Sourdough Focaccia

No-knead overnight focaccia from an active starter, dimpled with olive oil and baked until golden

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Yield: Serves 8Prep: 30 min (plus 14 hour cold ferment)Cook: 35 minSource: Julius Fiedler-Sourdough Focaccia

Dough

IngredientEnglish1x2x3x4x
Water375 ml375 mL750 mL1.12 L1.5 L
Sugar1 Tbsp12.5 g25 g37.5 g50 g
Sourdough starteractive and bubbly; it should float in water100 g100 g200 g300 g400 g
Bread flourestimated -- amount not stated in the video; standard focaccia hydration500 g500 g1 kg1.5 kg2 kg
Saltestimated -- amount not stated in the video; about 2% of the flour weight10 g10 g20 g30 g40 g
Lukewarm water25 g25 g50 g75 g100 g

Topping

IngredientEnglish1x2x3x4x
Olive oilestimated -- for greasing the dish, drizzling, and dimplingAbout 3 Tbsp, divided40 mL80 mL120 mL160 mL
Fresh rosemaryleaves picked from the sprigsA few sprigsor about 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Flaky saltfor finishingA pinch

Pantry swaps

OriginalSwap1Swap2Swap3Swap4
Sugar1 cup firmly packed brown sugar1–3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (makes baked goods less crisp)1 cup superfine sugar
111.751
Bread flour1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads)1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe)Reader suggestion:\xa05/8 cup potato flour1–1/4 cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour1 cup cornmeal
1111.251
Fresh rosemaryDried rosemary

Method

  1. Test the starter: drop a spoonful into a glass of water. If it floats, it is active and ready to use.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 375 ml water and 1 Tbsp sugar. Add 100 g of starter and dissolve the starter and sugar into the water.
  3. Add the flour and mix until combined. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Add the salt and 25 g lukewarm water, then squeeze and fold the dough to combine. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Perform four sets of stretch and fold: stretch a section of dough up and fold it over the rest, rotating the bowl, until the dough firms up. Cover and rest for 30 minutes between each set.
  6. Coat a baking dish with olive oil, gently place the dough into the dish, and stretch it out to fit. Drizzle with more olive oil, cover, and refrigerate for 14 hours.
  7. The next morning, preheat the oven to 230 C (450 F) and take the dough out of the fridge.
  8. Drizzle the dough with a generous amount of olive oil and press dimples into it with your fingers, being careful not to burst the bubbles that formed overnight.
  9. Drizzle with a bit more oil, top with rosemary and a pinch of flaky salt.
  10. Bake for 35 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

Servings: 8 (per serving). Per serving: 297 kcal, 7 g protein, 54 g carbs, 5 g fat, 2 g fiber.

The video’s narration gives exact amounts for water (375 ml), sugar, starter (100 g), salt water (25 g), and bake time (35 min), but not the flour, salt, or oven temperature. Those are marked estimated above: flour (500 g), salt (10 g, about 2% of the flour weight), olive oil (about 3 Tbsp total), and oven temperature (230 C / 450 F) follow standard focaccia baker’s percentages, putting the dough near 82% hydration. Nutrition is computed from these estimates.

The starter must be active before mixing – it should float in a glass of water.

Bake at 230 C (450 F) for 35 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the crust is golden brown.


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