cast iron focaccia with apples and rosemary
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How To Make Sourdough Focaccia

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This fall-inspired cast iron sourdough focaccia is topped with thinly sliced apples, fresh rosemary, flaky sea salt, and a drizzle of honey. It has a crispy crust and a soft and airy crumb. Serve it as a side dish alongside salads or slice it in half to make a tasty focaccia sandwich.

Table Of Contents

Cast Iron Sourdough Focaccia

I am just popping in to share with you this delicious recipe, a variation of one of my most popular recipes on the blog: Sourdough Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Rosemary.

Focaccia is one of my favorite things to bake! This dough is lovely to work with. I know it takes a while to make, but most of the time is entirely hands-off. The long fermentation allows full flavor development and creates a crispy, dark crust with an open and airy crumb. First things first:

The sourdough starter – Please make sure you are using an active sourdough starter that has been regularly fed for at least 2-3 days. If you usually store your starter in the fridge, I recommend taking it out 2-3 days before making this recipe. You want to feed your starter with equal parts flour and water every 12 hours during these days (or at whatever ratio that works best for your starter, this can vary a lot.) Please make sure it at least doubles in size during the 12-hour rise.

Once you get your sourdough starter all activated, you’re ready to start making this recipe.

cast iron focaccia with apples and rosemary

Recipe run through

  • The levain – Levain is an off-shoot of your sourdough starter created for the specific dough you plan to make. For this dough, we are making a levain from 10 grams active sourdough starter, 25 grams all-purpose flour, and 25 grams water. Then we leave it to rise for about 5 hours at 78°F/26°C, or until it peaks (doubles/triples in size.)
  • The main dough – The main dough consists of five simple ingredients; Tipo 0 flour, water, levain, salt, and a little bit of olive oil. Flour and water are first combined for an initial rest/autolyse to hydrate the flour. Next, the gluten network begins developing, creating an extensible, easy to work with dough that requires less kneading. After the autolyse, we mix in the levain. I choose to hand mix, but you can also do it in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment if you prefer. make sure to do it at a low speed, and don’t over-mix your dough (a few minutes of mixing is enough.) Once the levain is mixed in, we add the salt and mix for a couple more minutes. Lastly, we mix in the olive oil.
  • Proof – The dough is then transferred to a clean, lightly oiled bowl or proofing dish for a 5-hour proof at around 75°F/24°C. A Brød and Taylor Proofer Box is beneficial for temperature control and makes it easier to achieve good results each time you bake. Coil-fold the dough every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, then leave it alone to proof for the remaining 3 hours. Next, transfer it to the fridge to cold-proof overnight (or up to 24 hours).
  • Toppings – Top your focaccia with local apples, fresh rosemary, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Then, right as it comes out of the oven, drizzle with honey and let it cool for a bit before serving.

How To Assemble Cast Iron Focaccia

cast iron focaccia with apples and rosemary

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  • Transfer to cast iron pan and proof – Take the dough out of the fridge and dump it into the pan. Gently stretch the dough to even it out in the pan. Proof at 75°F/24°C-78°F/26°C until doubled in size. The second proof typically takes 2-3 hours, but please look less on the clock and more on how the dough looks.
  • Drizzle with olive oil – Once the dough has finished proofing, drizzle the surface with a generous amount of olive oil. Use your fingertips to dimple the entire surface of the dough (this step is so satisfying btw.)
  • Add toppings – Arrange thinly sliced apples on top of the dough and sprinkle on the fresh rosemary and flaky sea salt.

