Here’s how to make crispy, golden brown sourdough focaccia at home in a cast iron skillet! This recipe is perfect for all sourdough bread bakers, and includes all of the tips you need to get that irresistible crispy on the outside, soft on the inside sourdough crumb.

WHY I MADE THIS SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA IN A CAST IRON SKILLET

My Sourdough Focaccia recipe is one of my most popular recipes of all time, but the truth is I haven’t baked a loaf of sourdough bread in a minute, and my starter was looking a little lonely…

So, I thought it was high time I make another sourdough bread recipe for you all. Except, this time I’m going to make my sourdough focaccia even better by baking it in a cast iron skillet, because the beauty of baking in cast iron is that you get so many yummy, crispy edges on all corner of the bread. Yum!

The result was better than what I expected, but it wasn’t an easy road to get there.

To be completely honest, this recipe took me a total of four attempts to get just right. For some reason (reasons that I know now) my first three sourdough focaccias came out super flat, dense, and gummy. It wasn’t the soft, fluffy, tender bread of my dreams that I’m used to baking.

But I wasn’t going to give up just yet, because I was craving some bread and I wasn’t going to let a few misfires get in between me and the sourdough focaccia recipe of my dreams.

I think the reason why my fourth attempt turned out so perfectly is simply because by that point, my sourdough starter was being fed on a regular schedule thanks to all my bread baking. So by attempt number four, my starter was super strong, bubbly, and active right before I used it, which is key to getting a good rise and texture in any sourdough recipe.

I also added in a touch of honey and olive oil to the dough to make this bread super soft and tender, and to make it a true focaccia. I mean yes, you could just dump any sourdough loaf in a pan, dimple it all over and call it it focaccia but true focaccia is different than regular bread. It has a higher hydration which makes it softer and bouncier, and part of that is thanks to adding honey and olive oil to the mixture.

I can’t wait for you all to give this recipe a try! It’s one of my favorites to make year round, so I know this will become a regular in your home as much as it is in mine!

MY SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA RECIPE

If this is your first time making sourdough, buckle up.

If you’re experienced with making focaccia, then you should buckle up, too!

We’re going to combine the techniques used for both sourdough bread baking and focaccia bread making for this recipe. It really is the best of both worlds, which comes with its pros and cons, of course.

The pros: this sourdough focaccia is spectacular. It’s got a soft, chewy inside and a crispy, golden brown outside while also having that classic tangy taste that one can only get from sourdough. Few things in life are better than that!

The cons: this bread recipe takes a while to make. About two days, to be exact. The majority of that time, of course, is just the dough resting, but still. I get it. You want sourdough focaccia, and you want it now.

The biggest downside to making sourdough anything is that it requires patience. But the result will be worth it, trust me! The full recipe for this bread is below, but here’s an overview of it.

Sourdough Focaccia: Day One

• Pour the sourdough starter and water into a large bowl, and whisk until the starter is fully dissolved.
• Add the flour and the salt, and use a spoon to lightly mix everything together.
• After 30 minutes, grab a corner of the dough, stretch it up and away from the bowl, and fold it over to the other side. Turn the bowl 90 degrees, and repeat the stretch-and-fold about 6 more times.
• Rest for 30 more minutes, and then repeat with a second set of stretch and folds.
• Loosely cover the bowl with a towel and rest the dough at room temperature until doubled in size.
• After the dough has doubled in size, rest it in the fridge overnight.

Sourdough Focaccia: Day Two

• The next day, drizzle a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Transfer the dough, upside down, into the baking pan.
• Gently pick up the bottom of the dough, pull it away from the pan, and fold it halfway on top of the dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough, so you have a nicely packed rectangle.
• Roll the dough over on top of itself, liking rolling a towel, so that the bottom is now the top.
• Rest at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Dimple the top of the dough all over with your fingers, poking through to the bottom of the pan, until the surface is covered in holes and there’s lots of air bubbles.
• Bake the sourdough focaccia for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and delicious.

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA KEY INGREDIENTS

The full ingredients list is in the recipe card below, so make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see what you need to make this recipe!

