I hunted around the internet for a sourdough focaccia recipe that I liked the look of and finally came across one on the Grain Mill Wagon blog. It’s easy to prepare, I left the dough to prove overnight in the coldest room in the house then, in the morning, added the toppings and popped it in the oven.
It was lovely teamed with a big green salad, a bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping into and glass of wine!
Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
- Dough
- 1½ cups fed & bubbly sourdough starter
- ¾ cup water
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- 1½ tbsp olive oil I used about double this amount as I felt my dough was a bit dry
- 2½ cups freshly ground flour of your choice plus more
- Toppings
- sliced tomatoes I omitted this
- chopped garlic I used a mini bulb of Italian Malvi Cervati garlic that comes in a woven basket from Lidl - you just thinly slice the bulb - there are no cloves to fiddle with!
- chopped fresh herbs I just used sprigs of fresh rosemary
- olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- grated cheese optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together sourdough starter, water, sea salt and olive oil
- Pour flour onto the wet mixture and stir to incorporate
- Continue to add flour little by little until you have a nice, easy kneading consistency. If your dough is too dry, add a little more water
- Pull the dough out onto your counter top and knead for a few minutes. You're looking for a soft and smooth (not sticky) dough
- Cover your dough with a cloth and allow it to rest for at least 20 to 30 minutes
- Generously oil a large rolled cookie sheet or use your pizza stone with parchment paper
- Roll out the dough into your desired shape (rectangle or circle)
- Gently gather up the rolled dough and transfer it into the cookie sheet or pizza stone
- If needed, roll it out some more or use your fingers to spread/stretch the dough to fit the cookie sheet or pizza stone
- Cover with cling film and let it rise in a warm place for at least 8 hours
- Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas Mark 8
- Brush the dough with olive oil and top it with tomatoes, garlic, herbs, sea salt and black pepper.
- Drizzle more olive oil on top
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Slice it up and serve it hot. Enjoy!
