Foolproof Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

Why Focaccia Suits High Hydration

Focaccia removes the two skills that intimidate new bakers: shaping and scoring. The dough is fermented, poured into an oiled pan, and dimpled with your fingers. There is no surface tension to build and no blade work to time. That frees you to push hydration into the 80-85% range, far wetter than the 68-72% you would run for a free-form boule. All that extra water is what produces the open, irregular crumb and the light, custardy interior that separate real focaccia from a dense flatbread.

At 80% hydration the dough starts slack and sticky, then tightens as the gluten organizes during bulk fermentation. You never knead it. A series of coil folds does the structural work while the wild yeast inflates the crumb. If you want to try a thinner, chewier version or a taller, fluffier one, run the numbers through the hydration calculator before you mix, because a 5% swing in water changes the whole handling character.

The Formula (Baker's Percentages)

This formula fills a standard 9x13 inch (23x33 cm) metal pan to roughly 3 cm thick. Every weight is expressed against total flour, the standard baker's percentage convention, so scaling up or down stays proportional.

Counting the starter, true dough hydration lands near 83% because the 100 g of starter is half flour and half water. If you push to 85%, add another 15-20 g water and expect a wetter, harder-to-dimple dough with an even more open crumb. Below 78% the crumb tightens and the texture drifts toward sandwich bread.

Starter Readiness and Flour Choice

Use the starter at its peak, roughly 4-8 hours after a 1:5:5 feed at 24°C (75°F), when it has doubled and just begun to dome. A starter fed 1:1:1 peaks faster but carries more acidity, which slackens gluten in an already wet dough; the 1:5:5 ratio gives a milder, stronger leaven better suited to 80% hydration. The float test is a quick check: a spoonful that floats in water is gassy enough to raise the dough.

Flour protein sets the ceiling on how much water the dough can carry. A 12-13% protein bread flour absorbs the full 80% comfortably; a 10-11% all-purpose flour will feel soupy and spread thin. Italian 00 flour, milled finer, gives a tender, extensible crumb prized for focaccia and pizza, though it drinks slightly less water, so hold back 10-15 g on your first bake and adjust. Whole wheat can replace 10-20% of the bread flour for more flavor, but it absorbs more water, so add 15-20 g back.

Bulk Fermentation with Coil Folds

Combine everything until no dry flour remains, then cover and rest. Bulk fermentation runs 4-6 hours at 22-24°C (72-75°F), or longer in a cool kitchen. During the first 2-3 hours, perform 3 to 4 sets of coil folds spaced 30-45 minutes apart: lift the dough from the middle with wet hands, let the ends tuck under, then rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Coil folds are gentler than stretch and folds and preserve the gas you want in a high-hydration dough.

Stop bulk when the dough has risen roughly 50-70% and is domed, jiggly, and threaded with bubbles at the edges of the bowl. Temperature drives this, so if your kitchen sits at 20°C (68°F), expect the longer end of the window. A hydration check only matters at mixing time, but tracking your bulk temperature is the single best predictor of timing.

Panning and Overnight Cold Proof

Coat the 9x13 inch pan with 30-40 g olive oil, covering the base and corners. Gently tip the dough in without deflating it, fold it loosely into a rough rectangle, and turn it so both sides pick up oil. Cover and refrigerate overnight, 12-18 hours. This cold proof develops the tangy flavor and, just as important, makes the wet dough firm enough to dimple cleanly the next day.

Pull the pan out and let it come toward room temperature for 1-2 hours until the dough looks puffed and relaxed and has spread to fill the corners. If it has not spread, give it more time; dimpling a cold, tight dough tears the gluten.

Dimpling, Brine, and Toppings

Drizzle another 10-15 g olive oil over the top. Oil your fingertips and press straight down to the pan bottom across the whole surface, spacing dimples 2-3 cm apart. The pockets should nearly reach the base; they trap oil and brine and give focaccia its signature look. Do not be timid, deep dimples that partly collapse are correct.

Make a light brine by whisking 1 tablespoon water with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pouring it into the dimples, then scatter fresh rosemary and a generous pinch of flor de sal or flaky sea salt. The brine steams the crumb during baking and keeps the top from drying out. Halved cherry tomatoes, thin potato slices, or olives can be pressed in now, just before baking.

Baking and Crumb

Bake at 230°C (450°F) on a lower-middle rack for 20-25 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges pull away from the pan with a crisp, fried base. A metal pan conducts heat better than glass and gives you that caramelized bottom crust; if you use glass, add 3-5 minutes. Internal temperature should read about 96-99°C (205-210°F) if you check with a probe.

A good bake shows an open, uneven crumb with a shiny, oil-slicked interior and a bottom that crackles when tapped. If the crumb is tight and gummy, the dough was underproofed or the pan too cool; if it is pale and greasy, it needed more time or more heat. Cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then lift onto a rack so the base stays crisp; leaving it in the pan traps steam and softens the fried bottom you worked for. Focaccia eats best within a few hours of baking. Day-old pieces revive in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 3-4 minutes, and thick squares split horizontally make an ideal sandwich base since the open crumb holds oil and fillings without falling apart.

Troubleshooting

Change one variable at a time and note what you did: hydration, bulk temperature, proof length, oven position. Within three or four bakes you will have a focaccia dialed in to your kitchen, with a crackling base, a springy open crumb, and dimples pooled with rosemary oil.