Sourdough Focaccia

5 from 6 votes

This Sourdough Focaccia is a delicious Italian bread, combining a chewy sourdough with pesto sauce and shredded parmesan cheese. Add this bread to any Italian meal or eat it plain with a crisp glass of wine!

Course Appetizer, Bread

Cuisine Italian

Keyword rosemary focaccia bread, sourdough focaccia

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise/Ferment Time 8

Total Time 9

Servings servings

Calories 181kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
375 grams warm, filtered water
40 grams basil pesto
300 grams unbleached bread flour
200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
10 grams fine sea salt
100 grams freshly ground parmesan cheese
50 grams olive oil - for prepping to bake
a few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning

Instructions

Use a kitchen scale to measure the water and sourdough starter and add to a large bowl. Stir well with a fork. Add the basil pesto, bread flour, all-purpose flour, and sea salt - and stir again.
375 grams warm, filtered water, 75 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter, 40 grams basil pesto, 300 grams unbleached bread flour, 200 grams unbleached all-purpose flour, 10 grams fine sea salt
Then use your hands to bring the ingredients together. It will look shaggy. Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for 45 minutes. (Be sure to set a timer.) This is the AUTOLYSE.
After 45 minutes, add the parmesan cheese to the bowl. Then start the stretch and folds. Use your hand and lift the dough up on one side, stretching it upward, and then punch into the center of the dough. Turn the dough and repeat. Continue this process for about 30 seconds. This is the STRETCH AND FOLDS.
100 grams freshly ground parmesan cheese
ADDITIONAL STRETCH AND FOLDS: I recommend doing additional stretch and folds if time permits. Do these every 30 minutes for 3-4 more times to further develop the gluten structure.
Let the dough rise for eight hours, or overnight. It should almost double in size and appear soft on top. Small air bubbles may appear as well. This is the BULK RISE.
Note: I recommend placing a damp towel on the dough for the overnight rise. You might also add a bit of oil to the top to keep a crust from forming on the dough overnight.
Use a 9×13 inch pan or slightly bigger. Add the olive oil to the pan and then add the sourdough, pushing down slightly to fill the pan. Then take the dough with your hands and gently flip it so that the other side is down in the pan. Don’t punch the dough down because you don’t want to remove all the air.
50 grams olive oil
Cover with a damp towel and let it sit for about an 2-4 hours, or until it's very soft and puffy. This is the SECOND RISE.
Prepare for baking. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Carefully use your fingers to form dimples all over the dough. Then add the Italian Seasoning to the dough.
a few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning
Bake. Bake focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until bread is nice and golden on top.
Cool. Carefully remove bread to a cooling rack. Add fresh basil to the top. Slice focaccia and serve.

Notes

You will need a sourdough starter for this bread. A starter can be created in less than a week with a simple combo of unbleached flour and filtered water. It’s a process of removing half of the starter and then “feeding” it every day, storing in a jar on your countertop, and getting it to a bubbly, sour point where it floats in water.

Nutrition