Sourdough Focaccia That Made Me Stop Buying It from the Bakery

I stopped buying focaccia from the bakery the week I nailed this recipe. It's got everything you want—that crispy, dimpled crust, an airy crumb that pulls apart in clouds, and real flavor from a long fermentation. The sourdough starter does the heavy lifting while you go about your day. You'll spend maybe fifteen minutes of actual hands-on time.

By Mother's Country Store | April 2026 | Based on 10,000+ starter activations

TL;DR: Sweet tea in hand, flour on my apron, and the Georgia sun streaming through my kitchen window. That's my happy place, y'all. And today, I'm fixin' to show you how to turn that bubbling jar of

• Prep time: 20 minutes (plus 12-16 hours fermentation)
• Cook time: 25-30 minutes
• Total time: 13-17 hours
• Yield: One 9x13 inch focaccia (serves 8-10)

Sweet tea in hand, flour on my apron, and the Georgia sun streaming through my kitchen window. That's my happy place, y'all. And today, I'm fixin' to show you how to turn that bubbling jar of sourdough starter into the most **divine** focaccia you ever put in your mouth.

Lord have mercy. This ain't your fancy bakery bread. This here's the real deal—the kind that's got history in every bite. The kind that makes your grandbabies come running when that olive oil and rosemary scent hits the air.

Now before we get our hands all floury, lemme tell ya something important. Your sourdough starter is alive as a cricket in July! Treat it nice. If yours is looking a bit under the weather, hop on over to our fix a sluggish sourdough starter guide first. We'll wait right here, sugar.

Watch: delicious ways to use sourdough starter discard.

What Makes Sourdough Focaccia Different From Regular Focaccia?

Sourdough focaccia's got that special tang. That's the wild yeast and friendly bacteria doing their dance, breaking down the flour and creating flavors you just can't get from those store-bought yeast packets. Plus, it's easier to digest—many folks who can't handle regular bread say sourdough sits just fine in their tummies.

Regular focaccia? It's like the cousin who shows up to the family reunion with store-bought potato salad. Fine enough, but missing that special something. Bless its heart.

I've been making this bread since my babies were babies, and lemme tell you what makes it special—*time*. You can't rush good things. That long, slow ferment is where the magic happens.

What Do I Need To Make Sourdough Starter Focaccia?

Not much, honey! That's the beauty of focaccia. You need an active, bubbly sourdough starter, good flour, water, salt, and plenty of olive oil. Don't you dare skimp on that oil! That's what gives focaccia its crispy bottom and those lovely dimples that hold all your toppings.

If you're just getting started with sourdough, check out our sourdough starter for beginners guide. Been at it a while but need a refresher on feeding schedules? Our sourdough starter feeding guide will get you sorted faster than greased lightning.

Now, if you don't have a starter yet or yours has gone to meet its maker, we can help! Our free 288-year-old heritage starter is a 288-year-old live culture that's traveled from my great-great-grandmama's kitchen all the way to yours. Just pay the postage, and this piece of history is all yours.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250g) active sourdough starter
• 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups (300ml) lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
• ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil (plus more for the pan and topping)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Flaky sea salt for topping
• Optional toppings: rosemary, cherry tomatoes, olives, thinly sliced onions, or whatever your heart desires

Equipment

• 9x13 inch baking pan (a cast iron skillet works beautifully too)
• Large mixing bowl
• Clean kitchen towel
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Your fingers (for those perfect dimples!)

How Do I Know If My Sourdough Starter Is Ready For Focaccia?

Your starter should be dancing! If it's doubling in size within 4-6 hours after feeding and full of bubbles, you're good to go. If you drop a spoonful in water and it floats, that's another sure sign your starter's ready to make some magic happen.

I learned this the hard way, bless my heart. First time I made focaccia, my starter was sleepier than my husband after Thanksgiving dinner. That bread came out flatter than a pancake and twice as sad.

Temperature matters more than most folks realize. Your starter should be living somewhere between 70-75°F for best results. Too cold, and it moves slower than molasses in January. Too hot, and it'll burn through its food too quick and collapse before you know it. For more on this, check out our sourdough starter temperature guide.

