Sourdough Focaccia

Bread baking is an act of faith. You mix flour and water and salt with something living—your sourdough starter, fed and cared for like a small, demanding pet—and you wait. You trust that time and warmth will transform these simple ingredients into something greater than their parts.

Focaccia is perhaps the most forgiving of breads, which makes it an excellent canvas for your sourdough starter. Unlike a precise, structured loaf, focaccia wants to be dimpled and imperfect, slick with olive oil, scattered with whatever herbs or tomatoes you have to hand. It's rustic by nature, the kind of bread that tastes like summer in Italy even when you're making it in your suburban kitchen in the middle of winter.

The timeline here is gentle. An overnight ferment develops flavour and structure without much hands-on work. The next day, you stretch and dimple the dough—a deeply satisfying activity—drench it in olive oil, and let the oven work its magic. What emerges is golden, crispy on the bottom, pillowy within, fragrant with rosemary and salt. Tear it into rough pieces and serve it warm. This is bread at its most elemental and most delicious.

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, and sourdough starter. Mix until no dry flour remains—it will be shaggy and rough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (this is called autolyse).
Add the salt and work it into the dough by pinching and folding for a minute or two. The dough will become smoother. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Perform a series of stretch-and-folds: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this four times, then cover. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for 2 hours (so four rounds of folds total).
After the final fold, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (12-18 hours). The slow, cold ferment is where the flavour develops.
The next day, generously oil a rectangular baking tin (about 23x33cm). Turn the dough out into the tin and gently press it toward the edges. It won't fill the tin yet—that's fine. Cover and let rest for 2-3 hours at room temperature until puffy and nearly doubled.
Preheat your oven to 220°C. Drizzle the dough generously with olive oil. Using your fingers, dimple the entire surface, pressing down to create deep wells. Press in rosemary sprigs and tomato halves if using.
Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden on top and crispy on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and drizzle with more olive oil while still hot. Let cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, torn into rustic pieces.

Fireside