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This Sourdough Focaccia has a soft and fluffy texture on the inside and crisp and chewy on the outside, and is perfect for beginners. It is a naturally leavened, no-knead method that can be made in just one day!
“Delicious!! This was so simple to make with great results. Everything that focaccia should be – light, fluffy, and flavorful! I can’t wait to make it again.” -Jo
This sourdough focaccia bread is beginner-friendly and requires no special equipment. It is a great first recipe to try when baking sourdough because it doesn’t need any shaping or scoring like my Same Day Sourdough Bread does. There is no Dutch oven needed, just a simple 9×13 pan, which you likely already have at home! It is really simple to make, but the results are an insanely delicious, chewy, soft, sourdough bread.
Table of Contents
- Why this easy sourdough focaccia recipe is great for beginners
- Ingredients for Sourdough Focaccia
- How to make Sourdough Focaccia
- Sample baking schedule
- Recipe Tips
- Focaccia Toppings & Flavor Variations
- How to store Sourdough Focaccia
- Ideas to use sourdough focaccia
- Recipe FAQ
- New to sourdough?
- More sourdough Focaccia Recipes
- Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
Why this easy sourdough focaccia recipe is great for beginners
- Flexible schedule – This focaccia can be made in one day or leave it in the fridge to bake the next day.
- No kneading or shaping – This is a no-knead recipe, so no stand mixer or hand kneading. Plus you don’t need to shape the dough like traditional sourdough bread.
- No special equipment – You don’t need a Dutch oven or any other special tool to make sourdough focaccia, just a 9×13 baking dish.
- Naturally leavened – There is no yeast required, and you can get the beautiful sourdough flavor with just a few simple ingredients and your sourdough starter.
Ingredients for Sourdough Focaccia
- Active Sourdough Starter – Use an active and bubbly sourdough starter that has doubled in size.
- Bread flour – I prefer bread flour, but 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.
- Water – Either filtered or tap water will work. Despite what some people say, I use tap water when baking sourdough bread with no problem.
- Salt – Any type of salt will work.
- Olive oil – Using oil creates the signature crunchy outside of the focaccia.
How to make Sourdough Focaccia
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl or straight edge container, mix together the water, active and bubbly sourdough starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved with a danish dough whisk (10% off with link), hands, or large spoon. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Let it sit at 75°F covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.
Step 2: Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with at least 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.
Step 3: Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough at 75°F, the first rise (including stretch and folds) will take about 4-5 hours total.
Step 4: Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick spray and then coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dump the dough into the pan. Flip once to coat both sides with oil. Cover and let sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size and is puffy. With the dough staying at 75°F, this will take another 2-3 hours.
Step 5: Once the dough is puffy and ready, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 6: Spread an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake at 425°F for about 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. If using a glass pan expect bake times to be 5-10 minutes longer. Let cool on a cooling rack and serve warm.
Sample baking schedule
This is based on the dough temperature being at 75°F. There are many factors that can impact how slowly or quickly dough rises so use this as a guideline but look for the visual cues the dough is ready to move on.
| Step | Time |
| Feed sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio, leave at 72°F (15 grams starter: 70 grams flour: 70 grams water) | 10 pm |
| Mix dough together | 8 am |
| Stretch & Folds | 8:30-9:30 am |
| Add dough to pan | 1 pm |
| Bake | 3 pm |
Recipe Tips
- 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. If room temperature is not warm enough, use a temperature-regulated dough mat (use code country10 for 10% off) or proofing box to keep it warm. Learn more tips to keep your dough warm here. 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 an oiled 9×13″ pan and let rise until puffy and doubled in size.
- Add dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%.
Focaccia Toppings & Flavor Variations
Toppings are completely optional, but they’re one of the best ways to make your sourdough focaccia your own. You can keep it simple with a sprinkle of sea salt or get creative with bold flavor combinations. I’ve even made a Pesto Sourdough Focaccia and Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia! Here are some topping ideas to inspire you:
- Fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano, or thyme
- Cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes
- Garlic, onions, or shallots
- Shredded cheese such as mozzarella or parmesan cheese (or try my Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia recipe)
- Vegetables like olives, red peppers, capers, or artichoke hearts
- Or your favorite toppings—mix and match to find a combo your family loves!
What I love most about focaccia is how easy it is to play with both the dough and the toppings. I’ve swapped out some of the water in the dough for other liquids to create entirely new flavors, like Salsa Sourdough Focaccia, pineapple juice in Hawaiian Roll Sourdough Focaccia, and applesauce in Caramel Apple Sourdough Focaccia.
The possibilities are endless. Think of this recipe as a blank canvas—browse all my Sourdough Focaccia Recipes and get inspired to try something new!
How to store Sourdough Focaccia
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°F oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
Ideas to use sourdough focaccia
This Sourdough Focaccia bread recipe makes a delicious side dish for pasta night, soups, salads, or any other time you want a warm piece of bread with a meal. It also makes a great bread for sandwiches (try it with this Cheddar Bacon Ranch Sourdough Focaccia) or as a base for pizza (try it as this Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia).
Recipe FAQ
Focaccia is a flatbread that is made similarly to pizza dough. The bread is made in a pan, usually something like a 9×13-inch dish or 12″ round cast-iron pan. The bread is fluffy and chewy with a thin crispy crust. It has signature dimples in the dough and has a drizzle of olive oil to help create the crispy, golden brown crust.