How Do I Make Sourdough Starter Focaccia Step By Step?

Now we're getting to the good part! Grab your apron and let's make some focaccia that'll have your neighbors inventing reasons to stop by. This here's my no-fail method that's worked for over 50 years of baking.

1. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine your active sourdough starter, lukewarm water, and honey. Stir until the starter dissolves. Add your flour and mix until no dry spots remain. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. This is called the autolyse, which is just a fancy word for "let the flour drink up that water."
2. Add salt and oil: After your dough has rested, sprinkle the salt over the top and drizzle in ¼ cup of olive oil. Use your hands to work these into the dough, squeezing and folding until everything's well combined. It'll be sticky—that's normal, sugar!
3. Bulk fermentation: Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it sit at room temperature for 8-10 hours, or overnight. I like to mix mine up after supper and let it work while I'm dreaming.
4. Prepare your pan: The next morning, pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your baking pan, making sure it coats the bottom and sides real good.
5. Transfer the dough: Your dough should be puffy and full of bubbles by now. With oiled hands, gently scrape it into your prepared pan. Don't worry if it doesn't reach the edges—it'll spread out during the second rise.
6. Second rise: Cover the pan and let the dough rise for another 2-4 hours, until it's puffy and has mostly filled the pan.
7. Preheat your oven: About 30 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
8. Make those dimples: When your dough is ready, drizzle another 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. With oiled fingertips, press deep dimples all over the dough. Don't be shy—press all the way down to the bottom of the pan!
9. Add toppings: Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and any other toppings you fancy. Rosemary's traditional, but I love adding cherry tomatoes and thin lemon slices when summer comes around.
10. Bake: Slide that pan into your preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bottom is crisp.
11. Cool slightly: Let your focaccia cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack. If you can wait that long before slicing in!

One time my sister Earlene came over while I was making focaccia and started telling me about how her neighbor's dog got into her vegetable garden and ate all her prize tomatoes, and I got so caught up in the story that I forgot to dimple my dough! Came out looking like a giant pillow. Still tasted good though, just wasn't right for dipping.

What Are The Most Common Sourdough Focaccia Mistakes?

Listen here, even after fifty-some years of baking, I still make mistakes. We all do! But I'm gonna save you some heartache by telling you what *not* to do with your focaccia.

First off, don't rush the fermentation. That long, slow rise is what builds flavor and creates that perfect texture. Rushing is like trying to get a cat to take a bath—it just ain't gonna work out well for nobody.

Second biggest mistake I see is folks being stingy with the olive oil. This ain't diet food, honey! That oil creates the crispy edges and keeps everything moist inside.

Common Mistake	What Happens	How to Fix It
Not enough olive oil	Dry, pale focaccia without crispy edges	Be generous! Use at least ⅓ cup in the dough and more for the pan and top
Rushing fermentation	Bland flavor, poor texture, less digestible	Give it time—at least 8 hours for the first rise
Weak starter	Dense, flat bread with little rise	Make sure your starter doubles within 4-6 hours after feeding
Skipping the dimples	Uneven rising, fewer pockets for oil and toppings	Press those fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan
Oven too cool	Pale, soft crust and undercooked interior	Preheat to 425°F and use an oven thermometer to check

For more ways to avoid rookie mistakes, check out our sourdough starter mistakes article. Might save your bacon one day!

What Toppings Work Best With Sourdough Focaccia?

Lord have mercy, this is where you can let your creativity shine brighter than the sun on a Georgia peach! Classic focaccia just has olive oil, flaky salt, and maybe some rosemary. But why stop there?

I've tried just about everything over the years. Some worked better than others. That time I tried chocolate chips? Well, let's just say some experiments don't need repeating.

