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.
Equipment
- 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.