Bruschetta Sourdough Focaccia with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese

When I first tasted this bruschetta dip, I knew I had to recreate the fresh, bold flavors in a sourdough focaccia. If you’re new around here, you might not know about my love for experimenting with unique sourdough flavors—think cheeseburger focaccia with pickle juice, margherita pizza focaccia with marinara sauce, cranberry orange focaccia with orange juice, and even hot chocolate focaccia, just to name a few.

Like many of my other focaccias, the water is swapped out for something else with a little more flavor. In this case, it’s that homemade tomato sauce, infused with fresh basil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Once baked, a creamy mixture of sour cream, cream cheese, and feta is piped into the bread, creating pockets of dip throughout. To finish it off, the focaccia is topped with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of parmesan, creating an incredibly fresh and flavorful bread.

Pro tips for making focaccia

• Make sure to let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia. 
• To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise. Using warm ingredients in the dough will help with this as well. 
• If you want to bake the next day, place the dough in the fridge after the first rise. Remove the dough from the fridge in the morning. Place in a oiled 9×13″ pan and let rise until puffy and doubled in size.
• Add the dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%. 

Ingredients 

Tomato Sourdough Focaccia 

• Diced tomatoes with tomato juice- I find it easiest to use a can but if you prefer to use fresh tomatoes you can but you will need to simmer for longer and will need to add extra water to compensate for the lack of tomato juice. 
• Fresh basil- Fresh is best but if you use dried use just 1 Tablespoon. 
• Balsamic vinegar- This adds additional flavor to the sauce but you can remove it if you don’t have any on hand. 
• Garlic- Fresh, minced garlic is best for adding flavor but you can replace it with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Water- This is added to the sauce to ensure you have enough liquid for your dough. 
• Sourdough starter- In this recipe you will use an active and bubbly sourdough starter in place of yeast to leaven the dough. 
• Salt- Any type of fine grain salt will work. 
• Bread flour- In a pinch you can swap bread flour for all purpose flour but I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 25-50 grams as all purpose flour does not absorb as much water. 
• Olive oil- This will be added to the pan and on top of the dough before baking to give the focaccia it’s signature golden brown, crispy crust. 

Garnish 

• Balsamic glaze- This can be drizzled on top after baking for added flavor. You can also use a splash of balsamic vinegar. 
• Fresh basil- Top with more fresh basil if desired. 
• Parmesan cheese- Sprinkle on top for a little extra cheesy goodness. 

Tools to make this recipe

• Food processor or blender– Using the food processor makes this recipe a breeze to make. If you don’t have one you could get away with mixing it in a stand mixer.
• 9×13 pan– I recommend using metal but if you use glass just note that the bake time will be 5-10 minutes longer. 
• Kitchen scale –When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.  
• Cooling rack – Using a wire rack helps the bread cool quicker by allowing air under the bread. 
• 2 quart proofing container– This is the easiest way to tell when the dough has risen 50% for the first rise. 
• Piping bag & large round tip– This is what you will use to pipe the filling into the focaccia. If you don’t have these supplies, you can poke holes with a large straw or knife and then use a ziplock bag as the piping bag.

How to make Bruschetta Sourdough Focaccia 

Start by making a tomato sauce to use in place of the water in the focaccia. In a pan bring the can of diced tomatoes with tomato juice, chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, and water to a soft boil, mixing occasionally. Once it begins to barely boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes to begin cooling.

Once it starts to cool down transfer the liquid to a blender and blend until mostly smooth. The liquid will be warm but shouldn’t be hot to the touch before moving forward. 

Put a medium sized bowl or straight edge container onto a kitchen scale and zero it out. Pour the liquid into the bowl. If it is under 400 grams add enough water to get it to 400 grams. 

Add the bubbly sourdough starter and salt to the liquid. Mix it up with a danish dough whisk or spoon to break up the starter. Add the bread flour and mix it until you completely incorporate the flour.

Cover and place in a warm spot (ideally about 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and leave for 30 minutes. 

Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with a 30 minute rest in between each set. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time. 

Continue to let the dough rise until it has risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough at 75 degrees Fahrenheit, the first rise (including stretch and folds) will take about 5 hours total. 

Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick spray and then coat with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Dump dough into the pan. Flip once to coat both sides with oil. Cover and let it sit in a warm spot until it is visibly puffy and increased in size. With the dough staying at 75 degrees Fahrenheit this will take another 1-2 hours. 

Once the dough is puffy and ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Spread 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. 

While it bakes, add the feta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t have either of those appliances you can use a hand mixer.

Set a piping bag with a large round tip inside a jar or cup, folding the edges over the rim. Fill the bag with the cheese mixture, then cut off the tip to begin piping.

Force the tip of the bag into the focaccia to poke holes throughout and then pipe in some of the cream mixture. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

Turn the oven to broil and put the focaccia back in for about 2 minutes until the cheese has warmed through. 

Remove from the heat and let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy! 

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the microwave, or to get a crispy crust again add it back to a 400-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.