Simple Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia
Few breads feel as generous and forgiving as Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia. With its golden brown crust, soft centre, crispy edges, and the unmistakable aroma of fresh rosemary and olive oil, this rustic Italian flatbread is one of the most rewarding ways to bake with your own sourdough starter. It’s a simple sourdough focaccia that looks impressive, tastes deeply savoury, and doesn’t demand perfection — just patience and a little trust in the process.
Ingredients
Sourdough Focaccia Dough
- 260 g strong bread flour with at least 12% protein content
- 190 ml water
- 110 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 5 g salt
- 25 ml olive oil
Topping
- 3-4 rosemary sprigs leaves stripped, stalks discarded
- a drizzle of olive oil
- a generous pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
DAY 1
- First thing in the morning, feed your sourdough starter and leave it in a warm spot to at least double in volume. We typically feed our starter in a ratio of 1 part starter: 1 part water: 1 part flour, and it doubles (or even triples) within 4 hours.
Fermentolyse and Mixing The Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, water and active sourdough starter. Mix the dough in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment for a few minutes on low speed, until the flour is hydrated. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to fermentolyse (a type of sourdough autolyse where sourdough starter is added too) for an hour.
- After an hour, scatter the salt on top of the dough. Drizzle the olive oil all over, and using your hands, squish the salt and oil into the dough, aiming to distribute it evenly.TIP: Don't be tempted to just mix the oil in by running the stand mixer – the dough will split, separated by oil layers.
- Once incorporated, run your mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes, until you have a very smooth and elastic dough. It will be wet, but should start gathering around the dough hook attachment.
Coil Folds, Bulk Fermentation, Cold Proof
- Scoop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl (we like to use a heavy shallow dish – it helps with coil folds later). Cover the dough with a damp tea towel or cling film (plastic wrap) and leave it in a warm spot (around 21–24°C) for 30 minutes.
- Over the next 3 hours, at 30-minute intervals, perform a set of coil folds, using wet hands.
- After all 6 sets of coil folds are completed, cover the dough and let it finish its bulk fermentation undisturbed for 1.5-3 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours (or simply overnight).
DAY 2
- The next day, line a baking tray (approx 24x24cm) with parchment paper.
Second Rise
- Take the dough out of the fridge and very carefully transfer it into the prepared baking tray, trying not to deflate it too much. Stretch it out into the corners of the baking dish.
- Cover it again and leave it in a warm spot to proof for another 1-2 hours. It will increase in volume, puff up and have very noticeable blisters across the surface.
Topping and Baking
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Finely chop ⅔ of the rosemary leaves, keep the rest whole for decorating.
- Drizzle olive oil all over the surface of your sourdough focaccia. Then scatter the finely chopped rosemary all over.
- Oil your fingers and dimple the dough, pressing deep down to the base of the pan squishing the rosemary into the dough. Finally, arrange the remaining leaves on top of the focaccia and sprinkle the sea salt all over.
- Bake the focaccia for 20-25 minutes. Cool it for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature on the day it is baked.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 244mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.3mg
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