Julie Clark
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Sourdough Discard Focaccia
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Use up your discard in this fluffy and bubbly sourdough discard focaccia. It has instant yeast so the rise time takes just a few hours instead of overnight.
Sourdough pancakes and sourdough pizza crust are two of our top recipes, but this sourdough focaccia is going to quickly be in your rotation, too. Don’t skimp on the olive oil. It’s what gives the focaccia it’s crispy edges, while the center stays soft and fluffy. Top with your favorite herbs like fresh rosemary and thyme and flaky sea salt.
The No-Knead Sourdough Focaccia That Practically Makes Itself
I started off the year pulling out my sourdough starter and making loaf after loaf of artisan sourdough bread. After a few beautiful loaves I decided it was time to try a new shaped bread. That’s how this sourdough discard focaccia bread came to be!
In the past I’ve been intimated by focaccia after seeing golden brown loaves with olives, cheeses and that lovely fluffy, bubbly texture. What I didn’t realize was just how easy it was! I made an overnight sourdough focaccia recipe with active starter, but then turned it into a discard recipe that used commercial yeast.
It was just as good, but took about ⅓ of the time to make. No overnight rise!
This is a no knead bread recipe. It uses a set of stretch and folds to form dough into the perfect focaccia dough texture. It may seem long, but most of this recipe is a “hands off” time while you let the dough rise and rest.
Use a good quality olive oil since that will add flavor to your crispy bites.
Love this sourdough discard focaccia? Try our cheesy garlic bread, sourdough discard sandwich bread, sourdough waffles, sourdough rolls and sourdough discard pumpkin bread.
Enjoy! -Julie
Ingredients
You do not need an active starter for this sourdough discard focaccia recipe. It can be flat and not bubbly. But if you’re pulling it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature first so it doesn’t affect the rise.
All-purpose flour or bread flour work well. I buy bread flour in bulk, so that’s what I generally use, but all-purpose makes a slightly softer bread.
Instant yeast or active dry yeast will work well. I’ve used both and no matter which I use I sprinkle it over the 115ºF water to allow it to activate.
See the recipe card for full ingredients and amounts of the sourdough discard focaccia.
Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe
Use up your discard in this fluffy and bubbly sourdough discard focaccia. It has instant yeast so the rise time takes just a few hours instead of overnight.
Servings 10
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water 115ºF
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 cup sourdough discard room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Pour the water into a large bowl. The water temperature should be 115ºF. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let rest for 3 minutes. It should be slightly frothy. 1 ¼ cups warm water, 1 packet instant yeast
- Add the honey and sourdough discard to the yeast mixture. Use a whisk to mix. Then add the flour and salt. Mix until a damp, shaggy dough forms. Then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes. 1 tablespoon honey, 1 cup sourdough discard, 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- The dough will be very wet, so have a small bowl of oil or cooking spray nearby to coat your fingertips. Pull up one side of the dough of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it over the top of the dough Turn the bowl slightly and do another stretch out and fold. Continue to do this 12 times around the dough ball, turning the bowl each time to go all the way around. Then turn the dough ball over. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Do this 3 more times with a 15 minute rest in between each stretch and fold (for a total of 4 times). The dough will get a little stretchier each time and not be quite so sticky. After the 4th stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour for the first rise.
- Pour the olive oil into a 9×13" baking pan. (Part way through baking, you'll need to remove the focaccia from the pan and place it directly on the oven racks to continue baking. I use long spatulas to do this, but you can also fold a piece of high temperature parchment paper and place it on the bottom of the pan so you can pull up after baking to remove the bread. If you do this, pour oil on top of the parchment.)
- Place the dough in the prepared pan, then turn the dough over. Stretch it out slightly, but as it does the last rise it will spread and mostly fill the pan. To start the second rise, cover and let the dough rest for 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm place until puffy with a few bubbles on top.
- Heat oven to 475ºF. Place rack second layer from the bottom. Press your fingers into the dough to dimple it. Don't go overboard or all of the bubbles in the dough will pop. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the focaccia from the pan and place directly on the lowest oven rack. Turn off the oven, and let the bread bake for another for 5-7 minutes.
- Let the bread cool slightly on a wire rack. Sprinkle with additional salt and fresh herbs. Serve while it is still warm and crispy. Focaccia is best served the day you make it.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat in a toaster oven or air fryer to get some of the crispiness back.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the bread being cut into 10 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of bread. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 352mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 2mg
How to Make Sourdough Discard Focaccia: Step by Step
Activate the yeast. Pour the water into a large bowl. The water temperature should be 115ºF. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let rest for 3 minutes. It should be slightly frothy.
Make the dough. Add the honey and sourdough discard to the yeast mixture. Use a whisk to mix. Then add the flour and salt. Mix until a damp, shaggy dough forms. Then cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Do 4 sets of stretch and folds. The dough will be very wet, so have a small bowl of oil or cooking spray nearby to coat your fingertips. Pull up one side of the dough of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it over the top of the dough Turn the bowl slightly and do another stretch out and fold. Continue to do this 12 times around the dough ball, turning the bowl each time to go all the way around. Then turn the dough ball over. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Do this 3 more times with a 15 minute rest in between each stretch and fold (for a total of 4 times). After the 4th stretch and fold, cover the bowl and let it rest for 1 hour for the first rise.
Place dough in pan and start second rise. Pour the olive oil into a 9×13″ baking pan. Place the dough in the prepared pan, then turn the dough over. Stretch it out slightly, but as it does the last rise it will spread and mostly fill the pan. Cover and let the dough rest for 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm place until puffy with a few bubbles on top.
Bake the focaccia. Heat oven to 475ºF. Place rack second layer from the bottom. Press your fingers into the dough to lightly dimple it. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the focaccia from the pan and place directly on the lowest oven rack. Turn off the oven, and let the sourdough discard focaccia bake for another for 5-7 minutes. The remove the focaccia and allow it rest on a wire rack.
