Last Updated on July 10, 2025 by Jamie Saechao

Soft and chewy with delicious herbal flavor, this easy sourdough focaccia bread recipe is surprisingly simple to make. It has a fluffy interior and crispy, buttery crust: so delicious!

Whenever I make this easy focaccia my family gobbles it down immediately. You will need a bubbly, active sourdough starter, bread flour, salt, and olive oil for this recipe.

Fresh rosemary, garlic, and other herbs are optional, but they really enhance the flavor of this delicious dough!

For more delightful sourdough recipes, try this easy sandwich bread, simple bagels, or yummy banana bread.

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Why You’ll Love It

Easy: Focaccia is very beginner-friendly!
Versatile: You can dress this bread up with different toppings, such as flaky sea salt, vegetables, herbs, or garlic powder.
Delicious: With a crispy crust, chewy crumb, and rich sourdough flavor, this bread is irresistible.
Minimal effort: This easy recipe is a hands-off way to bake sourdough.

What Is Focaccia?

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread typically made with strong bread flour and baked in a flat pan. Often sprinkled with aromatic herbs, it’s well known for its bubbly interior and golden brown crust.

Dimples on the top of the dough hold delicious pockets of oil (or butter!).

Technically, this focaccia recipe is an over-fermented version of my simple sourdough bread. The bulk fermentation period is extended by several hours, and we do a second ferment the next day.

Then, we slather the bread with oil and generously dimple the surface. The double fermentation gives this bread a complex depth and flavor.

If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make your starter, feed it, and use your discard. These articles will help you on your sourdough journey.

Equipment

I like to use a digital scale, like this one, to measure my ingredients.
You can use a metal baking sheet or a 9×13 glass baking dish for this recipe. If you use glass, be sure to butter it well before baking, or the bread will stick.

Ingredient Notes

You only need a few simple ingredients to make sourdough focaccia:

Active Sourdough Starter: This recipe needs an active, bubbly starter. After feeding, this typically takes between 6-8 hours at room temperature.
Bread Flour: You can use all-purpose flour, but I usually use bread flour because it has a higher protein content and yields a chewier dough.
Sea Salt
Honey: Honey adds dimension and flavor to the bread.
Olive oil: Olive oil coats the bread and the pan. A generous helping of two to three tablespoons gives the bread its signature flavor and a crisp, delicious crust.
Herbs: Add a variety of herbs, such as rosemary, garlic, basil, and oregano, to the top of the bread.

How To Make Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Mix Dough: In a large bowl, mix the water and active starter. Add the flour, honey, and salt and mix until you have a loose, shaggy dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and sit for 30 minutes.

Stretch + Folds: After 30 minutes (or so), do one set of stretches and folds to help the dough form into a ball. To do this, lift one side of the dough, stretch it out, and fold it back over itself. Work your way around the dough. I usually stretch and fold the dough about 6-8 times.

sourdough focaccia ingredients in a bowl: honey, flour, salt, and sourdough starter

Bulk Rise: Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot for about 12 hours until it doubles or triples in size. My kitchen is kept at 70 degrees, and I let the dough ferment for 12-13 hours.

When it comes to fermentation times, temperature matters! The warmer your kitchen environment, the faster the dough will rise. The slower the temp, the longer it will take to rise. Please use the timeline as a general guide, but keep an eye on your dough.

Second Rise: The next day, generously add two to three tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Using wet hands, dump the fermented dough into the baking pan.

Flip the dough over a few times and gently shape it into a rough rectangle, covering it with oil as you go. Allow it to rest for 2 hours or until it is double in size and puffy. The dough will feel wet and loose. Loosely cover the dough and allow it to rest.

sourdough focaccia bread rising in a baking dish

If you are using a baking pan, like I am, the dough will spread out and almost fill the pan as it rises.

Dimple The Dough: When ready, use your fingertips to dimple the dough. I like to push my fingertips all the way to the bottom of the pan, which helps the dough spread out.

Use your fingertips to press the dough into a rectangle. If you’re using a pan, you can gently push the dough to fill out the corners of the pan.

sourdough focaccia in a baking dish that has been dimpled and covered with olive oil

sourdough focaccia in a baking dish that has been dimpled and covered with herbs

Add Herbs: Add garlic, rosemary, sea salt, or basil to the top of the dough. Push the herbs down into the dough to secure them (they will pop off if not).

Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The top of the focaccia dough will be golden brown, and the bottom will be crisp.

Let the dough rest for thirty minutes before slicing. Allowing the dough to cool will improve the texture of the bread.

Recipe Notes + Tips

Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil (not light)
If using a glass pan, grease it with butter before baking. The butter will prevent the dough from sticking!
Do not worry about over-fermenting the dough- if it goes a little longer, it will just be puffier
Temperature matters! This recipe is based off a kitchen temperature of 70-71 degrees. If your kitchen is warmer, the dough will ferment faster. If it is cooler, it will take longer.
Add a drizzle of olive oil over the top before baking for an extra crispy, delicious focaccia!
Use a dough scraper to help remove the dough from the sides of bowl.

Baking Timeline

Here is the basic baking timeline I use for this focaccia recipe:

8 pm: Mix the dough and cover.
8:30 pm: one set of stretch and folds, shape dough, cover and let rise (bulk fermentation, or rise time).
10:00 am: Transfer dough to baking sheet lined with olive oil. (Second Rise)
1:00 pm: Bake

Storage

Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To freeze leftovers, slice and wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for 1-2 months.