Either extra virgin olive oil or olive oil will work for focaccia! Olive oil has a lighter flavor than extra virgin, so it just comes down to a matter of preference.
Bread flour is ideal because it has a higher protein content and absorbs liquid better. However, in a pinch, you can substitute all-purpose flour. However, since it does not absorb liquid as well, you will need to reduce the amount of water added by 25-50 grams.
Yes, you can prep the dough and then bake it the next day if you would like. Place the dough in the fridge after the first rise. Remove the dough from the fridge in the morning and place in an oiled 9×13″ pan and let it rise until puffy and doubled in size, and bake as directed.
I would recommend leaving it in the fridge for 18 hours max. Sourdough Focaccia is more forgiving because it is flat and won’t lose its shape like a traditional loaf. However, keep in mind that it will get a stronger sour flavor the longer it sits, and if its overproofed, it won’t be as fluffy.
What I love about focaccia so much is that the flavor variations are endless and go either savory or sweet. Find all my sourdough focaccia recipe flavors.
I recommend using a metal 9×13 pan or a large cast-iron skillet. If you only have a glass 9×13 pan, that will work too, but it does not hold heat as well as a metal pan, so you will need to bake the focaccia slightly longer.
If your focaccia is sticking to the pan, be sure to use non-stick cooking spray before adding the olive oil and dough. If you are still having issues with it sticking, you can line the 9×13 pan with parchment paper before adding the oil and dough.
Yes, focaccia dough is naturally stickier than traditional sourdough because it has a higher hydration level—meaning more water compared to flour. To keep it from clinging to your hands, use damp hands during the stretch and folds. As you continue, the gluten will strengthen and the dough will become much easier to handle.
New to sourdough?
If you’re new to sourdough, I’ve got a few helpful resources to get you started! Learn how to make your own sourdough starter, how to feed and care for your starter, and find my favorite sourdough baking tools. Plus, get familiar with 35+ sourdough terms so you can sound like a pro in no time.
If you’re ready to dive deeper, my Online Sourdough Course walks you through the entire process of making artisan bread at home—with flexible timelines, easy-to-follow recipes, clear explanations, and bonus resources like a private mentoring group, my eBook All Roads Lead to Sourdough, and a packet of my 100+ year old starter (USA only).
More sourdough Focaccia Recipes
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Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough Focaccia Recipes
Strawberry Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia
Tried this Sourdough Focaccia or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
- 400 grams water, 1 ¾ cups
- 10 grams salt, 1 ½ teaspoon
- 150 grams active sourdough starter, ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons
- 500 grams bread flour, 3 ⅔ cups
- 60 grams olive oil, divided, 4 tablespoons
Instructions
- In a bowl or straight edge container, mix together the water, active and bubbly sourdough starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved. Add the bread flour and mix until the flour is combined. Let sit at 75°F covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.400 grams water, 10 grams salt, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 500 grams bread flour
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with at least 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 for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough at 75°F, the first rise (including stretch and folds) will take about 4-5 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 sit at 75°F until it doubles in size and is puffy, about 2-3 hours later. 60 grams olive oil, divided
- Once the dough is puffy and ready, preheat the oven to 425℉
- Spread 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake for about 30-35 minutes in a dark pan (a glass pan takes about 40 minutes) or until cooked through. The temperature of the dough should read between 195°F-210℉.
- Let cool on a cooling rack and serve warm!
Notes
- See sample schedule included in the post above.
- 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 dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was the best focaccia I’ve ever made- so bubbly and chewy and thick. And very easy. Thank you!
Thanks for the nice review! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Have you ever tried “Sparkling Water” in place of water?
I have used soda once in place of the water and it worked just fine as far as texture goes although it didn’t add as much flavor as I hoped it would.
I have baked a lot of bread but I am fairly new at sour dough. My first attempt
at this Focaccia was fantastic. I refrigerated over night because of time constraints. It was so good I will be afraid to make it again for fear of disappointment. I found the recipe to be simple and straightforward.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for the review!
Amazing recipe! Easy to follow and yummy result!!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Made it for the second time! Perfect! Thanks, great recipe.
Thank you so much!
Focaccia directions were easy to follow. I placed the dough in the fridge after the first rise! Then on counter for a few hours. I made w 1/2 water and 1/2 pickle juice and topped with shallots and rosemary! Yum!
would this work in the outdoor pizza ovens? sometimes recipes need to be tweaked…any ideas?
I did a quick google search to see and I didn’t get much. I’ve never tried to bake focaccia in one my concern would be that you want olive oil on your focaccia for baking so it would need to be in some sort of pan vs just on a flat surface. If you find something and try it let us know how it goes!
This was my first recipe I made with my first time making a starter from scratch.
Super easy. Came out delicious. I did add fresh rosemary and garlic to top.
Thanks for sharing. So glad the recipe went well!
I have made this many times now after giving up trying to make traditional sourdough loaves. I’ve had several successful experiments, including one with fresh roasted green chile, garlic, and cheese and am going to try a Red Chile Enchilada version soon!
I’m still very new to sourdough and wondered if you have any advice for using more starter and reducing the water and bread flour accordingly? I always have 50-75 grams of starter left over when making this recipe and feeding the starter and it usually ends up in the compost bin.
Love your recipes and plan to make more of them soon!
I made this today and it turned out beautiful. My husband liked it more than the loaves I’ve been making. Started simple but I am now anxious to try mix ins!
So glad you liked it! It’s fun to start experimenting with all the different flavors.