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Best Easy Same-Day Sourdough Focaccia with Rosemary

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This easy same-day sourdough focaccia with rosemary comes together in a single afternoon, delivering a crispy, golden crust and an airy, tender crumb. Perfect for any occasion, it uses simple ingredients and a forgiving technique that even beginners can master.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 500 grams (about 3 ¾ cups) bread flour
  • 400 grams (about 1 ¾ cups) lukewarm water
  • 150 grams (about ¾ cup) active sourdough starter, bubbly and fed within 4-6 hours
  • 60 grams (about ¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan and drizzling
  • 10 grams (about 1 ½ teaspoons) fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, plus more whole sprigs for topping
  • Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon) for finishing

Instructions

  1. Mix the Dough (9:00 AM): In a large mixing bowl, combine 500 grams of bread flour and 10 grams of fine sea salt. Whisk together. In a separate measuring cup, mix 400 grams of lukewarm water and 150 grams of active sourdough starter. Stir until the starter is mostly dissolved. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until no dry bits remain. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  2. Add the Olive Oil and Rosemary (9:30 AM): After the rest, drizzle 60 grams of olive oil over the dough and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary. Using a wet hand, fold the dough over itself 6 to 8 times until the oil and rosemary are incorporated. Cover again.
  3. Bulk Fermentation with Coil Folds (9:30 AM to 2:00 PM): Over the next 4 to 5 hours, perform coil folds every 30 to 45 minutes during the first 2 hours. Wet your hand, reach under the dough, lift it up, and fold it under itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 times per session. After 2 hours, let the dough rest, covered, for the remaining 2 to 3 hours until nearly doubled in size and bubbly.
  4. Prepare the Pan and Transfer the Dough (2:00 PM): Generously coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with olive oil. Gently scrape the dough into the pan. It won’t fill the pan. Let it rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
  5. Stretch and Dimple (2:20 PM): Oil your fingertips. Gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. If it resists, rest another 10 minutes. Once spread, dimple the entire surface with your fingertips, pressing all the way to the bottom. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and whole rosemary sprigs.
  6. Final Proof (2:20 PM to 3:20 PM): Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours until puffy and filling the pan.
  7. Bake (3:20 PM to 3:50 PM): Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) about 30 minutes before baking. Bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp. If browning too fast, tent with foil for the last 5 minutes.
  8. Cool and Serve (3:50 PM): Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil for best flavor. If your kitchen is cold (below 70°F), use slightly warmer water (80-85°F) to help fermentation. The dough is ready for the pan when it jiggles like jelly. Don’t skip the coil folds—they build gluten structure. For a gluten-free version, substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and reduce water to 350 grams.

Nutrition

Keywords: sourdough focaccia, easy focaccia, same-day focaccia, rosemary focaccia, sourdough bread, focaccia recipe

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