Sourdough Focaccia

Ingredients

• 375g lukewarm water
• 100g active starter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 500g bread flour
• 10g salt + 25g lukewarm water
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 20g rosemary twigs, leaves removed and roughly chopped
• 3/4 tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. Pour 375g lukewarm water into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the active starter, then add the honey and flour and mix until no dry flour remains. Cover with a dry tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Add the salt followed by the remaining water and work the salt mix into the dough by squeezing the dough through your fingers and folding it over. Cover again.
3. Every 30 minutes, complete a set of Stretch & Fold with a total of four sets. After the last set, cover and rest once more for 30 minutes.
4. Take a large oven dish (32cm x 25cm x 5cm) and grease with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure to cover the sides as well (you can also cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the dish).
5. Flip the dough into the dish (the side that was facing upwards is now facing downwards) and gently rub over the oil. Flip the dough again and carefully stretch it out to fit the dish. Don’t force it or you might deflate the dough too much. If it doesn’t stretch out easily, let the dough relax for another 10 minutes and try again. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit, but most of the bottom should be covered by the dough. Refrigerate for 14 hours (alternatively, let it proof for around 3 hours at room temperature).
6. Once the time is up, pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and take the dough out of the fridge.
7. When the oven is ready, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the dough and spread it out. With your fingers, press indents into the dough. You can press all the way down to the bottom of the dish, but don’t deflate any of the larger air bubbles that might have formed overnight.
8. Sprinkle over the sea salt flakes, then bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the top.

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Added by: Julius Fiedler