This recipe uses my master dough, but instead of shaping it after the initial two rises, it gets popped into the fridge for an overnight slow ferment and then baked the next morning. The texture and taste are amazing and if you’re new to sourdough there’s very little to be intimidated about here, this is a very forgiving bread! The options for toppings are endless. Keep it simple with some olive oil, rosemary, and salt or go wild with all kinds of veggies! I made a Mediterranean mash-up of Kalamata and Sicilian olives, sun dried tomatoes, rosemary, lemon thyme, and salt.
Ingredients:
About a cup of sourdough starter (I dump out whatever doesn't cling to the jar)
1 cup filtered water
About 2 cups flour
1.5 tsp salt
Olive oil
Toppings
Method:
Dump the sourdough starter into the bowl of a stand mixer
Add water
Turn speed to low
Add 1 cup flour
Now add flour 1/4 cup at a time until a shaggy, sticky dough forms
Let rest for 15 minutes, then add salt and mix to combine
You will see that the dough has more structure after resting
Knead at speed 2 for a few minutes and observe, the dough will be starting to pull from the sides of the bowl but it will not be clean
Put a little olive oil in your hands and rub them together, now gather up the dough with oiled hands
You should be able to form it into a loose ball, if it's way too runny/sticky you can add a little flour
Place dough back in the mixer bowl, cover and let rise one hour
Flour a surface and turn the dough out, this may require some scooping because it will be soft
Flour your hands and form the dough into a rough rectangle, do two sets of stretch and folds, folding the dough like a tri-folded piece of paper, then turning 90 degrees and folding again
Place back in the mixer bowl seam-side down and allow to rise for another hour
After an hour, oil the dish you plan on baking the focaccia in (I used a 9x9 casserole dish)
Place the dough in the dish and gently stretch it to fill the shape of your dish
Place a lid on the dish and pop it into the refrigerator overnight
In the morning, preheat the oven to 425F and remove the dish from the fridge
Drizzle the dough with olive oil and dimple it with your fingers (see video!)
Add toppings and sprinkle with salt
Bake for 25-35 minutes until the top is lightly brown and interior temperature is 190
Remove from the oven
Cool slightly, then remove from the dish
Slice and serve warm with a dish of olive oil & balsamic vinegar sprinkled with salt and herbs for dipping
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