Sourdough Focaccia: The Easiest Way to Use Discard

Focaccia is the bread that converts sourdough skeptics. It's forgiving, fast by sourdough standards, and looks impressive with no shaping skill at all.

Recipe — high-hydration focaccia

• 500g bread flour
• 425g water (85%)
• 100g active starter (20%)
• 10g salt (2%)
• 30g olive oil (plus more for the pan)
• Toppings (sea salt, rosemary, optional toppings)

Method

Day 1, evening — mix

Combine starter and water in a large bowl. Add flour and salt. Mix to a wet, shaggy dough. It will be sticky and disorganized — that's fine.

Cover. Rest 30 minutes.

Wet your hands. Do four sets of stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart. The dough will become smooth and elastic.

After the last fold, drizzle with olive oil to coat. Cover. Refrigerate overnight (8–24 hours).

Day 2, morning — pan and proof

Generously oil a half-sheet pan or 9×13 baking dish (3–4 tablespoons of olive oil).

Pour the cold dough into the pan. Let it warm and relax 2 hours at room temperature.

After 2 hours, gently stretch the dough toward the corners with oiled fingers. It might not reach the corners — that's fine. Let it rest 30 more minutes.

It should now spread to fill the pan with gentle stretching.

Final proof

Cover loosely. Proof 1–2 hours at room temperature until visibly puffy and bubbling.

Top and bake

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Drizzle the top of the focaccia with more olive oil (yes, more).

Press your fingers all the way through the dough to the bottom of the pan, creating deep dimples across the entire surface. Don't be shy — this is the signature look.

Top generously with flaky sea salt and rosemary. Other options: sliced tomatoes, olives, thinly sliced potato, caramelized onion, garlic, pesto.

Bake 22–28 minutes until deeply golden and crisp on top.

Cool briefly

Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack. Eat warm.

What good focaccia is

Crisp on top from olive oil and high heat. Tender, open, and chewy in the middle. Salty in the right places. Olive oil throughout.

Flat focaccia is wrong — it should be 1.5–2 inches thick after baking.

Topping ideas

• Classic — sea salt, rosemary
• Tomato — sliced cherry tomatoes, sea salt, basil after baking
• Olive — pitted olives pressed into dimples
• Onion — caramelized onions, thyme
• Mediterranean — tomato, olive, feta, oregano
• Potato — paper-thin potato slices, sea salt, rosemary

Common mistakes

• Not enough olive oil in the pan — sticking, dull crust. Use 3–4 tablespoons.
• Not enough oil on top — pale, dry crust. Drizzle generously.
• Not enough dimpling — flat surface, no olive oil pools.
• Underproofing — dense, doughy. Wait until visibly puffy.
• Too cool an oven — pale crust. Get it hot.

Storage

Best the day it's baked. Wrap in foil and reheat at 400°F for 5 minutes the next day. Beyond 2 days, slice and toast.

Focaccia freezes well — wrap individual squares, freeze, reheat from frozen at 350°F for 8 minutes.

Why this is the gateway

It uses your discard or your active starter. It doesn't need shaping. It doesn't need a Dutch oven. It rewards generosity (oil, salt). It looks like you tried hard when you didn't.

It's also the easiest sourdough to bring to a dinner party.