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Light Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia: Easy Holiday Side

Light Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia - featured image
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This light and airy sourdough focaccia features a tender crumb with crispy edges, infused with fresh rosemary and flaky salt. It’s the perfect holiday side that complements any festive meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360g) bread flour
  • 1/2 cup (120g) active sourdough starter
  • 1 cup (240ml) warm water (80°F)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil, plus extra for the pan
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (9g) fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Mix the dough (Day 1, morning): In a large bowl, combine bread flour and fine sea salt. In a separate measuring cup, whisk together warm water, active sourdough starter, olive oil, and honey until mostly smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
  2. Stretch and fold (Day 1, afternoon): Every 30 minutes for the next 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold. Wet your hands slightly, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this four times total per session.
  3. Bulk fermentation (Day 1, evening): Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 8-10 hours, or until doubled in size and bubbly on top.
  4. Cold retard (optional but recommended, overnight): After the bulk rise, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
  5. Pan the dough (Day 2, 3 hours before baking): Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13-inch pan and spread around. Turn the cold dough out into the pan. Cover with a towel and let come to room temperature for 1 hour.
  6. Dimple and proof (1.5 hours before baking): Use oiled fingertips to press deep dimples all across the surface. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle chopped rosemary and flaky salt evenly over the top. Cover and let proof for another 1-1.5 hours until puffy and jiggly.
  7. Bake (30 minutes before serving): Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. If browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  8. Cool and serve: Let focaccia cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Don’t rush the starter; it should be bubbly and doubled in size. Wet hands are your friend for handling sticky dough. Dimple deeply to create pockets for oil and rosemary. For a cold kitchen, use the oven light trick to create a warm proofing environment.

Nutrition

Keywords: sourdough focaccia, rosemary focaccia, holiday bread, sourdough bread, easy focaccia, make-ahead bread

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/light-rosemary-sourdough-focaccia-easy-holiday-side/