Focaccia bread, a flat Italian bread with a crispy exterior and a soft, airy crumb, has been delighting palates for centuries. Traditionally, it's leavened with commercial yeast, but sourdough enthusiasts have recently begun exploring the depths of using a sourdough starter for focaccia. The results? A complex, tangy flavor profile that's hard to resist.
The attraction of using a sourdough starter lies in its ability to create a natural, wild fermentation process. This process not only imparts unique flavors but also enhances the bread's nutritional value and digestibility. So, if you're ready to elevate your focaccia game, let's dive into the art of making focaccia bread using a sourdough starter.
Understanding Sourdough Starters and Focaccia
At its core, a sourdough starter is a fermented mixture of flour and water, teeming with natural yeast and lactobacilli. Nurturing and maintaining this starter requires patience, but once you have a healthy, active starter, you're ready to create something truly special: sourdough focaccia.
The process of making focaccia is inherently different from that of a classic loaf of bread. Focaccia is flat, often cooked directly in the oven on a pizza stone or steel, which means it requires a different approach to leavening and resting. So, how do we adapt our sourdough process to create the perfect focaccia?
Feeding Your Starter for Focaccia
Feeding your sourdough starter for focaccia isn't much different from feeding it for any other bread. You'll want to ensure your starter is active and bubbly, which means feeding it at peak hunger. Most people feed their starter the night before they plan to bake, typically in a 1:4:4 or 1:5:5 ratio (starter:water:flour).
However, for focaccia, you might want to consider feeding your starter more frequently, even hourly, in the last few hours before incorporating it into your dough. This ensures your starter is at its most active and can provide the optimum rise for your flatbread.
Creating the Dough
To create your sourdough focaccia dough, you'll first need to prepare a levain. This is essentially a small portion of your starter, fed with equal parts water and flour. After refreshing your starter, set aside a small piece (about 20-30 grams) and mix it with the same amount of water and flour. Let this levain rest for a few hours until it's bubbly and nearly doubled in size.
Once your levain is ready, it's time to make your dough. Combine your levain with the rest of your ingredients - flour, water, salt, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then let it rest for 30-40 minutes. After this initial rest, perform a series of stretches and folds, then let the dough rest again. Repeat this process a few times, gradually developing the gluten and strengthening your dough.
Shaping and Topping Your Focaccia
The beauty of focaccia lies in its simplicity. It's just a flat disc of bread, often covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt, but those few humble ingredients allow for endless customization. Shape your dough into a rough rectangle or circular form, then place it on a well-oiled baking sheet or pizza peel.
Before baking, dimple the surface of your focaccia with your fingertips, making sure to go all the way to the bottom of the dough. This not only creates a beautiful, rustic appearance but also ensures your focaccia stays flat in the oven. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and add any optional toppings like herbs, olives, or roasted vegetables.
Proofing and Baking
Now that your focaccia is shaped and topped, it's time to let it rest and rise. Proof your focaccia at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until it's noticeably puffed and jiggly. If you prefer, you can also let your focaccia proof in the refrigerator overnight for a slower, more developed flavor.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to a blisteringly hot temperature - at least 500°F (260°C), or even hotter if you have a baking stone or steel. Slide your focaccia onto the preheated surface, or place your sheet into the oven. Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and crispy. For the best results, rotate your focaccia halfway through baking for even browning.
Once baked, transfer your focaccia to a wire rack to cool. It's tempting to dive right in, but allowing your focaccia to cool slightly will help you appreciate its beautiful texture and flavor even more. Resist the urge to slice it until it's reached lukewarm temperature, then dig in and enjoy the fruits of your labor.