Salsa Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Sourdough salsa focaccia sliced in strips and placed on a wood cutting board with red onions scattered and a bowl of salsa.

4.75 from 8 votes

Spice up your summer with this easy-to-make salsa sourdough focaccia bread. This one-day, no-knead recipe is perfect for beginners, featuring the bold flavors of cantina salsa, pepper jack cheese, pickled onions, and jalapenos. Fresh and homemade, this focaccia is ideal as an easy summer appetizer or a flavorful side for your summer dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Proofing time7

Total Time7 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Emily Christensen

Ingredients

200 grams water warm, ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon
200 grams salsa warm, ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon
10 grams garlic salt 1 ½ teaspoons
150 grams sourdough starter ⅔ cup
500 grams bread flour 3 ½ cups
60 grams olive oil, divided ¼ cup, divided
105 grams pepper jack cheese, shredded 1 cup, optional
Optional topping pickled red onions, cherry tomatoes, coarse sea salt

Instructions

In a 2-quart container with straight sides or a large clear bowl, mix the water, salsa, active starter, and salt using a danish dough whisk, large spoon, or your hands. Add the flour and mix until the dough is shaggy and no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot (about 75°F).
200 grams water, 200 grams salsa, 10 grams garlic salt, 150 grams sourdough starter, 500 grams bread flour
Perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Use a damp hand to gently lift one side of the dough until you feel resistance, then fold it over onto itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat on the next side. Continue until you’ve stretched and folded all four sides—this completes one set.
Let the dough continue to rise in a warm spot covered until it increases in size by 50%. At 75°F, this typically takes around 5 hours from initial mixing.
Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, spreading it evenly across the bottom. Place the dough in the pan and flip it once to coat both sides with oil. Cover and let the dough rest in a warm spot until it is puffy and has doubled in size—about 3 hours at 75°F.
Once the dough is visibly aerated and puffy, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the dough. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and onions. Using your fingers, dimple the dough down to the bottom of the pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches at least 190°F.
Remove from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack.

Notes

Use fresh salsa with a higher water content for this recipe. Using too thick of a salsa may make it hard to mix and get the flour incorporated. If the salsa is in the fridge quickly heat it in the microwave until slightly warmed.
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 and use warm water when creating the dough.
If you want to bake the next day, after the dough is placed in the pan cover it and place it in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature and get puffy before baking. Note the second rise will take longer since it has to come to room temperature first. Alternatively, you can let it almost finish the second rise before placing it in the fridge so it is ready to bake from the fridge.

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