Sourdough focaccia with olives and rosemary

Name: Sourdough focaccia with olives and rosemary
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1055 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: 20 g Sourdough starter culture; 560 g half-white flour; 3 tbsp olive oil; 250 g pitted green olives; 10 g salt; 2 sprig rosemary; 2 pinch sea salt

Aperitif fingerfood Baking piquant Italian cuisine

Total: 17 hr 35 min. | Active: 30 min.

vegan, lactose-free

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Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – this sourdough focaccia is everything you could wish for in a good loaf of bread. The salty olives nestle into the golden crust, creating a little burst of flavour with every bite. It's the perfect baking project for a cosy day – with just enough hands-on work to bring joy. Sourdough does take quite a bit of time, but it is definitely worth it! Whether you tear the focaccia apart while it's still warm or serve it with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar, it's sure to be a hit. I like to make a double batch so that I have two loaves each time – the focaccia always disappears quickly!

Recipe by:
LAUREN - Food Photography Academy

Ingredients

for 8 pieces

Starter dough
20 g	Sourdough starter culture
50 g	half-white flour
½ dl	water

Dough
4 ¼ dl	water
510 g	half-white flour

To knead the dough
1 tbsp	olive oil
10 g	salt

To shape
1 tbsp	olive oil

Focaccia
1 tbsp	olive oil
250 g	pitted green olives
2 sprig	rosemary, needles removed
2 pinch	sea salt

How it's done

Starter dough

Place the starter culture in a bowl, mix with flour and water, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for approx. 8 hrs. or overnight, until the dough has fully risen and is bubbling nicely (see note).

Dough

Place the starter dough and water in a large bowl, mix well. Add the flour, mix until no lumps of flour are visible. Cover and leave to stand at room temperature for approx. 1 hr.

To knead the dough

Add olive oil and salt to the dough, knead thoroughly into the dough by hand.

Fold and leave to rise

Ease the dough away from the edge of the bowl on four sides using a dough scraper, pull upwards in the bowl and allow to fall in the middle. Cover the dough and leave to rise again at room temperature for approx. 30 mins. Repeat this step three more times. Cover the dough and leave to rise again at room temperature for approx. 4½ hrs.

To shape

Sprinkle the oil over the base of the prepared tin. Carefully slide the dough into the tin using a rubber spatula. Cover the dough and chill for approx. 8 hrs.

Focaccia

Remove the dough from the fridge approx. 1 hr. prior to baking. Drizzle the dough with oil, top with the olives, use your fingers to make several small indentations in the dough. Sprinkle with the rosemary and fleur de sel.

To bake

Approx. 25 mins. in the lower half of an oven preheated to 220 °C. Remove, allow the focaccia to cool slightly on a rack, cut into slices, serve warm.

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