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Sourdough Focaccia with Tomatoes, Rosemary, and Garlic

Course bread
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Bread, focaccia, sourdough
Prep Time 6 hours
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 305 g filtered water warm about 85 degrees F
  • 150 g active sourdoughs tarter
  • 20 g raw honey
  • 15 g olive oil
  • 460 g unbleached all purpose flour
  • 12 g kosher salt
  • 2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves slices thinly
  • Plenty of olive oil for drizzling
  • Flaky sea salt I love Maldon for finishing

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and sourdough starter. Use a whisk to dissolve the sourdough starter into the water. Add the raw honey, and olive oil, then whisk to combine.

  2. Add the unbleached all purpose flour to the bowl, and use a Danish dough whisk or a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour. Once the dough comes together, it will be sticky and shaggy, that’s fine!
  3. Sprinkle the kosher salt on top of the surface of the dough, and cover the bowl with a plastic shower cap or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 25 minutes.
  4. Use lightly damp hands to pinch the salt into the dough until no pockets of salt remain. Redampen your hands, and start to stretch and fold the dough to develop and strengthen the gluten. To perform the stretch and folds, gently lift up one corner of the dough, then fold it over itself onto the ball of dough. The goal is to stretch the dough to the limit without tearing it.
  5. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees, and lift up the next side of dough, and fold it over, working your way all the way around the bowl. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  6. Repeat the stretch and fold process with damp hands. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
  7. Final stretch and fold or coil fold the dough. The surface of the dough should be much smoother by now, as the gluten has developed. Cover the bowl again, and let the dough bulk ferment (rise) at room temperature for 3-4 hours until it is puffy and bubbly.
  8. If you’re short on time, you have the option here to do the bulk fermentation in the fridge for 8-24 hours. Remember, cold temperatures delay fermentation, heat speeds it up!

  9. Generously drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Pour the risen focaccia dough out onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the surface of the dough with a bit more olive oil, and use your finger tips to stretch the dough out towards the corners of the pan, and dimple the dough well as you do that.

    If you prefer a thinner focaccia, stretch the dough out further. For a thicker focaccia, stretch it out less.

  10. Let the dough rest at room temperature for another 60-70 minutes until it is bubbly and puffy. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  11. Add the sliced tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic to the surface of the focaccia, and use your fingers to gently press them down into the dough, and dimple the top of the focaccia well.

  12. Drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

    Bake the sourdough focaccia for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are crispy. Use scissors to cut big slices. Store leftover focaccia in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!