Simple Sourdough Focaccia

My go-to focaccia recipe. 4 ingredients. Simple, delicious, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Recipe includes notes for a double batch of dough to make a loaf + focaccia at the same time or a single batch of focaccia.

This sourdough focaccia is one of those recipes that feels special but fits easily into real life. It has a crisp, golden crust, a soft and airy center, and just enough olive oil to make it rich without being heavy. All you need is flour, salt, water, and olive oil. If you consider sourdough starter a separate ingredient, then 5 ingredients. Still awesome!

I love recipes like this that use basic ingredients and a familiar sourdough process but turn into something completely different. This focaccia is perfect alongside dinner, torn into pieces for dipping, or sliced and used as sandwich bread the next day.

How I Make It

You start by mixing the water and bubbly sourdough starter until it looks milky and combined. Add the flours and mix just until a shaggy dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 45 minutes. This rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough much easier to work with later.

After the rest, add the salt and the remaining water. Use your hands to gently mix everything together until fully incorporated. The dough will feel soft and slightly sticky. Cover again and let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes before starting any folds.

Over the next 2 to 4 hours, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes. Each round takes less than a minute and helps build structure while keeping the dough light and airy. By the final fold, the dough should look smoother, hold its shape better, and feel noticeably puffier.

Once bulk fermentation is complete, transfer the dough to a generously oiled pan. Cover it and let it rest and rise for another 1 to 2 hours, until it looks very airy and jiggly. If you want to bake this in the morning, put this in the refrigerator overnight to rest. Remove the dough from the fridge 1 to 2 hours before baking.

When the dough is ready, press dimples into the surface with oiled fingers, drizzle generously with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. A flaky salt like Maldon Sea Salt works especially well here. Bake until golden, about 22-28 minutes.

Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing so the crumb can finish setting and the crust stays crisp.

Why I Love This Focaccia

This recipe is simple, forgiving, and incredibly satisfying to make. It doesn’t require shaping or special tools, and the result feels bakery worthy. It’s also one of those breads that disappears fast, especially when it’s still warm. If there are leftovers, it makes amazing sandwich bread the next day.

Baker’s Note: Making Two Loaves At Once

In the video, I split this dough and used it two ways. Half was shaped into a sourdough loaf, and the other half was turned into focaccia. It is a great option if you want fresh bread and focaccia from one batch of dough. If you want to follow that method here is how I would approach this recipe:

Full Dough Ingredients (Makes 1 Sourdough Loaf and 1 Focaccia)

750 grams water – reserve 50 grams of water
200 grams bubble sourdough starter
300 grams whole wheat flour – I used freshly milled kamut or hard red what or a mix
700 grams all purpose flour
20 grams salt

Prepare the dough as written in the recipe, mixing and fermenting everything together as one batch. Once bulk fermentation is complete and the dough looks airy and well structured, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Divide the dough evenly into two pieces. Shape one half into a loaf and place it into a floured banneton or towel lined bowl to proof. You could also bake your other loaf in a 9×5 loaf pan, lined with parchment paper. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap, let it proof for another hour or two before baking or let it cold ferment in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning. Transfer the other half to a generously oiled pan for focaccia and let it rise until puffy and jiggly. Bake each according to their respective methods.

👇🏻 To watch the full recipe walk-through check out my YouTube video below:

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