Sourdough Focaccia With Cherry Tomatoes & Rosemary

4.53 from 53 votes

Sourdough Focaccia With Cherry Tomatoes & Rosemary

Sourdough focaccia topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and flaky sea salt. This focaccia has a crispy crust with a soft and airy crumb. Serve it as a side dish alongside pasta dishes, soups, or salads. You can also slice it in half to make a tasty focaccia sandwich.

Prep Time15

Cook Time18

Proofing Time1 2

Total Time1 2 33

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Focaccia, Recipe, Sourdough

Servings: servings

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Elise

Equipment

Digital scale
Brød & Taylor proofer box (optional, but recommended)
Baking pan or cast iron pan (12x8 in/30x20 cm)

Ingredients

Levain

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

Main Dough

400 g manitoba flour (strong italian bread flour) or tipo 00
320 g water cold
80 g levain
8 g salt
15 g olive oil extra virgin

Toppings

olive oil extra virgin
fresh rosemary
cherry tomatoes cut in half
flaky salt

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 hours or until the levain has doubled/tripled in size.

Main Dough

3.5 hours after you prepared the levain: To a large mixing bowl, add the flour and cold water. Mix to combine using your hands or a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl and autolyse/rest for 1.5 hours.
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. Next, 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.
Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. 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

Take the dough out of the fridge and dump it in an oiled/lined small baking pan or cast iron pan (12x8 inches/30x20cm)
Gently stretch the dough to flatten it out in the pan. It doesn't matter if the dough isn't covering the whole pan yet, as long as it's somewhat even throughout (think of shaping a pizza).
Cover the baking 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 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. Sprinkle on fresh rosemary, cherry tomatoes, and flaky salt on top.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Nutritional analysis per serving (approx. 12 servings) The nutrition facts are automatically calculated. I can not guarantee the accuracy of the data. Please don’t consider it a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition