SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA

Sourdough Focaccia image

If you have limited experience baking bread or sourdough, this recipe is about as forgiving as they come. The technique teaches you the basics of bread-making, from making the levain and autolyzing to folding. The result is thick and crunchy focaccia that is deliciously olive-oil-laden, like your favorite deep-dish pizza.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Breakfast & Brunch Recipes Bread Recipes

Yield Serves 10 to 12

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

30 grams fed Sourdough Starter (about 3 tablespoons)
35 grams unbleached organic all-purpose flour (3 tablespoons)
35 grams lukewarm water (2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons)
290 grams lukewarm water (1 1/3 cups)
295 grams unbleached organic all-purpose flour (2 cups)
181 grams unbleached organic bread flour (1 1/4 cups)
15 grams fine sea salt (2 3/4 teaspoons), plus more for seasoning
60 grams extra-virgin olive oil (1/4 cup), plus more for drizzling
Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
2 tablespoons tender rosemary leaves or small sprigs

Steps:

Levain: On day 1 at night, mix together starter, flour, and water in a large bowl. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or a large plate and let stand at room temperature 10 to 12 hours.
Dough: On day 2 in the morning, make an autolyze: In a large bowl, dissolve levain in water. Add both flours and stir to combine. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Sprinkle autolyze with salt; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Pinch and fold several times to incorporate. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
With dampened hands, grab underside of dough, stretch it out, and fold it back over itself. Rotate bowl one quarter-turn and repeat 6 times. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Repeat process 4 more times (about 3 hours total). After final folding, you should have a soft, elastic dough.
Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons oil evenly into a 9 1/2-by-12 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet or a 9-by-12-inch baking pan. Scrape dough onto sheet and pat out to flatten, pushing it into edges. (If it springs back, cover and let stand 10 minutes, then continue until dough fills pan.) Drape with plastic wrap. (Dough can be made to this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
Let dough stand until it is bubbly and soft and almost reaches top of pan, about 2 hours (or 3, if it's been refrigerated). Preheat oven to 450°F. Use your fingers to make dents all over top of dough. Drizzle generously with oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Season tomatoes with fine salt and scatter over dough. Sprinkle with rosemary.
Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on lowest rack (to catch any oil overflow). Bake focaccia on center rack until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack 10 minutes, then transfer directly to rack and let cool completely. (You may need to run a spatula underneath to release it.) Focaccia is best served the day it's made, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.