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Light & Savory Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Focaccia: Best Easy Recipe

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This forgiving, high-hydration sourdough focaccia features a crispy golden bottom, soft airy interior, and mellow garlic-rosemary flavor from infused olive oil. Perfect for beginners and sourdough skeptics alike, it’s a crowd-pleasing bread that’s simple to make with basic ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 400g bread flour (about 3 1/3 cups)
  • 100g whole wheat flour (about 3/4 cup)
  • 380g warm water (about 1 2/3 cups, around 80°F/27°C)
  • 100g active sourdough starter (about 1/2 cup, fed and bubbly)
  • 10g fine sea salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (for garlic oil topping)
  • 6–8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (about 3–4 sprigs)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
  • Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Make the garlic oil (can be done up to 24 hours ahead): In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup olive oil and sliced garlic. Warm over lowest heat for 5-7 minutes until garlic softens and releases fragrance but does not brown. Remove from heat and let steep. If making ahead, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container.
  2. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine warm water and active starter. Stir until starter dissolves. Add both flours and mix with your hand or a dough whisk until no dry bits remain. The dough will be shaggy and wet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  3. Add the salt: After the rest, sprinkle salt over dough and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. With slightly wet hands, squeeze dough through fingers to incorporate salt and oil until evenly distributed. The dough will be sticky and loose.
  4. Stretch and folds: Cover bowl and let rest 30 minutes. With wet hands, grab one side of dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do this four times total (all four sides). Cover and repeat every 30 minutes for a total of 4 sets of stretch and folds.
  5. Bulk fermentation: After last set of folds, cover bowl and let dough rise until nearly doubled, about 4-6 hours at room temperature (70°F/21°C). For cold fermentation, refrigerate overnight (up to 12 hours) after first hour of room temperature rise.
  6. Pan and second rise: Generously coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with olive oil. Gently turn dough into pan. Cover and let rest 30 minutes. With oiled hands, gently stretch dough to edges of pan. If it resists, rest another 15 minutes and try again. Cover and let rise 1.5-2 hours until puffy and full of bubbles.
  7. Dimple and top: Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C) with rack in middle. Drizzle about half the garlic oil (including some garlic slices) over dough. Use fingertips to press deep dimples all over dough, going all the way to bottom of pan. Sprinkle chopped rosemary and flaky salt evenly over top.
  8. Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until top is deep golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. If top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for last 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle remaining garlic oil over hot bread. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

For best results, use an active sourdough starter at its peak. The dough is very wet—keep hands damp to prevent sticking. Don’t skip the autolyse or the cooling time before cutting. For a same-day version, use warm water (85°F) and place dough in a warm spot. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

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