SAME-DAY HERITAGE SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA

Feed Your SOURDOUGH Culture

The evening before, combine 20 g Heritage Organic Sourdough Culture with 100 g filtered water in a glass jar. Stir until combined, then add 100 g bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains.

Loosely cover and leave at room temperature overnight, approximately 10–12 hours at 68–75°F.

Your culture is ready when it has risen significantly, looks active and bubbly, and has a domed or slightly flattened surface.

Mix the Dough

In the morning, combine 390 g warm filtered water, 200 g active Heritage Organic Sourdough Culture, 15 g Oliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and 10 g sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Add the 500 g bread flour and 10 g Trapani Fine Sea Salt.

Mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be very wet and sticky.

Cover and let rest for 30–40 minutes.

Stretch & Fold

Using wet hands or a wet bowl scraper, gently lift one side of the dough and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat from all four sides.

Complete 3 rounds of stretch and folds, spacing them approximately 30–45 minutes apart.

Keep the dough covered between rounds.

Coil Folds

Beginning approximately 30–40 minutes after your final stretch and fold, perform 4 rounds of coil folds, approximately 30 minutes apart.

With wet hands, slide your hands underneath the center of the dough and gently lift. Allow the ends of the dough to fold underneath themselves.

Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat.

The dough should gradually become smoother, stronger, and more elastic as you work through the folds.

Finish Bulk Fermentation

Continue allowing the dough to ferment in a warm spot, ideally around 80°F.

Bulk fermentation begins when the dough is first mixed.

The dough is ready when it has approximately doubled in volume, feels light and aerated, and is visibly filled with bubbles.

At around 80°F, this may take approximately 5½–6 hours total, but the dough—not the clock—is your best guide.

Transfer to the Pan

Pour 10 g Oliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a 9 × 12-inch rectangular pan. Rub the oil generously over the bottom and sides.

Gently transfer the dough into the pan..

Turn the dough once so that the oiled, smoother surface is facing upward.

Do not dimple the dough yet.

Gently stretch the dough toward the corners of the dish. If it resists or springs back, let it rest for 10–15 minutes, then gently stretch again.

Cover and return to a warm spot for the final proof.

Final Proof

Allow the dough to proof for approximately 2–3 hours, or until it is exceptionally puffy and has increased in volume by roughly 50%.

You should see bubbles developing beneath the surface.

Dimple & Finish

When the dough is ready to bake, drizzle the remaining 30 g Oliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil and 30 g filtered water evenly over the surface.

Generously scatter Salina Mediterranean Sea Salt Flakes over the surface.

Using your fingertips, gently press deeply into the dough, all the way to the bottom of the dish, creating the characteristic focaccia dimples.

Don't be shy with the dimpling—this is where the olive oil and water settle into those beautiful pockets.

Bake

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Preheat to 500°F using conventional heat.

Place the focaccia in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 450°F.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through, until the focaccia is deeply golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205–210°F.

Cool

Allow the focaccia to rest in the dish for 5 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.

Let it cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This allows the interior crumb to finish setting while preserving that beautiful open texture.

Notes

Pan Material

My preferred pan: I bake this focaccia in my Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware Rectangular Dish. I generously coat the dish with Oliva Extra Virgin Olive Oil before adding the dough, which helps create beautifully golden edges and a crisp, olive-oil-rich bottom.

Choose a High-Protein Flour

A high-protein bread flour gives this focaccia the structure it needs for its wonderfully airy, open crumb.

Keep Your Tools Wet

This is a very wet dough, and that's exactly what you want. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and re-wet your bowl scraper and hands throughout the folding process. Resist the temptation to add extra flour.

Enjoy It Fresh

Focaccia is at its best on the day it's baked, when the crust is crisp and the interior is soft and airy. Store leftovers airtight and enjoy within 2–3 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze. Reheat from frozen or thawed until warmed through and crisp.