By far one of my most noteworthy recipes, this rosemary sourdough focaccia has a crispy crust and an ultra-airy crumb.

The base of this recipe can be used for any focaccia with a variety of toppings or inclusions. Whether you prefer classic herbs, seasonal vegetables, or even sweet toppings, the possibilities are endless.

This recipe is perfect for gatherings, family dinners, or even casual lunches. Imagine serving this warm, fragrant focaccia at your next dinner party. It pairs beautifully with olive oil for dipping or can be used to make fabulous sandwiches. Any leftovers, if there are any, can easily be made into crostini for a Peaches & Burrata Appetizer, or into homemade croutons for your next salad!

While sourdough is often considered challenging, focaccia is much simpler and fairly beginner-friendly. It can be made the same day or left to proof overnight for a morning bake. This flexibility allows you to fit your bread baking into your schedule. Like many other sourdough bakers, I aim to fit my baking to my lifestyle, not the other way around.

One thing to note is the timing for bulk fermentation is highly dependent on the weather (hotter = proofing faster), the amount of starter you are using (more = proofing faster), temperature of the initial water (again… hotter = proofing faster), and few other factors. The timing in this recipe is based on my kitchen being 22°ish. There is such thing as the initial water temp being too hot, it will essentially kill off your starter, so be sure that it is warm to the touch but no hotter.

If you need a longer proofing time to fit your schedule, you can:

1. Reduce the amount of starter by 10-30g

2. Use a cooler initial water temp.

The process of making focaccia is also a joy in itself. The aroma that fills your kitchen as it bakes is simply irresistible. So, whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting, this rosemary sourdough focaccia is a recipe you’ll want to keep on hand. It’s a delightful addition to any meal and a wonderful way to impress your friends and family.

Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes minutes

Yield 1 Focaccia

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Ingredients

• 600 g Bread Flour
• 465 g Water, 80° ish
• 140 g Starter, at peak
• 20 g Fine Salt
• 2 sprigs Rosemary, or your desired topping
• Maldon Salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Mix Initial Dough

• In a large bowl, weigh out the water, ensuring it is warm but not too hot.
  465 g Water
• To that bowl, add your stater. Mix using a Danish dough whisk until the starter has mixed into the water and its cloudy and a little foamy.
  140 g Starter
• Add the bread flour and mix until there are no visible dry spots.
  600 g Bread Flour
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
• At this stage, feed your starter and either leave it on the counter if you're planning to bake again, or leave on the counter for 1 hour then place in the fridge.

Adding Salt

• Sprinkle the salt on the top of the dough, and using your fingers, thoroughly poke the dough to push some of the salt in. Perform 'stretch and folds' until the salt is totally incorporated.
  20 g Fine Salt
• Perform 2 sets of coil folds to shape the dough into a ball-like shape.
• Recover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Coil Folds Series

• Perform 3 sets of coil folds, 30 minutes apart. After each set of coil folds, do your best to have the dough is a ball-like shape, recover and allow to rest until it is time for the next set.

Bulk Fermentation

• After your last set of coil folds, transfer the dough to a straight-sided container that is at least 2.5x the size of the dough.
• Mark the top of the dough with an elastic band or some other indicator so you know when it is proofed.
• Cover and leave on the counter until it has more than doubled and has visible bubbles on the top and sides.
• At this point, you should be able to gently touch the top of the dough without it sticking to your finger.

Final Prep and Proof

• Preheat your oven to 425℉.
• Drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil in a deep 9×11 metal baking pan.
• Turn out your dough into the pan. You want what was the top of your dough while proofing to also be the top of your dough when baking. Therefore, if you were unable to flip your dough while turning it out, very gently flip it over now.
• Using a spoon, take some of the olive oil in the pan and pour it over the top of the dough. Allow this to go through a final proofing for 20-30 minutes or until the dough has expanded to all side and nearly filling out the corners.

Dimpling and Baking

• Sprinkle the rosemary across the top of the dough and sprinkle with flaky salt.
  2 sprigs Rosemary

  Maldon Salt
• Dip your fingers in the olive oil and gently but thoroughly dimple the dough, allowing your fingers to reach the pan while moving them in a slightly circular motion.
• If there are any dimples that are noticeably void of olive oil, drizzle a little on top.
• Place the pan on the middle rack and allow to bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Once done, place the focaccia on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.