High Altitude Sourdough Focaccia. All the flavor of your favorite sourdough loaf, with magical oil-crisped, salty edges and a puffy, soft interior, loaded with flavorful toppings. And bonus! Unlike a standard sourdough loaf, you can make this in one day.
Warning: top off your sourdough starter, because once you make this you’re going to want more immediately. A friend stopped by recently as I took a fresh pan out of the oven and we couldn’t stop ourselves from devouring almost the entire thing, along with a bottle of rosé (a pretty great dinner, actually).
The Dough
We start with active sourdough starter. This is not a recipe for your discard! You want your starter freshly fed, bubbly, and light.
To the starter, we add room-temperature water, a little olive oil, some salt, and regular all-purpose flour. You can mix in a bit of other kinds of flours such as whole wheat and spelt if you like, but be wary of adding too much of any whole-grain variety, as it can affect the bread’s texture. We want it light and fluffy!
If you’re accustomed to working with sourdough bread dough, you’ll notice right away that this is a much wetter dough – almost a cross between a dough and a batter. You’ll have to handle it much less than a loaf of bread, though. There are a few rounds of pulling and stretching, but no fussy shaping of loaves or scoring.
Bulk Fermentation
Bulk fermentation – where the dough begins to develop strength and flavor – takes about four hours total. During the first two hours, you’ll do four sets of stretch-and-folds (with 30 minute breaks in between each), then allow the dough to rest undisturbed for the remainder of the bulk ferment.
I get a lot of questions about what a proper stretch-and-fold looks like, so here’s a visual. You literally scoop up dough from one side of your bowl, pull it up and maybe give it a little shake, and then fold it inward on itself. Repeat this four times, turning your bowl a quarter-turn each time. That’s one “set” and it’s essential to developing gluten and structure in your focaccia.
Prepping the Dough
Once your dough has completed the bulk ferment stage, you’ll transfer it to an oiled pan. I use a 9x13x2″ baking pan but you can also use a rimmed jelly roll/quarter pan baking sheet. Be sure to oil the pan well (at least 2-3 TB) and turn the dough over to coat it with the oil. This is key to getting those deliciously crispy edges!
To have an even-edged, rectangular loaf, you’ll want to stretch the dough to the edges of the pan, but do so gently. Your dough will have become more elastic during its bulk ferment and may resist stretching. If it bounces back toward the middle, it needs more time. It’s very likely you’ll need to let the dough relax a few times as you gently coax it toward the pan edges. It usually takes me about 20-30 minutes.
At this point, you have a timing choice: 1) proceed with the final steps to bake your focaccia (an additional 3-ish hours), or 2) let the dough ferment and rise in the refrigerator several hours or overnight. I often choose #2 just because of time considerations, and also because time equals flavor with sourdough. If you choose #2, just make sure you take your dough out of the fridge at least two hours before proceeding to the next step. It’s got to come up to room temp before the next step. Okay? Okay.
Poking, Brining, and Topping
In this step it becomes clear we’re in the realm of focaccia. What makes focaccia distinctive, besides that deliciously crispy crust? The craggy dimples and dents dotting its top. Those are magic little divots, because they collect delicious little pools of olive oil and serve as cozy nests for whatever toppings you want to tuck into them. To get them, first make sure your dough is at room temperature and looks nice and fluffy. Then simply dip your fingers in a bit of olive oil and poke them all over the dough, being sure to reach all the way down to the bottom of the pan.
I watched Samin Nosrat’s Netflix show Fat Salt Acid Heat (the book that inspired it is also wonderful) and in the Italy episode she visits Liguria, the motherland of focaccia. A local baker instructs her to use only her three middle fingers to poke the dimples. Maybe because your pinky and thumb are odd-sized? I don’t know, but I tried it his way just in case. It worked just fine, but I think it’s also fine to use all your fingers.
Final Proof
With your dough well-poked, it’s time to pour on a simple brine of salt and water. This is another trick from Fat Salt Acid Heat and one I haven’t seen in other sourdough focaccia recipes. But I think it works particularly well at altitude because the brine not only seasons the bread, but provides an extra layer of moisture. Even though it might feel weird to pour salt water all over your dough, trust that it will not make your dough soggy. Pour the brine on, loosely cover the pan, and allow the dough to rise an additional two hours. Avoid any additional poking or handling of the dough immediately after adding the brine. Otherwise you’ll gum up the dough and disturb the pretty dimples.
