{"id":4698,"date":"2026-05-10T21:15:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/?p=4698"},"modified":"2026-05-10T21:15:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T21:15:56","slug":"sourdough-focaccia-with-olive-oil-and-herbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/10\/sourdough-focaccia-with-olive-oil-and-herbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Sourdough Focaccia with Olive Oil and Herbs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Sourdough Focaccia with Olive Oil and Herbs<\/h1>\n<p>Golden, airy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside \u2014 this homemade sourdough focaccia is packed with rich olive oil flavor and fresh herbs. Perfect as a side dish, sandwich bread, or dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Inspired by classic Italian focaccia techniques and sourdough baking methods.<\/p>\n<h2>Ingredients<\/h2>\n<h3>For the Dough<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>500g bread flour<\/li>\n<li>100g active sourdough starter<\/li>\n<li>400ml lukewarm water<\/li>\n<li>10g salt<\/li>\n<li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>For the Topping<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>4 tbsp olive oil<\/li>\n<li>Fresh rosemary<\/li>\n<li>Fresh thyme or oregano<\/li>\n<li>Flaky sea salt<\/li>\n<li>Optional: sliced olives, garlic, cherry tomatoes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Instructions<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Mix the Dough<\/h3>\n<p>In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter and water until mostly dissolved. Add the flour and salt, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue mixing until fully incorporated.<\/p>\n<p>Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Stretch and Fold<\/h3>\n<p>Perform a set of stretch-and-folds by pulling one side of the dough upward and folding it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat 4 times.<\/p>\n<p>Cover and rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3\u20134 times. The dough will gradually become smoother and more elastic.<\/p>\n<h3>3. First Rise<\/h3>\n<p>Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 4\u20136 hours, or until puffy and doubled in size.<\/p>\n<p>For extra flavor, refrigerate overnight after the first rise.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Prepare the Pan<\/h3>\n<p>Generously coat a baking tray or rectangular pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough into the pan and gently stretch it toward the edges.<\/p>\n<p>Cover and let it proof again for 1\u20132 hours until bubbly and airy.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Add Toppings<\/h3>\n<p>Preheat the oven to 220\u00b0C (425\u00b0F).<\/p>\n<p>Drizzle more olive oil over the dough. Using oiled fingers, press deep dimples all over the surface.<\/p>\n<p>Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, flaky salt, and any optional toppings like olives or garlic.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Bake<\/h3>\n<p>Bake for 25\u201330 minutes until deeply golden brown and crisp on top.<\/p>\n<p>Remove from the oven and brush lightly with olive oil while warm for extra flavor and shine.<\/p>\n<h2>Tips for the Best Sourdough Focaccia<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Use a very active starter for the fluffiest texture.<\/li>\n<li>Olive oil is essential for the crispy crust and soft interior.<\/li>\n<li>Overnight fermentation creates deeper sourdough flavor.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t skip dimpling the dough \u2014 it helps trap olive oil and creates the classic focaccia look.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Serving Ideas<\/h2>\n<p>Serve warm with:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Olive oil and balsamic vinegar<\/li>\n<li>Soup or pasta<\/li>\n<li>Sandwich fillings<\/li>\n<li>Cheese boards and appetizers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fresh focaccia tastes best the same day but can be reheated beautifully in the oven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sourdough Focaccia with Olive Oil and Herbs Golden, airy, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside \u2014 this&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4698"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4700,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4698\/revisions\/4700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/recipes.ukbiddingdirectory.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}