Here is a quick overview of what you need to make this cast iron skillet sourdough focaccia at home:

• Sourdough Starter: This is the natural leaven that we use for this recipe. Think of sourdough starter as nature’s active yeast! My sourdough starter has 100% hydration (which means I feed it with equal parts water and flour regularly). Depending on the hydration of your starter, you may need more or less water for this recipe. That may require a bit of testing and learning on your own, but the below recipe will work great for 100% hydration sourdough starters.
• Water: Will serve as the hydration for this sourdough focaccia recipe.
• Bread flour: Is my preferred flour for both sourdough bread and focaccia. It has a great texture and chew, giving you more “bakery style” bread. You can certainly use all purpose flour, though, and it’s what I use when I don’t have bread flour on hand. The end result will still taste great!

HOW LONG DOES THIS FOCACCIA TAKE TO MAKE?

The full recipe is below, but here’s the gist of it:

• Prep time: 15 mins
• Bake time: 20-25 minutes
• Resting time: 13 hours

Yes, that’s right… actually preparing the dough and baking it takes very little time in the grand scheme of things. However, when working with sourdough bread, the bread needs time to rest. Lots and lots of time to rest. That’s because we’re using a natural yeast (sourdough starter) that needs time to do its thing.

The upside to this recipe, though, is that you only need to perform two sets of stretch and folds. If you’re familiar with making sourdough bread, you may know that you generally need to stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes for a couple of hours in order to create a strong gluten structure.

This focaccia sourdough recipe, though, only needs two stretch and folds total. So there’s that!

HOW TO STORE THIS SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA?

Allow the sourdough focaccia to cool completely before placing in an airtight container. It will stay fresh on the counter for up to 2 days.

You can also freeze the sourdough focaccia for longer storage (I recommend slicing it first so you can just heat up sliced focaccia as you crave it). Just reheat in the toaster or in an oven to get it warm and crispy again!

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA RECIPE FAQ

1.Do I need an active sourdough starter for this recipe, or can I use sourdough discard?
You should not use sourdough discard for this recipe. Make sure the starter you use is active and bubbly and was recently fed (ideally within the last 12 hours), otherwise your bread will not rise properly.

2. Can I use all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Yes you can, but bread flour has a higher protein content which builds a stronger gluten network, giving focaccia its signature chewy interior and open crumb. All purpose flour will still work, just expect it to have a softer texture.

3. Does bulk fermentation really take 8 hours?
In general, it really depends on the strength of your sourdough starter and the temperature in your kitchen. Summer is a great time to make sourdough because the dough may double a lot faster at room temperature, in about 5–6 hours, while a cooler kitchen will take longer. Watch the dough though, and place it in the fridge when it is just about doubled in size.

4. Can I skip the overnight cold fermentation?
You could…but the cold rest is what develops a lot of the flavor that makes this sourdough focaccia recipe taste incredible! It’s a long wait, but it’s well worth it.

5. Why does my dough need to rest for another 4 hours on the second day?
The 4 hour rest during the second rise allows the gluten to relax so that it naturally spreads to fill the cast iron skillet. If you baked the dough directly from the fridge, it will come out very dense and gummy instead of soft and fluffy.

6. What size cast iron skillet should I use?
My cast iron skillet is 12″ wide. A larger or smaller skillet will require you to adjust the bake time. Just make sure to check the focaccia while it’s in the oven, and take it out once the top is deeply golden brown.

If you use an internal thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should be 200-210 F.

7. Why do I dimple the dough before baking?
Dimpling the dough creates airy little pockets that hold the olive oil and salt that you sprinkle on top, giving this focaccia its signature texture, look, and flavor.

8. How do I know when the focaccia is done?
You’ll know the bread is done when the top is deeply golden brown with some charred bits on top. This typically takes 20–25 minutes at 500°F, but really just depends on your oven.

If you use an internal thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should be 200-210 F.

9. Can I make this without a cast iron skillet?
You can, although the cast iron helps create a wonderfully crispy crust on this focaccia. If you decide to use a different pan, keep an eye on the focaccia as it’s baking as the time may need to be adjusted.

10. How should I store leftover focaccia?
Allow the sourdough focaccia to cool completely before placing in an airtight container. It will stay fresh on the counter for up to 2 days.

You can also freeze the sourdough focaccia for longer storage (I recommend slicing it first so you can just heat up sliced focaccia as you crave it). Just reheat in the toaster or in an oven to get it warm and crispy again!

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