Same-Day Sourdough Focaccia with Rosemary and a Crisp Olive-Oil Crust
By Claire Dunn
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Choose a bubbly, recently fed sourdough starter; its activity gives rosemary focaccia the lift needed for an airy, tender crumb. Baked the same day in a well-oiled pan, the bread has a deep golden top, crisp olive-oil bottom, and fragrant rosemary.
Measured bread flour gives this high-hydration dough the protein needed for a chewy structure, while lukewarm water helps the starter get moving. Olive oil is folded in with chopped rosemary, then used generously in the pan and over the dimpled surface. Fine sea salt seasons the dough, while flaky salt and whole rosemary sprigs finish the top before baking.
Expect the dough to begin shaggy and sticky, then become smoother and more elastic after the oil and rosemary are folded in. During bulk fermentation, it should nearly double, show bubbles, and jiggle when the bowl is shaken. Coil folds build the strength that holds those air pockets; skipping them is the common route to a flat, dense focaccia.
Cool the bread on a rack after five minutes in the pan so steam does not soften its crisp bottom. Slice it after at least 20 minutes, serve it with soups or salads, or use the cooled focaccia as sandwich bread the next day.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Bread flour gives the high-hydration dough enough structure to hold its bubbles, producing the chewy texture and open crumb described in the recipe.
- A bubbly starter fed within four to six hours provides the rise this same-day dough needs, without adding commercial yeast or specialty flour.
- Fresh rosemary is folded into the dough and scattered on top, so its fragrant needles season both the crumb and golden crust.
- Generous extra-virgin olive oil matters twice: it flavors the dough while creating the crisp, fried-style bottom associated with focaccia.
- Flaky sea salt settles into the deep dimples, giving small bites of crunch and salinity against the tender interior.
- The formula relies on flour, water, starter, oil, salt, and rosemary, allowing a short ingredient list to carry the bread.
Ingredients
- •500 g bread flour
- •10 g fine sea salt
- •400 g water (lukewarm)
- •150 g active sourdough starter (bubbly and fed within the last 4-6 hours)
- •60 g extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for the pan and drizzling)
- •2 tbsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped, plus whole sprigs for topping)
- •flaky sea salt (for finishing)
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the bread flour and fine sea salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate measuring cup, stir the lukewarm water and active sourdough starter until the starter is mostly dissolved. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a hand or spatula until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
Drizzle the olive oil over the dough and sprinkle in the chopped rosemary. With a wet hand, fold the dough over itself 6 to 8 times, rotating the bowl as you work, until the oil and rosemary are incorporated. Cover the bowl again.
- 3
Over the next 4 to 5 hours, perform coil folds every 30 to 45 minutes during the first 2 hours. For each session, wet your hand, lift the dough from its center so it folds beneath itself, rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat for 4 folds total. Then leave the dough covered for the remaining 2 to 3 hours, until it nearly doubles, looks bubbly, and jiggles.
- 4
Generously coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with olive oil, covering the bottom and sides. Gently scrape the dough into the pan and let it rest uncovered for 20 minutes.
- 5
Oil your fingertips and gently stretch the dough to the pan edges; if it resists, rest it for another 10 minutes and try again. Press deep dimples across the surface, drizzle with more olive oil, and top with flaky sea salt and whole rosemary sprigs.
- 6
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, until puffy and filling the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) about 30 minutes before baking.
- 7
Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes for a deep golden-brown top and crisp bottom. If the top browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the final 5 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack, and cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
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