Here are my top 10 favorite focaccia toppings, ranked by how often my family requests them:

1. Rosemary and sea salt - The classic that never gets old
2. Cherry tomatoes and fresh basil - Add the basil after baking
3. Caramelized onions and thyme - Sweet and savory heaven
4. Thinly sliced lemon and rosemary - Bright and zesty
5. Roasted garlic cloves - Pressed into the dimples
6. Olives and feta cheese - Mediterranean magic
7. Thinly sliced potatoes and rosemary - Carbs on carbs? Yes please!
8. Sun-dried tomatoes and oregano - Rich and tangy
9. Roasted red peppers and goat cheese - Add the cheese in the last 5 minutes
10. Fig and honey - With a little blue cheese if you're feeling fancy

Whatever toppings you choose, remember to press them gently into those dimples so they don't fall off when you're serving. Nothing sadder than seeing all your beautiful toppings slide right off onto the plate!

How Do I Store Sourdough Focaccia And Keep It Fresh?

First off, let's be real. In my house, leftover focaccia is about as common as a snowstorm in July. But if you somehow manage to have some left, here's how to keep it tasting almost as good as fresh-baked.

For the first day, you can leave it at room temperature, wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. After that, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It'll keep for about 3 days this way.

Want to keep it longer? Slice that focaccia up and freeze it! Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and pop them in a freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 3 months that way. When you're ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature and then refresh in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.

Here's a little trick my mama taught me. If your focaccia's gone a bit stale, sprinkle it with a little water—just a few drops!—and heat it in a 350°F oven for about 5-7 minutes. Comes back to life like it heard the dinner bell!

Can I Make This Focaccia If I'm New To Sourdough Baking?

Sugar, yes you can! Focaccia is one of the most forgiving sourdough recipes out there. No fancy shaping required, no scoring patterns to master, just mix, wait, dimple, and bake. If you've got a happy starter, you're already halfway there.

I taught my granddaughter to make this when she was just 10 years old. If she can do it with her little hands, you can too!

The only real skill you need is patience, and maybe the ability to read a clock. This ain't fast food—it's slow food, the kind that's been feeding families for generations before anyone ever heard of a microwave dinner. Give yourself grace if your first one ain't perfect. Mine sure wasn't! But I guarantee it'll still taste **better** than anything from the grocery store bakery.

If you're brand new to the sourdough world, you might want to read up on King Arthur Baking sourdough guide for some extra background. They explain the science in a way that makes sense even to us kitchen-wisdom types.

What Makes Sourdough Focaccia Healthier Than Regular Bread?

Now, I ain't no doctor or scientist. But I've been around long enough to know that sourdough has been keeping folks healthy since before modern medicine was a twinkle in anybody's eye.

That long fermentation process? It breaks down something called phytic acid that can make it hard for your body to absorb nutrients. It also pre-digests some of the gluten, which is why some folks who can't handle regular bread do just fine with sourdough.

According to some fancy research I read about in the sourdough fermentation research, the lactic acid bacteria in sourdough create compounds that can help with digestion and might even have other health benefits. Who knew that something that tastes this good could actually be doing your body some favors?

Plus, when you make bread at home, you know exactly what's in it. No preservatives, no dough conditioners, no ingredients you can't pronounce. Just flour, water, salt, and olive oil, transformed by the miracle of fermentation into something that feeds both body and soul.

Tips For Perfect Sourdough Starter Focaccia

• Use a scale if you have one - Measuring by weight is more accurate than cups
• Don't skimp on salt - It brings out all the flavors in your bread
• The wetter the dough, the more open and airy your crumb will be - Don't be afraid of sticky dough
• Cold fermentation is your friend - If you need to delay baking, put your dough in the fridge after the first rise
• Preheat your oven thoroughly - At least 30 minutes before baking
• The pan matters - Metal conducts heat differently than glass or ceramic
• Don't be shy with those dimples - Press all the way to the bottom of the pan
• Let it cool slightly before cutting - But warm focaccia is one of life's great pleasures
• Trust your instincts - Recipes are guidelines, not gospel

FAQ About Sourdough Starter Focaccia

Can I use discard instead of active starter for focaccia?

You can, sugar, but you'll need to add a little commercial yeast to help it rise—about 1 teaspoon. Your bread won't have quite the same flavor depth, but it'll still be mighty tasty and a good way to use up that discard!

And if you skip the 14-day build, get a free established culture by mail — free with just $4.95 shipping.