Easy Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread Recipe

This homemade sourdough focaccia bread recipe is a very simple sourdough discard recipe that is easy to make. Topped with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and salt, it has the most delicious herby crunch with a soft chewy inside. Sourdough focaccia is a perfect recipe to be served as a side dish or quick lunch, or even used as sandwich bread.

It is soft and moist yet airy on the inside and has an ultra-crunchy top and bottom crust. It is very satisfying to make and even more satisfying to eat. If you are looking for an easy sourdough focaccia recipe, you have found it! 

What is Focaccia Bread?

Focaccia is a thin or thick, airy, oven-baked Italian bread. You can recognize it by its flat shape and dimpled surface made using your fingertips. Sprinkled with olive oil and herbs, it’s a spongy, tender bread with a crusty outside. 

How do you pronounce it?

Focaccia is pronounced fuh-kaa-chuh. 

Why this Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread recipe will win you over.

• This is a super easy bread recipe for beginners to make. It sounds fancy, but it only has a few simple steps and is hard to mess up. 
• Sourdough Focaccia Bread is a good beginner starting point with many different toppings and flavors.
• This can be a same-day recipe, or make it a day in advance. It’s a very versatile recipe, and it only gets better while resting in the fridge.
• No mixer is required for this sourdough discard focaccia recipe. 
• There’s also no kneading, no bread scoring, and no Dutch oven required

Looking for more quick and simple Sourdough Discard Recipes?

I love making this sourdough homemade focaccia bread for an easy supper side dish. It pairs well with fresh homemade pasta or a steak supper. And it looks fancy, too! If you love this easy sourdough discard focaccia recipe, check out my other Sourdough Discard Recipes like my Sourdough Discard Cheesy Breadsticks, Sourdough Flatbread, or Sourdough Pretzel Bites. Looking for a sweet way to use up that leftover sourdough starter discard? Why not try Sourdough Discard Pop Tarts or White Chocolate and Cranberry Sourdough Scones?! 

Looking for a simple sourdough bread recipe? My Fresh Milled Sourdough Bread is a recipe that I use weekly. It’s perfect for your beginner sourdough journey. No complicated stretch and folds are required and it is an easy recipe to add to your routine. 

Ingredients and Substitutions for Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Water – Use warm water to help activate the yeast.

Sugar – I prefer to use cane sugar

Yeast – This recipe uses a tiny amount of yeast to help boost the dough. By using yeast, you can make this sourdough recipe the same day with very little effort. I use active dry yeast, but you can substitute it with instant yeast using the same instructions.

All-purpose flour – this can be substituted with bread flour if desired

Salt – I prefer Himalayan pink salt for the dough and flaky sea salt for the top.

Sourdough discard – You can use sourdough discard or active starter straight from the fridge. The discard gives a more authentic sourdough flavor to the focaccia dough. 

Olive oil – Use a good quality 100 % pure olive oil. 

Herbs – Fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs are always better, but dried herbs work well too! 

Using up Sourdough Discard

Using up sourdough discard is my favorite. Why eat plain focaccia bread when you can have sourdough focaccia with the added benefits of sourdough? Sourdough discard adds a delicious flavor to the bread and adds gut-friendly health benefits. For long fermentation, leave the dough in the fridge overnight or longer. This way, you reap even more sourdough fermentation benefits. Sourdough discard that has been in the fridge for a while will taste more sour and strong. That’s not a bad thing! It only adds character to the dough flavor. 

How to make Simple Sourdough Focaccia Bread using discard

Mix your focaccia dough

Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Wait 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bloom. 

Add sourdough discard and stir gently. 

Add the flour and salt to the bowl slowly and stir the mixture with a sourdough whisk until the dough comes together. 

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge to let the dough rise for 2 to 4 hours. For a longer ferment, you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Shape and Proof

Remove the bowl from the fridge. Take a cast iron pan (mine is a 12-inch) and drizzle the bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Drizzle the sides as well. With well-oiled hands, place the dough in the center of the pan and gently spread it out to the sides. 

