Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe

A thick, dimpled, olive-oil-rich focaccia that puts unfed sourdough discard to work instead of throwing it away. The discard brings flavour and a little acidity; a small amount of instant yeast does the actual lifting, which is why this is reliable rather than a gamble. Best baked in a 9x13 pan and eaten warm.

Sourdough Discard Focaccia

Prep25 min

Cook25 min

Total time50 min

Servings1 pan (about 12 pieces)

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

200 g sourdough discard, unfed (about 3/4 cup)
300 g water (about 1 1/4 cups), lukewarm
3 g instant dry yeast (about 1 tsp)
400 g bread flour (about 3 1/4 cups)
8 g fine salt (about 1 1/2 tsp)
5 tbsp (75 ml) olive oil, divided
1 tsp flaky sea salt, for the top
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves (optional)

Instructions

Whisk the discard, lukewarm water, yeast and 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large bowl.
Add the flour and fine salt and stir with a spatula to a wet, sticky dough with no dry patches left.
Do 3 sets of stretch-and-folds in the bowl, 20 minutes apart, wetting your hand each time.
Cover and refrigerate 8-24 hours, or leave at room temperature 2 hours if you are baking the same day.
Pour 3 tbsp olive oil into a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) pan, tip the dough in and turn it once to coat both sides.
Let it sit at room temperature 2-3 hours, until relaxed, puffy and nearly filling the pan. Cold dough from the fridge takes the full 3 hours.
Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Oil your fingers and dimple the dough all over, pressing right down to the base, then scatter with flaky salt and rosemary.
Bake 22-28 minutes until deep golden and 205°F (96°C) inside.
Lift it straight out onto a rack so the base stays crisp, and serve warm.

Look at your discard before you use it. Grey liquid on top and a sharp, boozy smell are normal. Pink, orange or red streaks, or any fuzzy mould, are not - throw that discard out and wash the jar rather than stirring it in or scraping the surface off. If your discard is more than about two weeks old it can also be sharply acidic and will taste harsh here; discard from the last week or so is the sweet spot.

Tips

Unfed discard adds sourness and softness but very little rise - the yeast is doing that job, so do not leave it out.
Dimple hard, all the way to the pan base. Shy dimpling gives you a domed bread rather than focaccia.
The long cold rest is where the flavour comes from; 24 hours tastes noticeably better than 8.
Discard straight from the fridge is fine even with a layer of dark liquid on top - that is hooch, and you stir it back in. Check it first, though: pink, orange or red streaks, or any fuzzy growth, mean it is spoiled and goes in the bin.

FAQ

What usually goes wrong?

Being stingy with the oil in the pan. The 3 tbsp under the dough effectively fries the base into the crisp layer that makes focaccia focaccia - a greased pan is not the same thing.

How do I store it?

Best the day it is baked. Keep at room temperature 2 days in a paper bag, or freeze cut pieces 1 month and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8 minutes.

What core temperature should it reach?

Cook to a core temperature of 96 °C, measured at the thickest point.

Why do my times differ?

Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.