This simple sourdough focaccia has a super crispy crust with a soft, pillowy center and is topped with roasted garlic and rosemary! Since it's so easy to make, this rosemary garlic focaccia is a great recipe to start with if you're new to baking with sourdough!
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What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread with a light, airy texture and crispy edges! It's similar to pizza dough but much thicker. Focaccia is known for it's distinct dimpled top that can be stuffed with a variety of toppings.
It's super easy to customize by switching up the toppings for whatever you happen to be craving! I love this sourdough version because it adds extra tang and flavor to the focaccia!
You might also like this sourdough pizza dough or these sourdough dinner rolls!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this garlic rosemary focaccia!
Sourdough Starter - I love making everything with sourdough starter and this focaccia is no exception! It adds just the right amount of tangy flavor to the dough! Don’t have a sourdough starter? Never fear! Just check out my Sourdough Guide for all my tips and tricks!
Flour - Regular all purpose flour works great for focaccia! However, if you can find it I like to use bread flour to help the focaccia have the best structure and texture. If using bread flour, reduce the total amount by 3 tablespoons of flour.
Olive Oil - You want to use good, high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor!
Garlic and Rosemary - For this focaccia I love to make a garlic rosemary confit for the topping, but you can top it with whatever you prefer.
Flaky Sea Salt - I always add flaky sea salt to the top of rosemary garlic focaccia for both flavor and looks! I love using Maldon Flaky Sea Salt because it has the best flavor and texture.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Different Topping Ideas
- Roasted veggies (like zucchini or eggplant)
- Cherry tomatoes and pesto
- Caramelized onions and parmesan
- Strawberries and basil
- Peaches, prosciutto, and gruyere
- Asparagus and feta
- Roasted red pepper and artichoke
- Figs, goat cheese, and honey
- Pears and gorgonzola
How to Make Garlic Confit
Confit is a process of preserving food by slow cooking it in fat (often oil). When you confit garlic, it takes on a rich, complex flavor that compliment almost any dish! Garlic confit is delicious on top of this sourdough focaccia, but can also be used on pasta, toast, or just straight out of the jar. The leftover oil also takes on a delicious flavor that can be used in a ton of different recipes!
Preheat the oven to 275°F.
Add the peeled garlic cloves and fresh rosemary to a large baking dish. Pour the olive oil over the garlic until it almost covers it completely (you might need more than 2 cups based on the size of your dish). Sprinkle with salt and mix gently to combine.
Bake at 275°F for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The leftover oil is super flavorful and can be use in cooking, salad dressing, etc!
I like to use the reserved garlic oil in the focaccia recipe for extra flavor!
How to Make Sourdough Focaccia
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all of the ingredients for the dough and mix on low until fully combined.
Knead on low for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to let rise for about 4 hours or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Then move the bowl to the fridge and let it continue to cold proof overnight (8-24 hours).
The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I like to use the leftover garlic oil) to the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil over the top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
Then top with the cloves of roasted garlic and fresh rosemary. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
Remove the sourdough focaccia from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Sourdough Tips & Tricks
If you've never baked with sourdough before, it can be a little tricky. But don't worry, I have a full Sourdough Starter Guide all about making and maintaining a sourdough starter! I also have a full guide on different types of flour you can use to make sourdough and of course a guide on how to make a Beginner Homemade Sourdough Loaf. Below are a few quick tips and key terms you need to know.
- Sourdough Starter - A culture of wild yeast and bacteria that leavens and flavors sourdough bread. I use what's called a "liquid starter" versus a stiff starter. This means the starter is made with equal parts flour and water and should be a consistency similar to cake batter.
- Sourdough Discard - The portion of your starter that is discarded when feeding your starter (can be used in tons of recipes like sourdough discard blueberry muffins or sourdough pancakes).
- Ripe Starter - A starter that's ready to be used in baking. Your starter is ripe roughly 6 hours after feeding and will have doubled in size, have lots of visible bubbles, and a fresh acidic aroma.
Weigh your ingredients! For all my sourdough recipes, I measure the ingredients in grams because it's much more accurate! I highly recommend getting a kitchen scale if you don't already have one! However, I have included alternate US customary measurements for your convenience.
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If your oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all breads and baked goods! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Easy sourdough recipes for beginners! If you've never made sourdough bread before, I recommend starting with some simple, no-fuss recipes like my sourdough naan or sourdough bagels! But if you're already a pro, I have a ton of fun sourdough recipes you can try!
Recipe FAQ's
Focaccia is best eaten the same day but will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, bake at 350˚F for for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Yes! Wrap tightly then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then reheat in the oven 350˚F for for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
More Sourdough Recipes You Might Like!
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Recipe Card
Sourdough Focaccia with Roasted Garlic
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Confit
- 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Sourdough Focaccia
- 1 cup ripe sourdough starter
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups water, lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons honey
Topping
- garlic confit
- fresh rosemary
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Garlic Confit
- Preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Add the peeled garlic cloves and fresh rosemary to a large baking dish. Pour the olive oil over the garlic until it almost covers it completely (you might need more than 1 ½ cups based on the size of your dish). Sprinkle with salt and mix gently to combine.
- Bake at 275°F for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. The leftover oil is super flavorful and can be use in cooking, salad dressing, etc! I like to use the reserved garlic oil in the focaccia recipe for extra flavor!
Sourdough Focaccia
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all of the ingredients for the dough and mix on low until fully combined.
- Knead on low for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a well oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to let rise for about 4 hours or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
- Then move the bowl to the fridge and let it continue to cold proof overnight (8-24 hours).
- The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I like to use the leftover garlic oil) to the bottom of a 9x13 inch cake pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of the garlic olive oil over the top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
- Then top with the cloves of roasted garlic and fresh rosemary. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
- Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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