Sourdough Focaccia
from https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/

It's hard to forget a meal at Mindy Segal's restaurant, Hot Chocolate, in Chicago. For us, the thick squares of soft yet chewy sourdough focaccia were so memorable that we had to create our own version.

FMM: We made this recipe but I put the dough in the frig overnight rater than the shaped bread. I think this worked better because I could watch it raise and catch it at the correct time to put in the oven. The dough raised very quickly during the bulk fermentation and I gave it a few stretch and folds before putting it in. It continued to raise in the frig, but had sunk down a bit by morning. I shaped, let it raise again, and topped it with black olives, roasted red peppers, rosemary and salt and brushed it with olive oil when it came out of the oven.

We both thought the flavor of the top was good and it had a slightly crunchy crust, but the crumb seemed to lack flavor. I used plenty of olive oil in the pan and in the dough. I am wondering if the dough needs more salt. It also could have had bigger holes in the bread. I did use a much wetter dough than called for, addding about 1/2 cup less flour to the 13" x 9" version. To overcome the blandness of the bread part, I could try adding a little more salt. Also several recipes add the olive oil and toppings and push them down into the dough before raising the dough in the pan. This allows the dough to absorb some of the flavors from the toppings before baking. Blandness may also explain why some focaccia recipes brush the dough with a salt brine before baking.

See this recipe for other topping ideas: Focaccia

The measurements in [ ] will make a 13" x 9" focaccia.

[3/4] 1 1/2 cups (340g) ripe (fed) sourdough starter
[3/4] 1 1/2 cups (340g) lukewarm water
[3] 6 cups (723g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
[3] 6 tablespoons (74g) olive oil, plus extra for the pan and the top of the focaccia
[1 1/2 tsp.] 1 tablespoon (18g) salt
[1] 2 tablespoons (43g) honey
[1 1/2 tsp.] 1 tablespoon instant yeast
fresh or dried rosemary, for topping

Combine the starter and water in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the flour with the starter, water, and remaining ingredients. Mix and knead — by hand or stand mixer — until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you're using a stand mixer, this should take 5 to 7 minutes on the lowest speed using the dough hook attachment. If you're kneading by hand, you'll need 12 to 15 minutes.

Place the dough in a bowl that's been lightly coated with olive oil, cover, and allow to rise for 60 minutes.

Gently fold the dough over three or four times, and let it rise for another 60 minutes.

Drizzle a generous 2 tablespoons olive oil into the center of a large rimmed 13x18-inch baking sheet (half sheet pan). [Use a 13x9 inch pan for half a recipe.]

Transfer the dough to the pan, and turn it over to coat it with the oil.

Gently stretch the dough into the edges and corners of the pan. As soon as the dough begins to shrink back, cover it, and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently stretch the dough again, repeating the rest once more, if necessary, until the dough fills the pan.

Cover the pan and transfer it to the refrigerator to let the dough rise for 14 to 16 hours (overnight).

The next day, remove the pan of dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425°F for 30 minutes (if your kitchen is warm) to 60 minutes (in a cooler kitchen)

Just before you're ready to bake, gently dimple the dough at irregular intervals with your fingers, pressing down firmly but not abruptly; you don't want to deflate the focaccia too much.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to collect a bit in the dimples), then sprinkle with rosemary and a bit of flaked sea salt.

Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown.

Remove the focaccia from the oven. Allow it to cool enough for you to handle it comfortably, 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack.

YIELD one 13" x 18" focaccia