About thirty minutes before the final rise is up, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it on the middle rack (if you don’t, Nosrat recommends placing an inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack to help deflect some of the heat).
The final rise is complete when your dough is puffy and maybe has developed a few bubbles here and there. At this point, brush or drizzle the top of the dough with more olive oil and gently tuck your toppings into the puffy divots (some ideas: halved cherry tomatoes, whole pitted olives, bits of sausage, chunks of creamy feta, marinated mushrooms, caramelized onions, artichoke hearts, little dollops of pesto and parmesan, a scattering of fresh herbs). Of course, it should go without saying that if you’d rather have the purist’s version, you don’t have to add any toppings at all.
Either way, sprinkle the top generously with flaky sea salt.
Bake
Make sure you bake it long enough! You want it really crisp and golden brown, top and bottom. This is a particularly wet dough and it takes longer than yeast-based focaccia to cook through. I generally check mine at 40 minutes (using a spatula to gently lift it and peek at the bottom), and if it’s not robustly brown and crisp-looking, I’ll give it another 5-7 mins.
Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack so the bottom doesn’t get soggy. Feel free to slice the bread’s while it’s still warm – that is 100 percent when it is best. And then get ready to make another one to replace the one you just ate.
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High Altitude Sourdough Focaccia
- Prep Time: 7+ hours (including rising time)
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 52 minute
- Yield: 1 9×12″ pan 1x
Description
Like pizza, but better! This Savory High Altitude Sourdough Focaccia features the tang of sourdough with deliciously crispy edges, a fluffy interior, and loads of tasty toppings tucked into the bread’s signature dimples.
Ingredients
150 grams (about 2/3 cup) active sourdough starter
450 grams (about 3 cups) all-purpose flour (or flour mix of your choice*)
350 ml (1 1/2 cups) water, room temperature
9 grams (about 2 tsp) kosher salt
1 TB extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the pan and drizzling the dough
Brine: 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt dissolved in 1/3 cup water
Optional toppings: fresh herbs, sliced cherry tomatoes, crumbled sausage, grated cheese, olives, etc.
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, combine sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and salt and whisk until uniform.
2. Stir in flour until thoroughly incorporated. The batter will be quite wet and sticky; almost a cross between dough and batter.
3. Bulk fermentation: Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, then perform a set of “stretch-and-folds,” lifting one side of the dough toward you and folding it back in over itself, then turning the bowl a quarter-turn and repeating this process three more times.* Re-cover the bowl and return it to its resting spot. Over the next two hours, repeat this process three more times, with 30 minutes in between each stretch-and-fold session. After the last one, allow the dough to rest for an additional two hours at room temperature (a total of four hours of bulk fermenting).
4. Coat the bottom of a 9x13x2″ baking pan, or a jelly roll-sized baking sheet, generously with 2-3 TB olive oil. Don’t be shy with the oil; it may pool on the edges and that’s okay. It’s what gives the focaccia its trademark crispy edges.
5. Transfer the dough to the oiled pan and flip it to ensure both side are coated with oil. Gently press it toward the edges of the pan, being careful not to deflate it too much. If the dough springs back to the middle, allow it to rest in the pan and try again in a few minutes. It might take several rounds of this for the dough to relax enough to reach the edges of the pan; be patient! It generally takes me about 30 minutes.
6. At this point, you can proceed to the next step, or cover the dough in the pan and refrigerate it several hours or overnight. This will dramatically slow the rise and further develop the flavor. If you do refrigerate the dough, be sure to allow enough time (2+ hours) to bring it back to room temperature before proceeding. The dough should expand by about one-third of its original size.
7. Dip your fingers in olive oil and poke them all over the top, reaching all the way to the bottom of the pan, to create the focaccia’s signature dimpled appearance. If you haven’t yet mixed the brine, do so now, and pour it all over the dough (don’t worry, it will eventually be absorbed). Cover the dough loosely with a tea towel and allow to rise an additional 2 hours (this is its final proof).
