangier sourdough flavor the longer you leave it.
For the next rise, it is best to bake it as soon as possible but a half hour or hour longer won't hurt it.
If you need to when you press the dough into the pan you could wrap it in plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate it to bake at a later time that day or the next day.
If you do this you also need to factor in the time to allow it to warm to room temperature and rise before baking it.
I'll be sharing a very easy to make no-knead (no second rise needed) Rosemary and Garlic bread recipe later this week.
Jennifer Jacobs
Thanks for replying! I did let that sponge sit for about 6 hours ultimately. After that, followed the recipe almost exactly and it came out FANTASTIC! After the first rise I put half of the dough in the refrigerator and only made one 9x13 pan of focaccia. I plan to make the other half tomorrow.Thanks for the tip about letting it come to room temp first.
I look forward to seeing/trying your Rosemary Garlic bread recipe! Thanks for making this blog!
Arlene Mobley
Jennifer
Thank you for being a reader! I'm glad you loved the recipe. This dough would also make a lovely pizza crust.
Jennifer Jacobs
I love this recipe. I've made it a couple of times and it's delicious! Do you think it would work to shape into rolls for sandwiches? I'm making pulled pork tomorrow and I'd like to have soft rolls to put it on. But I'd rather not use any yeast.
Arlene Mobley
Jennifer
That is a good question. It would probably work very well. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Ozan Benlioglu
Your recipe does not work unfortunately. There is too much sourdough starter in it and little time to proof adequately. Please kindly consider revising. 3-4 hours of warm bulk followed by 12 to 18 hours of retarding in the fridge works much better with sourdough focaccios. Also max 20% leaven. Thanks
Arlene Mobley
Hi Ozan
Thanks for stopping by. All sourdough starters are not grown equally. What works for me in my kitchen may not work in your kitchen. That is the fun part of baking with a live sourdough starter. You have to figure out how it works for you and make adjustments.
BIANCA GIUDICI
Hi Arlene,
This was the first sourdough focaccia I have made and i was great!
I would like just to share two comments about that (considering that i have made half recipe:
First, I only used almost 1 1/2 of flour ( the dough was good enough the same as shown in your video).
Second, It took more hours for rising (i started doing in mourning and ended up eating 10 pm.... it means a long rest). And notice that i am from São Paulo, Brasil (not a cold weather, yesterday was around 22 C).
On the other hand, I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Bianca
Arlene Mobley
Bianca
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. It sounds like your sourdough starter might not have been very active. Sourdough start can take awhile to get going. If you plan on making the Sourdough Focaccia again start feeding your starter a few extra days ahead of time to get it going really good. When I am feeding my sourdough starter I will feed it about 4 times a day for 2 or 3 days to make sure it is active. Lots of bubbles should be in the starter. It should almost be bubbling over. Thanks for stopping by!
Marvin HeartofGold
Having recently become absolutely obsessed with sourdough I've been looking for great recipes to bake with it. I tried this one out and...omg! I don't have a digital scale yet so I just adjusted the flour/water ratio a little at a time until the dough seemed right. Then I added in some rosemary and topped with shredded parm before baking. My husband declared it the best bread he's ever had and the first batch is nearly gone after less than a day. I have a feeling this focaccia with various flavor combos will become a regular in my kitchen. Thank you so much for your recipe and vid!!!
Arlene Mobley
Marvin
I love this recipe! And I do change up the toppings and no matter what toppings I use the bread is always amazing. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how much you and your husband loved the recipe!
Bill T
I am sorry but your video does not work at all. Very frustrating!
Arlene Mobley
Bill not sure what the problem is but the video is working fine for me. Try clearing your browser history.