Sourdough Focaccia

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Why I Love This Recipe!

Sourdough may seem intimidating, but this recipe is as easy as it gets! There is no kneading required, making it perfect for beginners. In fact, the first ever sourdough bread I made was a focaccia and it turned out great! Don’t worry if you don’t have the perfect ingredients, I share substitutes whenever possible! 

This recipe is very hands off. You can have fresh homemade bread and only knead (; a few minutes of hands-on time! You can also get creative with your decorating and make some beautiful bread art (yes, it’s a thing!).

Tools and Equipment

For this recipe, there are a handful of tools you will need. You likely already have most of these in your kitchen.

A Digital Scale

I highly recommend using a digital scale that operates in grams. Although you can make bread using volume measurements (ex. cups), you will achieve more consistent results by weight. This is due to simple human error in measuring.  The density of your packed flour in your measuring cup can impact your recipe. In my experience, the key to bread making is precision, and measuring by weight allows you to be much more precise.

A Large Mixing Bowl

I usually use a 4 quart mixing bowl when making bread. You may use a  slightly smaller bowl than this, but keep in mind that your dough needs to double in size and I find a larger bowl gives me plenty of room to work.

A Small Towel

You will need a tea towel or kitchen towel to cover your bread while it doubles in size, which takes between 6 and 12 hours. Be sure to use a towel that does not have a lot of loose fibers that may become stuck in the dough. If you do not cover your bread with a damp towel, the dough will dry out and form a crust on top. This will affect both the rise and the texture of your sourdough.

A Baking Sheet

In my experience it is necessary to use a baking sheet and not a Pyrex baking dish when making focaccia. It seems that no matter how much oil I use, it always sticks to my Pyrex. If wanted, you can use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper with your baking sheet to make clean-up even easier. My favorite baking sheet to use is my Stoneware Bar Pan by Pampered Chef because it does not stick.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter

If you are new to sourdough, I recommend either getting some starter from a friend, or purchasing a dehydrated starter online. If you are looking for a trusted source, you can purchase your sourdough starter from my friend and fellow Arizona homesteader, Dannie from Better in Suburbia.

Water

I recommend using chlorine free water when making sourdough, although I would not stress about it too much. If you use city tap water, it will most likely have chlorine in it. You can let your water sit in a container with an open lid for about 24 hours and the chlorine will evaporate out. Don’t worry if you miss this step! I have made sourdough using tap water many times and it turned out great!

Flour

My recommendation is that you use bread flour for this recipe, although again it is not absolutely necessary. I have made this using all-purpose flour in a pinch, and it still tastes delicious. The reason I recommend bread flour is that it has higher gluten levels than all purpose flour, creating a more airy and chewy bread.

Honey

Support a local beekeeper! Note: The store brand honey found in grocery stores is usually honey flavored syrup.

Salt

Any salt will do, but we love Pink Himalayan Sea Salt!