Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough focaccia combines the flavor of natural fermentation with one of the easiest and most satisfying breads to bake at home. Unlike traditional sourdough loaves that require careful shaping and structure, traditional Italian focaccia embraces a flatter form that allows the dough to develop an exceptionally light and airy texture. The result is a bread with a crisp golden crust, soft airy crumb, and rich olive oil flavor that works equally well as a side dish, snack, or meal.

One of the reasons focaccia is so popular among home bakers is its forgiving nature. The dough does not need to hold a precise shape, allowing fermentation and hydration to play a larger role in creating texture. When combined with olive oil and natural fermentation, the result is a bread with a distinctive character and remarkably soft crumb. To bake great sourdough at home, everything starts with a healthy and active starter. A strong starter ensures reliable fermentation and good dough development. If you are still building your foundation, it helps to understand the basics of sourdough baking through sourdough bread basics, where the full process is explained step by step.

Sourdough focaccia is one of the most popular recipes within sourdough dough variations. While pizza, baguette, and ciabatta all use the same basic ingredients, focaccia produces a completely different texture thanks to its higher hydration and generous use of olive oil.

Sourdough Focaccia and Airy Texture

Traditional Italian focaccia depends heavily on proper fermentation and gas retention. The goal is not shaping or oven spring, but creating a dough that develops numerous air pockets throughout fermentation. T65 flour works exceptionally well because it provides enough strength to support an airy structure while remaining soft and extensible. Combined with olive oil, the result is a dough that bakes into a bread with a crisp surface and a tender interior. The characteristic dimples pressed into focaccia before baking help distribute olive oil and encourage even baking across the dough. These dimples also help create the rustic appearance that characterizes traditional Italian focaccia.

Prep time: 20 minutes · Fermentation: 8–12 hours · Bake time: 25–30 minutes · Total: 9–13 hours

Why This Sourdough Focaccia Works

This recipe balances hydration, fermentation, and olive oil to create the classic focaccia texture. The result is a focaccia that is:

• light and airy

• crisp on top

• soft inside

Ingredients for Sourdough Focaccia

These ingredients create one medium tray of focaccia.

• 500 g T65 flour (about 4 cups)

• 400 g lukewarm water (about 1⅔ cups)

• 100 g active sourdough starter (about ½ cup)

• 8 g salt (about 1¼ tsp)

• 30 g olive oil (about 2 tbsp)

For topping:

• additional olive oil

• coarse sea salt

• fresh rosemary (optional)

The combination of high hydration, olive oil, and natural fermentation helps create the soft airy crumb and crisp golden surface that make sourdough focaccia unique.

Equipment Needed

You do not need specialized baking equipment to make sourdough focaccia.

• large mixing bowl

• dough scraper

• rectangular baking tray

• parchment paper

• clean kitchen towel

These tools help simplify preparation and handling.

How to Make Sourdough Focaccia

This step‑by‑step method focuses on developing an airy crumb and flavorful crust.

Step 1: Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm water (400 g or about 1⅔ cups) and active sourdough starter (100 g or about ½ cup). Add the T65 flour (500 g or about 4 cups), salt (8 g or about 1¼ tsp), and olive oil (30 g or about 2 tbsp). Mix until a rough dough forms.

Step 2: Initial rest

Allow the dough to rest for approximately 30 minutes. This helps hydrate the flour and improves dough development.

Step 3: Build strength

Perform three to four sets of stretch-and-folds during the first two hours of fermentation. Work on a lightly wetted countertop to prevent the dough from sticking. The dough should gradually become smoother while remaining soft and extensible.

Step 4: Bulk fermentation

Allow the dough to ferment until it becomes noticeably lighter, airy, and expanded. Because focaccia depends heavily on internal air pockets, proper fermentation is particularly important.

Step 5: Transfer to the baking tray

Generously oil a baking tray. Transfer the dough into the tray and gently spread it toward the edges without forcing it into shape.

Step 6: Final rest

Allow the dough to rest until it becomes noticeably puffy and relaxed. The dough should gradually fill the tray as fermentation continues.

Step 7: Dimple and season

Drizzle olive oil over the surface. Use your fingertips to create the traditional focaccia dimples. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and rosemary if desired.

Step 8: Bake

Preheat the oven to 230 °C (450 °F). Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes until the focaccia develops a golden-brown surface and sounds lightly hollow when tapped underneath.

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Sourdough Focaccia vs Sourdough Ciabatta

Both breads share similar fermentation principles, but they produce very different results.

Feature	Sourdough Focaccia	Sourdough Ciabatta
Shape	Flat tray bread	Rustic loaf
Olive oil	High	Moderate
Crumb	Soft and airy	Open and chewy
Crust	Crisp surface	Thin crust
Handling	Minimal shaping	Gentle shaping
Serving	Slices and sharing	Sandwiches and dipping

The biggest difference is that focaccia relies heavily on olive oil and tray baking, while ciabatta focuses on an open loaf structure.

Texture and Flavor

A well-made sourdough focaccia develops a crisp golden surface and a light, fluffy interior. The olive oil contributes richness and helps create the characteristic texture that makes focaccia different from other breads. Natural fermentation adds depth of flavor, improves aroma, and enhances the overall complexity of the finished focaccia. The result is a bread that feels soft, aromatic, and remarkably satisfying.

Popular Sourdough Focaccia Variations

One of the strengths of focaccia is how easily it can be customized. Popular variations include:

• rosemary and sea salt focaccia

• garlic focaccia

• olive focaccia

• cherry tomato focaccia

• caramelized onion focaccia

• parmesan focaccia

• roasted vegetable focaccia

• pesto focaccia

• Mediterranean focaccia with olives and herbs

• served as bruschetta

The same dough can create many different flavor combinations while maintaining its signature texture.

When Sourdough Focaccia Goes Wrong

If the focaccia feels dense rather than airy, the dough may not have fermented long enough to develop sufficient air pockets. Because focaccia relies heavily on gas retention and dough expansion, understanding bulk fermentation in sourdough can help you recognize when the dough is properly developed and ready for baking. Most focaccia problems originate from insufficient fermentation or weak starter activity.

Serving Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough focaccia can be served warm or at room temperature. It works well as a side dish, sandwich bread, appetizer, snack, or accompaniment to Mediterranean meals. Its soft texture makes it particularly enjoyable when paired with olive oil, soups, cheeses, and Mediterranean-style dishes.

Nutritional Information

The following nutritional values are estimates based on one eighth of the focaccia recipe. Actual values may vary depending on the flour used, fermentation process, olive oil quantity, and any additional toppings added before baking.

Nutrient	Amount per Serving (1/8th of total)
Calories	240 kcal
Total Carbohydrates	39 g
Fiber	1.8 g
Sugars	0.8 g
Protein	7 g
Total Fat	6 g
Saturated Fat	0.9 g
Salt	0.6 g
Sodium	250 mg

Sourdough focaccia demonstrates how natural fermentation can create a completely different bread experience from traditional loaves. By combining higher hydration, olive oil, and gentle handling, you can produce a bread that is both airy and flavorful with surprisingly little effort.

As your confidence grows, recipes such as sourdough ciabatta demonstrate how similar ingredients can produce a more open crumb structure while still relying on the same sourdough foundation. That is where sourdough becomes remarkably versatile across a wide range of breads and dough styles.