Cover again with plastic wrap and a tea towel and allow to rise for 2 hours in a warm spot. 

Dimple and Bake

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Once the focaccia bread has risen for 2 hours, it should fill the pan nicely and be light and springy.

Drizzle the top generously with olive oil and use your fingertips to press the dough down to the bottom of the pan. Don’t go all the way through the dough. The dough should be very soft, jiggly, and airy. You want to dimple the dough well but not too much so that the dough deflates. 

Sprinkle the top of the dough with herbs and salt. Or you can use any of your favorite toppings. Check out my list of topping variations listed below. You can also add toppings to only half of the focaccia bread if desired.

Place into the oven’s middle rack and bake at 425 F for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow the sourdough focaccia to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Olive Oil and Balsamic Dipping Sauce. Sourdough Focaccia is delicious when served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Simply add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar to a small dipping bowl and then add 2 tbsp good quality olive oil. Dip your focaccia bread and enjoy! 

Delicious Toppings for Sourdough Discard Focaccia

Garlic Parm Focaccia – Try parmesan cheese, garlic, and tiny tomatoes

Zesty Italian Focaccia – Top with sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives

Spicy Focaccia – Add shredded cheese and pepper flakes 

Herbed Focaccia – Add olive oil and herbs like fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley.

Hot and Spicy Focaccia – Top with olive oil, herbs, and chili pepper flakes for some spicy heat. 

Cinnamon Roll Focaccia. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over the dough. After dimpling the dough with your fingertips, pour melted butter over the dough. Bake according to instructions. 

TIP: Try putting different toppings on only half the focaccia bread if you have sensitive taste buds in the family. 

Freezing and Storing Sourdough Focaccia

Leftover sourdough discard focaccia bread can be stored at room temperature for a few hours. You can place it in an airtight container and reheat it with leftovers the next day. If you don’t plan on reheating it the next day, I would put it into the freezer for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat it, thaw the focaccia bread, warm it up, and enjoy! 

Please comment or leave a review if you enjoy this recipe! It means so much to hear from you!

Easy Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread Recipe

This homemade sourdough focaccia bread recipe is a very simple sourdough discard recipe that is easy to make. Topped with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, and salt, it has the most delicious herby crunch with a soft chewy inside. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Rise Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

Focaccia Dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp active dry yeast or instant yeast
• 1 tsp cane sugar
• 1/2 cup sourdough discard
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Olive Oil & Herb Topping

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

 

• In a medium sized mixing bow, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Wait 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bloom.
• Add sourdough discard and stir gently.
• Add the flour and salt to the bowl slowly and stir the mixture with a sourdough whisk until the dough comes together.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the fridge to let the dough rise for 2 to 4 hours. For a longer ferment, you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Remove the bowl from the fridge. Take a cast iron pan (mine is a 12 inch) and drizzle the bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Drizzle the sides as well. With well-oiled hands, place the dough in the center of the pan and use your fingers to gently spread it out to the sides.
• Cover again with plastic wrap and a tea towel and allow to rise for 2 hours in a warm spot.
• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Once the focaccia bread has risen for 2 hours, it should fill the pan nicely and be light and springy. Drizzle the top with olive oil and use your fingertips to press the dough down to the bottom of the pan. Don’t go all the way through the dough. The dough should be very soft, jiggly, and airy. You want to dimple the dough well but not too much so that the dough deflates.
• Sprinkle the top of the dough with herbs and salt. Or you can use any of your favorite toppings. Check out my list of topping variations listed above. You can also add toppings to only half of the focaccia bread if desired.
• Place into the oven’s middle rack and bake at 425 F for 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow the sourdough focaccia to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Olive Oil & Balsamic dipping sauce. Sourdough Focaccia is delicious when served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Simply add 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar to a small dipping bowl and then add 2 tbsp good quality olive oil. Dip your focaccia bread and enjoy

Keyword sourdough discard