7. About 30 minutes before the final proof is complete, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. If you have a baking stone, place it on the middle rack of your oven. If not, invert a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
8. If you’re adding toppings (olives, tomatoes, sausage, etc), gently press them into the indentations throughout the dough. It’s okay if there’s still a little water on top. Drizzle or brush the dough with more (about 2-3 TB) of olive oil, then sprinkle the top liberally with flaky sea salt and any fresh herbs you wish to add.
9. Place your baking pan atop the pizza stone and bake for 40 minutes. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, carefully check the bottom of the bread. You’re looking for a crisp, deep golden brown color on top and bottom. If the bottom is still pale, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
10. Allow to cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a baking rack to keep the bottom crust crisp. Cut into slices or squares and serve warm.
Leftover bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored in an airtight container. To re-crisp the bread, wrap it loosely in foil and heat for 10-15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Notes
… I’d recommend limiting whole grain flours to no more than 50 grams total to avoid affecting the focaccia’s fluffy texture.
… see the post notes for instructions and photos of the stretch-and-fold process.
I can’t wait!!!!🤤
You’re gonna love it, I predict. 🙂
This is sooooo good!! Could have ate the entire loaf 😆 And love how pretty it is – definitely one to impress and will be making it for family and friends.
Really glad you love it, Megan! We regularly eat the entire pan in one sitting – no shame there. 🙂
Beautiful & delicious Thanks for a great high altitude recipe, Robyn!
Thanks, and you are very welcome!
I loved the sourdough and French bread. Wonderful texture and flavor of the crumb. Do you think the French bread recipe can be used for baguettes?
However I tried the focaccia recipe (followed the recipe to the letter) and I think the bread rose too much. There were very large bubbles on the surface, the bread has a texture like a regular loaf of bread, and the bread stuck to the pan and was a challenge to release. It tastes great though. I live in Cheyenne at 6000+ feet.
Do you have any suggestions?
Eric
Rise times for the focaccia vary according to the temperature of the environment and how active your starter is. Definitely go by what you’re seeing in the pan versus the clock! Sounds like yours was a bit over-proofed. If the dough has risen to an inch or so below the top of your pan and seems light and airy, it’s probably ready to bake. As for sticking, you really need to add a lot (several tablespoons) of olive oil to the pan before putting the dough in. It may seem like a lot but it’s key to getting that light, crispy crust and an easy release from the pan.
And yes, you can definitely shape my French bread into baguettes!
Thank you for the recommendations. I will let you know how the next batch comes out.
After months of successful sourdough bread-making, I thought I’d branch out. My first focaccia attempt didn’t rise much…maybe the starter needed more oomph that day. I tried again but ran into weird science! I combined the starter, water, oil, and salt, as directed, and ended up with weird, rubbery curds in my bowl. Tossed it and tried again. Same thing. Luckily, I had a TON of starter to play with! I discovered that the slime showed up when I added the salt. I stopped the experiment.
Trying again today. This time, I mixed the salt into the flour. No curds. Yay! Good rise all the way through but now, in the pa, it still seems a little flat but into the oven it goes!
Hmm, not sure why your dough would separate like that, but I’m glad you found a solution!
I also love in Colorado and finally found this recipe after attempting others and not getting a decent rise. I rarely read reviews but this was so good that o had to come and tell you so. I was dubious about pouring salt water on dough that had taken me two days to make so I just brushed the brine on with a pastry brush. It was perfectly fine. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe for those of us elevation challenged bakers.
Oh my gosh, the spell checker on this was crap. I rarely *write reviews and I *live in Colorado. 😀
Unreal good – trust the process and impress yourself that you made this! I also was scared to do the brine but I tried it with the thought that it’s all a learning process and WOW so good my husband doesn’t care for bread (freak of nature I know) but even he couldn’t stop eating it. Making it again tonight and forever this is amazing THANK YOU for sharing your wonderful recipe!!
OMG!!!! This recipe is absolutely AWESOME!!! We live in Hartsel, CO also at 9500 ft and I tried your recipe for the focaccia today after letting it proof in the refrigerator overnight following your instructions to the letter. Can’t wait to have it with our dinner tonight. Thank you for all of your high altitude tips ad recipes. I’ll b3 making many more in the future.