Craving a crispy, airy, and flavorful focaccia – then you’ll love this recipe! This sourdough focaccia recipe is made with a sourdough starter—perfect for using up your sourdough discard, no yeast required! If you’re making a savory side, sandwich bread, or an appetizer, this sourdough recipe delivers golden, dimpled perfection every time.
This sourdough discard focaccia 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 focaccia pizza 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, 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!
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Why We Love This Sourdough Discard Focaccia
- No yeast needed
If you’ve been wondering how to make focaccia with a starter, we’ve got you covered! The starter naturally ferments the dough, giving it an incredible depth of flavor. - Make it 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 these other discard 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 the 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 and 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 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 Pizza
Prepare the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sourdough starter and warm water until mostly dissolved.
- Add both flours and salt, then mix on low with the dough hook until combined.
- 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.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 2 hours in a warm, dry place (first rise).
Shape the Dough
- Coat a 9″x13″ pan generously with cooking spray on the bottom and sides.
- Transfer the dough to the baking dish. With damp hands, gently stretch and press it into a flattened shape without over-stretching.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Use damp hands – When handling the dough, slightly wet your hands to prevent sticking and make stretching easier.
Bulk Fermentation (long rise)
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it proof at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until you see bubbles forming inside and the dough rises noticeably.
- Every 30 minutes during the first couple of hours, gently stretch the dough toward the edges of the pan using damp hands, allowing it to relax between each stretch. This helps strengthen the dough while keeping it light and airy.
- Once the dough naturally stretches to fill the corners of the baking tray, stop stretching and let it rest undisturbed so it can rise fully and develop flavor.
Prepare and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle.
- Dimple the top of the focaccia dough with wet fingers, pressing almost to the bottom. Drizzle with tablespoons of olive oil, add sundried tomatoes, olives, and rosemary, pressing them about ¼ inch in, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake the sourdough focaccia bread for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before slicing. Serve sourdough focaccia pizza warm or at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
This sourdough discard focaccia is incredibly versatile! Serve it as a side with soups, and salads 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 your sourdough focaccia recipe and pair it with a charcuterie board and cured meats for an elevated appetizer.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Refrigerate for more flavor – For an even deeper sour taste, let the dough rest overnight in the fridge before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Bulk fermentation typically takes 4–6 hours at room temperature, depending on the ambient temperature. Cold-proofing in the fridge can be done overnight for more flavor.
Popular toppings include rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, sea salt, red onions, and caramelized onions. Sweet variations like grapes or figs with honey also work.
This could be due to under-proofing, over-proofing, or insufficient hydration in the dough. Ensure your starter is active and follow proofing guidelines.
Gently press your fingers into the proofed dough, creating deep dimples. Be careful not to deflate the dough.
Traditional focaccia is often made with yeast, but this recipe uses a sourdough starter, which provides a deeper, tangy flavor.
A mature starter and an active sourdough starter are very closely related, but not always exactly the same. A mature starter refers to a sourdough starter that has been consistently fed over time (usually at least 5–7 days) and has developed a strong, stable colony of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria—it’s well-established and ready to use for baking. An active starter, on the other hand, means the starter is currently bubbly, well-fed, and at its peak—typically within 4–6 hours of a feeding. So while a starter can be mature, it’s only active and ready to bake with when it’s at that bubbly, domed stage. In other words, you want your starter to be both mature and active for best baking results!
Other Bread Recipes to Consider…
- Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Recipe
- Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread
- Banana Bread with Self Rising Flour
- Sourdough English Muffin Bread
If you tried this easy sourdough focaccia recipe 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!
Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
Equipment
- baking pan - use a 9"x13" size
- stand mixer
- kitchen scale
- cooling rack
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter (115 grams) discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 2 cups warm water (450 grams)
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour (430 grams) unbleached
- 1½ cups bread flour (180 grams)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (14 grams) plus more for topping
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (12 grams)
- cooking spray
Topping Ingredients
- 6 ounces sundried tomatoes in olive oil
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves separated from stems
- 1 jar Kalamata olives pitted & drained, I use Mezzetta
- 1 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the sourdough starter and warm water until mostly dissolved. Add both flours and salt, then mix on low with the dough hook until combined.
- 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.
- Scrape down the bowl, cover, and let the dough rest for 2 hours in a warm, dry place.
Shape the Dough
- Coat a 9"x13" pan generously with cooking spray on the bottom and sides.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and, with damp hands, 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 -6 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, let it rest undisturbed.
Prepare and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle.
- 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.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- How long should I let the dough ferment? Bulk fermentation typically takes 4–6 hours at room temperature, depending on the ambient temperature. Cold-proofing in the fridge can be done overnight for more flavor.
- Can I use other toppings for my focaccia? Popular toppings include rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, sea salt, red onions, and caramelized onions. Sweet variations like grapes or figs with honey also work.
- Why is my sourdough focaccia dense instead of airy? This could be due to under-proofing, over-proofing, or insufficient hydration in the dough. Ensure your starter is active and follow proofing guidelines.
- How do I get those signature focaccia dimples? Gently press your fingers into the proofed dough, creating deep dimples. Be careful not to deflate the dough.
- Is focaccia sourdough? Traditional focaccia is often made with yeast, but this recipe uses a sourdough starter, which provides a deeper, tangy flavor.
- Is mature starter same with active sourdough starter? A mature starter and an active sourdough starter are very closely related, but not always exactly the same. A mature starter refers to a sourdough starter that has been consistently fed over time (usually at least 5–7 days) and has developed a strong, stable colony of wild yeast and beneficial bacteria—it’s well-established and ready to use for baking. An active starter, on the other hand, means the starter is currently bubbly, well-fed, and at its peak—typically within 4–6 hours of a feeding. So while a starter can be mature, it’s only active and ready to bake with when it’s at that bubbly, domed stage. In other words, you want your starter to be both mature and active for best baking results!
- 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 and thyme focaccia: A sweet and savory variation.
- Simple sea salt focaccia: No toppings, just olive oil and flaky sea salt for a minimalist version.
- Refrigerate for more flavor – For an even deeper sour taste, let the dough rest overnight in the fridge before baking.
- Use damp hands – When handling the dough, slightly wet your hands to prevent sticking and make stretching easier.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: Slice, wrap tightly, and freeze in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven for best results.
- Make-ahead: After bulk fermentation, refrigerate the dough overnight. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Nutrition
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Charlotte says
This was so good! We made homemade sandwiches with the focaccia bread and after trying it this way I’m not sure my family ever wants to go back to normal sandwich breads!