This Sourdough Focaccia Bread Recipe Turns Your Starter Into Crunchy, Cloudy Gold (No Fancy Gear Needed)

You’ve got a sourdough starter and zero patience for six-part lamination tutorials? Perfect. This bread delivers a shatter-crisp crust, pillowy crumb, and that tangy-salty finish that makes olive oil feel like a luxury spa.

It’s bakery-level focaccia without a bakery schedule. Minimal touching, maximum bubbling. You’ll make it once and then shamelessly bake it for every gathering until people ask if you’re “the bread friend.”

What Makes This Recipe Awesome

Big flavor, tiny effort: High hydration plus a long cold rise = airy, custard-like crumb with minimal kneading.
Works with your schedule: Mix at night, bake the next day.
Or not. The fridge buys you time.
Ridiculously versatile: Top it how you want—rosemary, tomatoes, olives, roasted garlic—go wild.
Starter-friendly: Uses active sourdough starter for natural leavening and deeper flavor than yeast-only versions.
Crunch meets cloud: Generous olive oil gives a crisp, golden bottom and plush interior. The contrast?
Addictive.

What Goes Into This Recipe – Ingredients

500 g bread flour (or 80% bread flour + 20% all-purpose for tenderness)
425 g water, room temp (85% hydration)
120 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration, bubbly and doubled)
12 g fine sea salt
30–40 g extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan and topping
Flaky sea salt for finishing
Optional toppings: fresh rosemary, thin red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, pitted olives, roasted garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes

How to Make It – Instructions

Feed your starter: 6–8 hours before mixing, feed your starter so it’s at peak activity—domed, bubbly, and floats in water. If it sinks, wait longer.
Mix the dough: In a large bowl, whisk water and starter until milky. Add flour and salt.
Stir with a spatula until no dry bits remain. The dough will be shaggy and sticky (good).
Rest (autolyse-ish): Cover and rest 20–30 minutes. This hydrates flour and makes the dough easier to handle.
Coil folds: Lightly oil your hands.
Perform 3–4 sets of coil folds every 20–30 minutes over 1.5–2 hours. The dough should go from slouchy to bouncy, holding shape between sets.
Bulk ferment: Lightly oil the bowl, cover, and let rise at room temp until slightly domed and risen ~60–80%. Time varies (2–5 hours) depending on room temp and starter strength.
Cold retard: For deeper flavor and easier handling, cover tightly and refrigerate 8–24 hours.
This step is optional but highly recommended.
Prep the pan: Generously oil a 9×13-inch metal pan or a large sheet pan (about 2–3 tablespoons oil). Seriously, don’t skimp—this is your crisp bottom.
Pan the dough: Turn the cold dough into the pan. Gently stretch it toward the corners.
If it springs back, wait 15–20 minutes and try again.
Final proof: Cover and let rise at warm room temp 45–90 minutes. It should look bubbly and puffy, like a marshmallow mattress.
Dimple + top: Drizzle 1–2 tablespoons olive oil over the surface. With oiled fingers, press down to create deep dimples.
Add flaky salt and toppings (press them in slightly).
Bake: Preheat oven to 450°F/232°C. Bake 22–28 minutes until deeply golden with crisp edges. Rotate once if your oven has hot spots.
Finish: Brush or drizzle a little more olive oil while hot.
Cool 10–15 minutes before slicing so the crumb sets (yes, waiting is pain; do it anyway).

How to Store

Room temp: Store in an airtight container up to 2 days. Re-crisp in a 375°F/190°C oven for 8–10 minutes.
Freeze: Wrap slices tightly and freeze up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 400°F/205°C for 12–15 minutes.
Avoid the fridge: It dries bread fast.
If you must, toast or reheat to revive.

What’s Great About This

High hydration = open crumb: Those shiny tunnels? That’s hydration doing its job.
Olive oil caramelization: The bottom crust fries in oil for extra crunch and flavor—basically legal cheating.
Cold proof control: Flavor deepens while your schedule relaxes. FYI, this also boosts digestibility, IMO.
Low-touch method: Coil folds build structure without kneading marathons.
Your shoulders can relax.

Don’t Make These Errors

Using weak starter: If it doesn’t float or double after feeding, your rise will suffer. Patience beats disappointment.
Shortchanging the oil: Too little oil means pale crust and sticking. Be generous, not timid.
Overproofing: If it’s super slack, smells overly sour, and collapses during dimpling, it’s gone too far.
Shorten the rise next time.
Overloading toppings: Wet toppings can sog the surface. Pat tomatoes dry; scatter, don’t blanket.
Cutting too soon: Hot crumb tears. Rest 10–15 minutes or risk gummy sadness.

Recipe Variations

Rosemary Garlic Classic: Fresh rosemary needles, roasted garlic cloves, and flaky salt.
Finish with a lemon zest whisper.
Tomato Basil: Halved cherry tomatoes, basil after baking, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Olive + Chili: Castelvetrano olives, chili flakes, and orange zest for a subtle citrus kick.
Everything Bagel Focaccia: Sprinkle everything seasoning pre-bake; schmear with whipped cream cheese post-bake. Rule-breaker? Yes.
Delicious? Also yes.
Cheese Lover’s: Shaved Parm or Pecorino in the last 5 minutes of baking. Don’t add too early or it’ll scorch.
Whole Wheat Boost: Swap 15–20% flour for whole wheat.
Add 10–15 g extra water if the dough tightens.

FAQ

Can I make this same-day without the fridge?

Yes. Let the dough rise at room temperature until 60–80% risen, then pan, proof, and bake. The flavor will be milder, but still excellent.

My dough is super sticky—did I mess up?

Sticky is normal at 85% hydration.

Use oiled hands and a bench scraper. After a few folds and the cold proof, it becomes far more manageable.

What if I only have all-purpose flour?

All-purpose works; the crumb will be slightly more tender and less chewy. If using AP only, reduce water by about 10–15 g if the dough feels too slack.

How do I know it’s fully baked?

Look for deep golden edges, a sizzling sound, and a firm bottom crust.

Internal temp is ~205–210°F (96–99°C) if you use a probe.

Can I use instant yeast instead of starter?

Different vibe, but possible. Replace starter with 3 g instant yeast and add 60 g water + 60 g flour to compensate. Rise times will shorten.

Why did my focaccia deflate when I dimpled it?

It was likely overproofed.

Next time, start dimpling earlier when it’s puffy but still resilient. Also, oil your fingers and press decisively, not timidly.

Do I need a cast-iron pan?

No. A well-oiled metal sheet pan or 9×13 metal pan gives great browning.

Glass tends to brown slower; extend the bake slightly if using.

Wrapping Up

This sourdough focaccia bread recipe is the culinary equivalent of a cheat code: a few folds, a chill nap in the fridge, and boom—bakery-level bread at home. It’s flexible, forgiving, and absurdly good with olive oil, soup, or just your fingers. Make it once, bookmark it forever, and prepare for the “Wait—you made this?” texts to flood in.