Overnight Sourdough Focaccia

Name: Overnight Sourdough Focaccia
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 13 h
Yield: 1 pan (serves 8–10)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400 gram warm water around 80°F; 100 gram active sourdough starter fed 4–8 hours ago; 60 milliliter extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the pan; 500 gram bread flour; 10 gram fine sea salt; 1 teaspoon flaky salt for topping; 4 piece fresh rosemary sprigs optional

by Leanna's Tiny Bakery 5.0

Plan ahead — needs about 12.3 hrs extra

Hands-on time is short; just leave room for the 12.3 hrs of hands-off time to do the work.

45 minActive12.3 hrsHands-off

20 min
Prep: 13 hrs
Ready in: 1
Servings: Medium
Level

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, sourdough starter, and olive oil. Add flour and salt and mix until no dry flour remains — a stiff, shaggy dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold

Perform 4 sets of stretch-and-folds over 2 hours: grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, fold it over. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat four times per set. Every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
Cold proof overnight

Generously oil a 9×13-inch baking pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and fold it over itself a few times to build surface tension. Drizzle the top with olive oil, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8–16 hours.
Dimple and bake

Remove from fridge and let the dough come to room temperature for 1 hour. It should spread to fill the pan. Preheat oven to 450°F. Drizzle with more olive oil, then dimple aggressively with all your fingers — deep dimples. Top with flaky salt and rosemary. Bake 22–28 minutes until deeply golden on top and crisp underneath.

Ingredients

Batch

Units

Steps

Tips

Oil is not optional. A well-oiled pan is what gives focaccia its crisp, almost-fried bottom.
Dimple deep. Shallow dimples puff back up. Push to the bottom of the pan.
If it's not golden, it's not done. The colour is the cue, not the timer.