Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia
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This fluffy Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia is sweet, buttery, and incredibly delicious. Reminiscent of my favorite Thanksgiving side dish, sweet potato casserole, this focaccia is made with a sweet potato base and a brown sugar pecan topping. It’s so flavorful and the perfect bread for the upcoming holidays.

I’ve been wanting to try adding sweet potato to my focaccia for a while now and it did not disappoint. The sweet potato adds a delicious sweet flavor and a beautiful orange tint to the dough. Combined with the addition of milk and water, the texture of this focaccia is so soft and fluffy. The topping is a mix of butter, brown sugar and pecans just like how my mom makes her famous sweet potato casserole. And if you love sweet potatoes, be sure to checkout my Sourdough Sweet Potato Casserole recipe!
Thanksgiving-inspired sourdough focaccia
This Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table or any holiday gathering! If you’re looking for other sourdough focaccia recipes to impress your family try the Sticky Pecan Sourdough Focaccia, Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia, or Sourdough Caramel Apple Sourdough Focaccia.

Tips for success when making Sweet Potato Sourdough 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 it is rising too slowly at room temperature, you can use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) to keep the dough warm.
- 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 buttered 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%.
Helpful tools to make sourdough focaccia
9×13 pan – The focaccia is baked in a rectangle shape in a 9×13 pan.
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.
Sample baking schedule
This is based on the dough temperature being in the mid 70s. 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 (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 |

Ingredients for the Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia
- Sweet Potato – you will need roughly one large, or two small sweet potatoes to have enough for the dough. Be sure to measure it out in grams after it is cooked to ensure you have the correct amount. I like to use freshly cooked sweet potatoes for the best flavor, but you can also use canned sweet potato puree if you would like.
- Milk- The added fat from the milk gives the focaccia a rich flavor and soft, fluffy texture. For a dairy-free focaccia you can replace milk with more water.
- Water – Either tap or filtered water will work just fine. Use warm water to help keep the dough warm.
- Sourdough Starter – Use active starter that is at it’s peak and is bubbly and has doubled in size. If you do not have a sourdough starter, you can make one with this Easy Sourdough Starter recipe.
- Bread Flour –I prefer bread flour, but in a pinch, you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour. However since this is a high hydration dough I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 25-50 grams if using all purpose flour as it does not absorb as much water.
- Brown sugar – To add a touch of sweetness to the dough.
- Vanilla Extract– Adds a touch of extra flavor to the dough.
- Salt – Any type of salt will work.
Pecan Topping
- Brown Sugar- The butter and brown sugar mixed with the pecans makes them taste like they are candied.
- Butter- This recipe uses butter instead of olive oil to add flavor and to brown the crust.
- Pecans- The pecans on top add texture and crunch that is just like the topping on a sweet potato casserole.

Instructions to make the Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia
First, cook your sweet potato either in the microwave or oven until soft. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork and cook it whole in the microwave until it is softened. Or, you can roast it in the oven as well. Let cool a little and then discard the peel.
To puree the sweet potatoes, add to a blender along with the milk and water and blend until smooth.
Add the sweet potato mixture to a bowl along with the active sourdough starter and mix to combine.
Add the brown sugar, salt, and flour to the mixture and combine until a shaggy dough is formed.

Let sit in a warm place 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.
Perform 2-3 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 covered dough rise for bulk fermentation until it has risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 4-5 hours total, including the stretch and folds.
Spray a 9×13” pan with non-stick spray and then add 2 Tablespoons of melted butter to the pan. Dump the dough into the pan and flip it once to coat both sides in butter. Cover and let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy.

Make the topping by beating softened butter and brown sugar, until smooth. Mix in pecans. Once the dough is ready, add the mixture in clumps on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers, creating indentations in the dough, and bake in the oven at 425F degrees for 25-30 minutes.

After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool some before serving.
How to store sourdough focaccia
Store the Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the microwave, or add it back to a 400-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
More sourdough holiday recipes

Sweet Potato Sourdough Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Focaccia
- 270 grams mashed sweet potato 1 cup (about 1 large sweet potato)
- 100 grams whole milk scant ½ cup
- 250 grams warm water 1 cup
- 150 grams sourdough starter heaping ½ cup
- 10 grams salt 1 ½ teaspoon
- 500 grams bread flour 3 ⅔ cups
- 50 grams brown sugar ¼ cup
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Topping
- 113 grams butter, divided 8 Tablespoons
- 165 grams 165 grams brown sugar ¾ cup
- 110 grams 110 grams pecans 1 cup
Instructions
- Cook your sweet potato either in the microwave or oven until soft. Pierce the sweet potato with a fork and cook it whole in the microwave until it is softened. Or, you can roast it in the oven as well. Let cool a little and then discard the peel.
- To puree the sweet potatoes, add to a blender along with the milk and water and blend until smooth.270 grams mashed sweet potato, 100 grams whole milk, 250 grams warm water
- Add the sweet potato mixture to a bowl along with the active sourdough starter and mix to combine. 150 grams sourdough starter
- Add the brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract and flour to the mixture and combine until a shaggy dough is formed. 50 grams brown sugar, 10 grams salt, 5 grams vanilla extract, 500 grams bread flour
- Let the dough sit in a warm place 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.
- Perform 2-3 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 covered dough rise for bulk fermentation until it has risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 4-5 hours total, including the stretch and folds.
- Spray a 9×13” pan with non-stick spray and then add 2 Tablespoons of melted butter to the pan. Dump the dough into the pan and flip it once to coat both sides in butter. Cover and let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy.113 grams butter, divided
- Make the topping by beating the remaining softened butter and brown sugar, until smooth. Mix in pecans. Once the dough is ready, add the mixture in clumps on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers, creating indentations in the dough, and bake in the oven at 425℉ degrees for 25-30 minutes. 165 grams 165 grams brown sugar, 110 grams 110 grams pecans
- After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool some before serving.
Notes
the fridge. Then, let it come to room temperature in a greased 9×13" pan
and let it get puffy before baking as directed.