Watch Me Bake

Cast Iron Sourdough Focaccia with Apples and Rosemary

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Cast Iron Sourdough Focaccia w/ Apples and Rosemary

4.5 from 10 votes
Sourdough focaccia topped with thinly sliced apples, fresh rosemary, flaky sea salt, and honey. This focaccia has a crispy crust with a soft and airy crumb. Serve it as a side dish or alongside salads. You can also slice it in half to make a tasty focaccia sandwich.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Yield9 servings
Prep Time15 minutes
Proofing Time 1 day 2 hours
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 day 2 hours 35 minutes

Equipment

  • Digital scale
  • Brød & Taylor proofer box (optional, but recommended)
  • Cast iron pan

Ingredients

Levain

  • 10 g active sourdough starter white, 100% hydration
  • 25 g water at around 78°F/26°C
  • 25 g all-purpose flour

Main Dough

  • 320 g tipo 0 flour
  • 250 g water at around 78°F/26°C
  • 65 g levain
  • 7 g salt
  • 10 g olive oil extra virgin

Toppings

  • olive oil extra virgin
  • thinly sliced apples
  • fresh rosemary
  • flaky sea salt
  • honey

Instructions
 

Levain

  • Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cover and proof in a warm spot (around 78°F/26°C) for 5-6 hours or until the levain has doubled/tripled in size.
    10 g active sourdough starter, 25 g water, 25 g all-purpose flour

Main Dough

  • 3,5 hours after you prepared the levain: Add the flour and water to a large mixing bowl. Mix to combine using your hands or a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and autolyse/rest for 1,5 hours.
    320 g tipo 0 flour, 250 g water
  • After 1,5 hours, add the levain to the main dough and mix by hand or with a stand mixer (with dough hook attachment) for 3-4 minutes. Add salt, and continue mixing for 2 minutes or until you can't feel any noticeable salt in the dough. Add about half of the olive oil, mix for 2 minutes, add the rest, and mix for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth.
    65 g levain, 7 g salt, 10 g olive oil
  • Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl.

First proof and Coil Folds

  • Proof the dough for 5 hours at around 75°F/24°C. Coil fold the dough every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours, then leave it alone to proof for the remaining 3 hours.
  • After 5 hours, the dough should have nearly doubled in size. Transfer it to the fridge to cold-proof overnight (or up to 24 hours).

Second Proof

  • Line the bottom of your cast iron with parchment paper. Add about a tbsp olive oil to the top of the parchment and use a pastry brush to evenly spread it around the pan, especially on the sides of the pan, to prevent the dough from sticking. Take the dough out of the fridge and dump it into the pan.
    olive oil
  • Gently stretch the dough to even it out in the pan.
  • Cover the cast iron pan and proof at 75°F/24°C-78°F/26°C until doubled in size. The second proof typically takes 2-3 hours, but please look less on the clock and more on how the dough looks.

Assemble and Bake

  • Preheat your oven to 500°F/260°C 30-45 minutes before you plan to bake the focaccia.
  • When the focaccia has doubled in size: drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the dough's surface. Use your fingers to poke dents all over the dough. Add thinly sliced apples, fresh rosemary, and flaky sea salt on top.
    olive oil, thinly sliced apples, fresh rosemary, flaky sea salt
  • Bake for 10 minutes with the lid on, then take the lid off, turn down the heat to 430°F/220°C, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven, drizzle honey on top, and let it cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
    honey

bakers schedule

This recipe is A two-day process. Ready in the morning.
  • 8 AM Step 1: Levain
  • 11:30 AM Step 2.1: Mix main dough for autolyse
  • 1 PM Step 2.2: Add levain, salt, and olive oil
  • 1:40 PM Step 3.1: First coil fold
  • 2:10 PM Step 3.2: Second fold
  • 2:40 PM Step 3.3: Third fold
  • 3:10 PM Step 3.4: Fourth fold
  • 6:10 PM Step 3.5: Main dough to fridge for overnight proof
  • 8 AM Step 4: Add dough to cast iron pan and proof
  • 9:30 AM (Approximately) Step 5: Preheat oven and assemble focaccia
  • 10 AM (Approximately) Step 6: Bake

Tried this recipe? I’d love to see.

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4.50 from 10 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I dont understand the parchement in the skillet? Says place dough on skillet. Picture says otherwise.

    Reply

    1. The purpose of the parchment paper is to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to the cast iron pan. While this is not 100% necessary in a well-seasoned cast iron, I still recommend it. I only lined the very bottom of my pan, which is why you don’t see it in the pictures.

      Reply