Whether you’re a seasoned baker or this is your first foray into real bread, this focaccia is delicious and a joy to share with family and friends. Taking my Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe, instead of making three loaves I make two plus a tray of focaccia. This variation is the perfect side to your Italian dinner, or as a starter dipped into balsamic and olive oil. It also makes an amazing sandwich filled with delicious weekend leftovers!
Focaccia for ‘Real Bread Week’
Real Bread Week is here, and we’re celebrating all bread that’s made the real way: with time, patience, simple ingredients, and plenty of love. If you’ve ever made my overnight sourdough, you already know how great real bread can be. In this recipe, I wanted to share something just as rewarding, but also beautifully forgiving and utterly delicious – homemade focaccia.
Focaccia is one of those breads that feels luxurious but is genuinely easy to make. It has a light, open crumb, pillowy softness, and a golden, olive-oil-kissed crust. Best of all? It’s perfect for everyday eating. From a midweek meal with soup, to sharing with friends and family, dipped in balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, or as a side to accompany a lovely Bolognese or Ragu.
Focaccia flavour combinations
Below are some ideas of flavour combinations to try. The beauty of focaccia is that you can go with whatever takes your fancy, or something that complements the main dish you’re cooking. Here are some suggestions:
- Rosemary and sea salt – the iconic simple classic
- Cherry tomatoes and thyme – for summer sweetness
- Caramelised onion and pepper – rich and comforting ideal with stew
- Olives and sea salt – another Italian favourite
Whatever flavour you decide, it’s a great side dish or starter, and everyone will love tearing off a piece and digging in!
Got any leftover focaccia?
There are lots of ways to use up any leftover focaccia bread you might have. It’s great cubed and toasted in the oven to make croutons to top your soups.
I recently made focaccia on Saturday night, to go with our ‘Tagliata di Manzo’, and then on Monday lunchtime we had tasty focaccia sandwiches. Filled with thinly sliced roast pork, wholegrain mustard, jarred roasted red peppers, lettuce, and some amazing local goats’ cheese. All drizzled with peppery extra virgin olive oil. Delicious!
I would say yes. It is definitely best enjoyed when still slightly warm. If this isn’t the day you’re baking, simply place it in the oven at around 60-80 degrees C for 10 minutes to warm through.
Simple Overnight Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia
Equipment
- large enamel or glass bowl (with a cover to fit)
- baking tray (with a cover to fit)
Ingredients
- 75 g sourdough leaven see Overnight Sourdough Recipe
- 350 g white bread flour plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 1 tbsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Make your leaven by following the instructions on my Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe up to the beginning of step 4. When making focaccia, I use 1kg of flour and make 2 additional normal loaves. But for this recipe, I will walk through making just one focaccia loaf.
- With 75g of leaven ready to use, add it to a large bowl along with 200ml of warm water and mix thoroughly. To this add 350g of white bread flour. At this stage, mix the dough to a dry, shaggy consistency. Cover and leave for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add in another 25ml of warm water and mix until well combined. Cover and leave for 15-20 minutes. Then add the final 25ml of warm water along with the teaspoon of fine sea salt. Re-cover and leave for 15-20 minutes.
- You now want to start your 'stretch and fold' your dough. Lift up the dough in the middle until the ends fold in underneath themselves. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat for 4 folds in total. You want to repeat this process every 15 mins for a total of 4 times. You should now have a smooth-looking dough that's ready to prove. Leave this covered in the bowl to double in size. There is no specific time, but anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
- Once the dough has proven, take a non-stick baking tray – I use one 23cm x 23m/9"x 9" – and pour 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into the bottom. Put the dough into the tray, and using your hands, push it and spread it out so that it fills the tray. Liberally drizzle with more olive oil and 'dimple' the surface with your fingers until you have an even pattern of indentations across the surface of your loaf. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- Place the tray into the fridge, covered, and leave overnight or for a few hours.
- When you're ready to bake, remove the tray from the fridge and leave it to rise in your kitchen for 30 minutes. Put the oven on to heat up to 220 °C
- You now want to add your flavourings to your Focaccia. For a simple rosemary and sea salt, push a little sprig of rosemary into each of the indentations. Drizzle with some more extra virgin olive oil, and then sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-22 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve as a starter to dip into balsamic and oil, or serve alongside your main dish.
Notes
- See the blog post for alternative flavours for your focaccia bread
- The focaccia bread will keep in a sealed bag for 2-3 days. It’s nice warmed through slightly in the oven before serving.
