Sourdough Focaccia
Homemade sourdough focaccia starts in the bread maker with a push of a button and ends up golden brown and crispy baked in your oven. With just a few minutes of hands-on time, you get all the benefits of sourdough with a fraction of the effort. If you load your bread machine today at 5pm, you can let the dough rest overnight and have fresh baked bread for lunchtime tomorrow.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) sourdough starter see notes
- 3/4 cup (170 g) lukewarm water
- 3 tablespoons (37 g) olive oil plus more for the pan and topping
- 1 tablespoon (22 g) honey
- 3 cups (360 g) bread flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Mediterranean herb blend or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt for sprinkling on top before baking
Instructions
- Add the sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and honey to the bread maker pan fitted with the paddle attachment. Top with the bread flour, kosher salt, dried herbs, and yeast. Place the pan in your bread maker and choose the DOUGH program. The cycle should take about 90 minutes to complete.
- Brush a large mixing bowl with olive oil and transfer the prepared dough to the bowl. Fold the dough over three or four times to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 60 minutes.
- Brush 1 tablespoon additional olive oil over a 9x13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Turn the dough over in the oiled bowl and then transfer to the pan. Gently stretch it into place. If it shrinks back, let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes and try again.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge overnight, 14 - 16 hours before baking.
- After the rest, preheat the oven to 425°F with a baking stone in the center of the oven for at least 30 minutes. Let the pan of dough rest on the counter while the oven preheats to remove the chill.
- Gently press your finger tips into the surface of the dough about 1/2 inch deep. Don't press too hard or you'll deflate the dough. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the surface of the dough and then sprinkle the sea salt over the top.
- Bake the focaccia for 20 - 25 minutes. The bread should be golden brown and crispy over the top. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool
Recipe Notes
Storage Tips:
Homemade focaccia is best served the day it is made. You can enjoy it warm or at room temperature. If you have any left, you can freeze the focaccia in pre-sliced squares and reheat them in your oven to restore their fresh-baked texture.