Who wants a whole wheat sourdough focaccia recipe?
This one comes straight from the source, my friend in Turin, @stefansblackplate!
It’s for everyone who built a starter with my sourdough starter recipe and doesn’t know what to do with the leftovers! 👇🏼
The short answer
A recipe from my friend Stefan in Turin, and the perfect use for leftover starter: 600 g of whole wheat flour, water at 80% of the flour and starter at 33%. Twenty-four hours in all, 19 of them in the fridge, then 23 minutes at 220 °C with no fan. No starter? Use 9 g of active dry or 6 g of instant yeast instead.
Recipe
Whole Wheat Sourdough Focaccia
- Prep24 hours
- Cook23 min · 220 °C, no fan
Ingredients
Dough
- 600 g (4 cups) whole wheat flour
- 480 g (2 cups) water (80%)
- 200 g sourdough starter, fed 6 hours earlier (33%) — or 9 g active dry yeast or 6 g instant yeast
- 30 g (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 12 g (1 level tbsp) salt
Topping
- 100 g (just under ½ cup) water
- 40 g (just under ¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 12 g (1 level tbsp) salt
- 1 small onion, sliced into half-moons
- 1 roasted pepper, sliced
- 1½ cups olives (ideally mixed), halved
- 1 tea glass (about 100 ml) pickled capers
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Equipment
Deep bowl, several small bowls, spoon for mixing, dough scraper, plastic wrap, ovenproof dish (steel, glass or clay), baking paper, oven, wire rack, oven cloth or mitts
Method
- Pour the starter into the water, stir until it dissolves and add it to the flour. Mix for 2–3 minutes until fully combined, then cover with a cloth and leave for 45 minutes.
- Once the flour has absorbed the water, add the olive oil and salt, squeeze and mix for 2–3 minutes, then cover with a cloth and leave for 3 hours.
- When the first rise is done, line your baking dish with baking paper, spread the dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 19 hours.
- Take it out and let it rest, still covered, at room temperature for 1 hour. In the last half hour, heat the oven to 220 °C.
- Before adding the toppings, mix the water and olive oil and pour it over the dough, pressing dimples into it with your fingertips.
- Arrange the toppings one by one and finish with the salt. Let it rest for 30 minutes, then bake without the fan at 220 °C for 23 minutes.
- Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
The 24-hour timeline
- Dissolve the starter in the water, add it to the flour and mix for 2–3 minutes; cover with a cloth and leave 45 minutes.
- Once the flour has absorbed the water, add the olive oil and salt and squeeze it through for 2–3 minutes; leave 3 hours.
- Line your baking dish with baking paper, spread the dough in it, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 19 hours.
- Take it out and leave it covered at room temperature for 1 hour; turn the oven to 220 °C for the last half hour.
- Mix the water and olive oil, pour it over the dough while dimpling it with your fingers, add the toppings, finish with salt and leave 30 minutes.
- Bake 23 minutes at 220 °C with no fan, rest 5 minutes and slice.
What goes on top?
Mine has onion in half-moons, roasted pepper, mixed olives halved, pickled capers and thinly sliced garlic. Keep the dough the same and change the toppings with the season.
