Sourdough Focaccia Recipe

Craving a crispy, airy, and flavorful sourdough focaccia bread? This recipe is made with a sourdough starter—perfect for using up your sourdough discard, no yeast required! Whether you’re making a savory side, sandwich bread, or an appetizer, this sourdough recipe delivers golden, dimpled perfection every time.

This sourdough focaccia bread is naturally leavened, meaning there’s no commercial yeast required. Instead, it relies on a sourdough starter, which gives it incredible flavor and texture. Since focaccia is a high-hydration dough, it stays light and airy with a crisp, golden crust.

With a little patience, you’ll have a bakery-style sourdough discard focaccia that’s perfect for sandwiches, dipping, and more. This is one of the easiest and most rewarding sourdough discard recipes you can make!

If you love the tangy, airy texture of sourdough focaccia, why not explore more delicious sourdough recipes? Try your hand at classic sourdough bread, fluffy sourdough pancakes, or even crispy sourdough pizza crust—all made with the same natural fermentation process for incredible depth of flavor!

Why We Love This Sourdough Focaccia Bread

• No Yeast Needed
  If you’ve been wondering how to make focaccia with sourdough starter, we’ve got you covered! The sourdough starter naturally ferments the dough, giving it an incredible depth of flavor.
• You can make this ahead of time– after bulk fermentation, refrigerate the dough overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.
• Easy to Customize
  Whether you love herbs, cheese, or roasted vegetables, focaccia is the perfect base for creative toppings. Try classic rosemary and sea salt or go bold with olives, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes!

Why not put your sourdough discard to even more delicious use? Try making other recipes—all packed with that signature sourdough flavor and perfect for reducing waste while baking something amazing! If you are having problems with your starter, you might want to check out our post on how to fix sourdough starter.

Ingredients and Substitutions

We’ve separated the dough ingredients from the toppings as this recipe is very adaptable! Use the toppings listed or use your favorite focaccia toppings.

Dough Ingredients

• Mature sourdough starter discard– fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe (not at its peak activity). We call this a discard or unfed starter. A mature starter is one that reliably doubles in size within 4-6 hours.
• Warm water – Helps activate the starter and form a soft dough.
• All-purpose flour – Provides structure and chewiness.
• Bread flour – Adds extra strength for better texture.
• Sea salt – Enhances the flavor.
• Cooking spray- prevents bread from sticking to pan

Topping Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil – Adds richness and creates that signature crispy crust.
• Sundried tomatoes in olive oil – Brings a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.
• Fresh rosemary – A fragrant, classic focaccia topping.
• Kalamata olives – A bold, briny contrast.
• Coarse sea salt – Finishing touch for added crunch and flavor.

Recipe Variations

• Garlic herb focaccia – Add roasted garlic and mixed Italian herbs for an aromatic flavor.
• Cheesy focaccia – Sprinkle shredded Parmesan or mozzarella on top before baking.
• Caramelized onion & thyme focaccia – A sweet and savory variation.
• Simple sea salt focaccia – No toppings, just olive oil and flaky sea salt for a minimalist version.

We also love making sandwiches with our Sourdough Sandwich Bread.

Equipment Used in Our Recipe

This recipe is perfect for beginners because technically the only equipment you need is a 9×13 baking pan and most people have one handy in their kitchen! The following list of equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Stand mixer – Makes kneading easy, however you can knead by hand.
• Kitchen scale – Helpful for precise measurements as grams are also listed in recipe ingredients.
• Cooling rack – Helps the sourdough bread cool evenly and retain its crispiness without trapping steam.
• 9×13 baking pan – Provides the perfect shape and thickness for focaccia.

How to Make Sourdough Focaccia

Prepare the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sourdough starter and warm water until mostly dissolved.
2. Add both flours and salt, then mix on low with the dough hook until combined.
3. Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Reduce to low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, then mix on medium for another 3 minutes. 
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 2 hours in a warm, dry place (first rise).

Shape the Dough

1. Coat a 9″x13″ pan generously with cooking spray on the bottom and sides. 
2. Transfer the dough to the baking dish, with damp hands, and gently stretch and press it into a flattened shape without over-stretching.

Bulk Fermentation (long rise)

• Cover with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature for 4 hours. 
• Every 30 minutes, gently stretch the dough toward the pan’s edges with damp hands, allowing it to relax between stretches. 
• Once it reaches the corners of the baking tray, let it rest undisturbed.

Prepare and Bake

4. Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle. 
5. Dimple the top of the dough with wet fingers, pressing almost to the bottom. Drizzle with olive oil, add sundried tomatoes, olives, and rosemary, pressing them about ¼ inch in, and sprinkle with coarse salt. 
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

This sourdough discard focaccia is incredibly versatile! Serve it as a side with soups, salads, or pasta dishes, and use the leftovers to make gourmet sandwiches. It’s also fantastic for dipping into olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or even used in a savory breakfast casserole.

Hosting a gathering? Throw some edible flowers on it and pair it with a charcuterie board and cured meats for an elevated appetizer.

Sourdough Focaccia Recipe FAQs

Other Bread Recipes to Consider…

• Easy Homemade French Bread Recipe
• Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe
• Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
• Banana Bread with Self Rising Flour

If you tried this sourdough focaccia or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!