Sourdough Focaccia
This trend, taking over the internet, immediately inspired me since it is so beautiful! I love the taste of the salty focaccia, bathed in olive oil. Instagram was crowded with home cooks’ beautiful designs. And it was easy! You just need patience, letting the dough rest overnight before you can decorate it. Again, I enlisted some friends to cook over Zoom, and together we created these delicious masterpieces. Please scroll to the bottom to view our YouTube videos.
Tips:
I only used vegetables, olives, and herbs I knew my family wouldn’t pick off, but look online for inspiration. Peppers are used in a lot of designs and look beautiful.
I played around with smaller versions too. One recipe fills 2- 1/4 sheet pans. They took 20 minutes to bake and are perfect as gifts!
The recipe can be cut in half easily to make one 1/4 sheet pan focaccia.
Don’t want to decorate it? Just cover with salt and bake it.
Sourdough Focaccia
Originally from www.kingarthurflour.com
Makes one 13"x18" focaccia
PREP 30 minutes active work + overnight refrigeration
COOK 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (340g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups (340g) lukewarm water
6 cups (723g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
6 tablespoons (74g) olive oil, plus extra for the pan and the top of the focaccia
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons (43g) honey
1 tablespoon instant yeast
Toppings: I used grape tomatoes, chives, green onions, olives, and parsley; since I had them on hand, use whatever you like or sprinkle with rosemary and salt and enjoy!
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the starter and water in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the flour with the starter, water, and remaining ingredients. Mix and knead — by hand or stand mixer — until the dough is smooth and elastic. Using a stand mixer should take 5 to 7 minutes on the lowest speed using the dough hook attachment. You'll need 12 to 15 minutes if you're kneading by hand.
Place the dough in a bowl lightly coated with olive oil, cover, and allow to rise for 60 minutes.
Gently fold the dough three or four times, and let it rise for another 60 minutes.
Drizzle a generous 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the center of a large sheet cake pan.
Transfer the dough to the pan, and turn it over to coat it with the oil.
Gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of the pan. As soon as the dough begins to shrink back, cover it, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently stretch the dough again, repeating the rest once more, if necessary, until the dough fills the pan.
Cover the pan and transfer it to the refrigerator to let the dough rise for 14 to 16 hours (overnight).
The next day, remove the pan of dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425°F. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes (if your kitchen is warm) to 60 minutes (in a cooler kitchen).
Before you're ready to bake, gently dimple the dough at irregular intervals with your fingers, pressing down firmly but carefully; you don't want to deflate the focaccia too much.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to collect a bit in the dimples), then decorate the dough with your design or sprinkle the herbs you desire.
Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown.
Remove the focaccia from the oven. Allow it to cool enough for you to handle it comfortably for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack.