Sourdough Discard Focaccia with Roasted Vegetables and Herbs Recipe
Introduction
This sourdough discard focaccia is a delicious way to use up extra starter while creating a soft, flavorful bread. It’s crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and perfect for customizing with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 452 grams water
- 7 grams instant yeast (1 packet)
- 42 grams honey (or cane sugar)
- 170 grams sourdough discard
- 540 grams bread flour
- 90 grams whole wheat flour
- 12 grams salt
- 56 grams olive oil (plus extra for greasing and topping)
- 7 grams flaky sea salt
- Tomatoes, sliced (optional)
- Fresh rosemary (optional)
- Onions, sliced (optional)
- Ground pistachios (optional)
- Lemons, sliced (optional)
- Olives (optional)
- Ground pepper (optional)
- Garlic (optional)
- Grapes (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1: Mix the water, instant yeast, honey, and sourdough discard in a large bowl until no traces of discard remain.
- Step 2: Fold in the bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until all of the flour is hydrated.
- Step 3: Knead the olive oil into the dough until it is absorbed. The dough will gradually feel less greasy as it soaks in the oil.
- Step 4: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.
- Step 5: Perform one set of stretch and folds. To do this, with dough in the bowl, pick up the side closest to you using your fingertips, stretch the dough out without tearing, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat three more times.
- Step 6: Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm place for another 15 minutes.
- Step 7: Perform a second set of stretch and folds. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap.
- Step 8: Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume and bubbly, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Step 9: Line two 9×13 inch baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Coat the bottom of each sheet with about 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of olive oil. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). For one large focaccia, use 28 grams of olive oil to coat the pan.
- Step 10: Divide the dough into two portions and transfer each to a prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Step 11: After resting, stretch each dough portion to the edges of the pan. Cover again and let rise for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
- Step 12: Working with one dough portion at a time, pour about 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of olive oil over the dough and spread it with your palm. Using your fingertips, dimple the dough all over until flat.
- Step 13: Sprinkle flaky sea salt and arrange your desired toppings on the dough. Repeat for the other portion.
- Step 14: Bake the focaccias in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Step 15: Transfer the baked focaccia to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Allow more cooling time if using for sandwiches.
Tips & Variations
- For a more flavorful crust, use flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary as toppings.
- Customize your focaccia with vegetables like onions, tomatoes, olives, or even grapes and pistachios for a unique twist.
- Use whole wheat or bread flour variations to change the texture and flavor.
- Make sure not to over-stretch the dough during fold and stretch steps to keep gluten structure intact.
Storage
This focaccia tastes best the day it’s baked but will keep well for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. If you have added toppings, refrigerate leftover slices in an airtight container. Reheat by warming in a preheated oven to restore crispness.
How to Serve
Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.
FAQs
Can I make this focaccia without instant yeast?
The instant yeast helps speed up the rise and create a light texture. You can omit it and rely solely on the sourdough discard, but the rising times will be longer and the texture may be denser.
What kind of sourdough discard should I use?
Use discard that hasn’t been fed recently, ideally room temperature and ready to be used. It can be from any flour type, but regular wheat-based starter works best for this recipe.
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Sourdough Discard Focaccia with Roasted Vegetables and Herbs Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: Two 9x13 inch focaccias or one large focaccia 1x
Description
This Sourdough Discard Focaccia recipe transforms leftover sourdough starter into a delicious, flavorful Italian flatbread. Featuring a mix of bread and whole wheat flours, olive oil for richness, and a variety of topping options like tomatoes, rosemary, olives, and more, this focaccia is wonderfully soft, golden-brown, and perfect for sandwiches or as a side.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 452 grams water
- 7 grams instant yeast (1 packet)
- 42 grams honey (or cane sugar)
- 170 grams sourdough discard
- 540 grams bread flour
- 90 grams whole wheat flour
- 12 grams salt
- 56 grams olive oil (for kneading)
Topping and Baking
- 56 grams olive oil (plus additional 28 grams for coating pans and 14 grams per dough portion for topping)
- 7 grams flaky sea salt
- Tomatoes (sliced, optional)
- Fresh rosemary (optional)
- Onions (sliced, optional)
- Ground pistachios (optional)
- Lemons (sliced, optional)
- Olives (optional)
- Ground pepper (optional)
- Garlic (optional)
- Grapes (optional)
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine water, instant yeast, honey, and sourdough discard. Mix thoroughly until the discard is fully incorporated.
- Add flours and salt: Fold in bread flour, whole wheat flour, and salt using a wooden spoon or your hands until all flour is hydrated and a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead in olive oil: Incorporate 56 grams of olive oil into the dough by kneading until absorbed and the dough feels less greasy.
- First rest: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #1: Perform one set of stretch and folds by stretching the dough from the side closest to you and folding it over itself; rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3 more times.
- Second rest: Cover the bowl again and let rest for another 15 minutes.
- Stretch and fold #2: Perform a second set of stretch and folds as in the previous step, then cover with plastic wrap.
- First rise: Allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume and bubbly, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Prepare pans: Line two 9×13 inch baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Coat the bottom with about 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of olive oil each. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). For one large focaccia, coat with 28 grams of olive oil instead.
- Divide and rest: Divide the dough into two portions and transfer each onto prepared pans. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.
- Stretch dough: After resting, stretch each dough portion out to the edges of the pan. Cover and let rise until bubbly, about 20 minutes.
- Assemble and top: Drizzle about 1 tablespoon (14 grams) olive oil over each dough portion and spread evenly using palm. Dimple the dough thoroughly with your fingertips until flat. Sprinkle flaky sea salt and add preferred toppings.
- Bake: Place pans in the preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes or until focaccia is golden brown.
- Cool: Transfer focaccia to a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes before slicing or using for sandwiches.
- Store: Best enjoyed the day of baking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate any leftover slices with toppings.
Notes
- Use sourdough discard to reduce waste and add tangy flavor to the focaccia.
- The recipe supports a variety of topping options – customize with whatever you prefer from fresh herbs to sliced vegetables or nuts.
- Stretch and fold technique helps develop gluten and improve dough structure without intensive kneading.
- Maintaining a warm environment speeds fermentation times during rests and rises.
- For a larger focaccia, bake on a single large pan with increased olive oil as specified.
- Store focaccia wrapped well to retain moisture, especially if topped with ingredients prone to spoilage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: sourdough discard, focaccia, bread, Italian bread, leftover starter recipe, easy focaccia, homemade bread
