Sourdough Rosemary Focaccia: Crispy Bottom, Soft Top

Short answer: mix an 80% hydration sourdough, bulk overnight in the fridge, press into an oiled pan, dimple, and bake hot. The crispy bottom comes from the oil; the soft top comes from steam.

The recipe

For a 9x13 sheet pan:

• 500g bread flour
• 400g water (80%)
• 100g active starter
• 12g salt
• 60g extra-virgin olive oil (divided: 30g in dough, 30g in pan + on top)
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• Coarse sea salt for topping

Method

Mix

Combine flour, water, starter, salt, 30g oil. Mix shaggy. Rest 30 min.

Bulk

4 sets of folds in 90 minutes. Then bulk 4–6 hours at 75°F.

Add rosemary at fold 2.

Cold retard

Cold retard 12–24 hours.

Pan prep

Pour 30g olive oil into a 9x13 pan. Spread to cover.

Shape

Tip dough into the oiled pan. Don't press hard yet. Cover with plastic. Let it warm and relax for 1–2 hours.

Dimple and final proof

Dimple all over with oiled fingers, pressing through to the pan.

Drizzle more olive oil. Sprinkle rosemary and coarse salt.

Final proof 30 minutes.

Bake

Preheat to 475°F.

Bake 22–25 minutes, until top is deep golden.

Lift onto cooling rack. Cool 10 min before cutting.

Why a long bulk

A 12–24 hour cold bulk:

• Develops complex flavor
• Allows the gluten to relax fully
• Makes the dough easier to handle
• Contributes to the open crumb

You can shortcut to 4 hours bulk + same-day bake, but the flavor suffers.

Why dimples matter

Dimples:

• Hold pools of olive oil and salt
• Create the iconic focaccia surface
• Allow even baking
• Concentrate flavor in those pools

Press deep — through to the pan. The dimples will spring back slightly during proof but remain.

Olive oil quality is critical

Focaccia is mostly bread + olive oil. The oil flavor dominates.

Use:

• Real extra-virgin olive oil
• Italian or Spanish (peppery, fruity)
• Not "light" or refined
• Not blended

A cheap oil tastes flat. A good oil makes the focaccia memorable.

Variations

Tomato basil focaccia

Press cherry tomato halves into dimples before baking. Top with fresh basil after.

Olive focaccia

Add 80g chopped olives at fold 2. Press whole olives into dimples.

Onion thyme

Top with thinly sliced red onion + fresh thyme.

Garlic confit

Press whole confit garlic cloves into dimples.

Three-cheese

Sprinkle 100g grated cheese (parmesan + mozzarella + asiago) on top before baking.

Rosemary lemon

Add zest of 1 lemon to the dough. Top with rosemary.

Pesto swirl

Spread pesto on top before final proof. Bake.

Salt and pepper

Just coarse salt + cracked black pepper. Minimalist and excellent.

Storage

Focaccia is best fresh:

• Counter, cloth bag: 2 days
• Reheat: 350°F oven, 5 min
• Frozen: 1 month (slice first)

Day 2 focaccia toasts beautifully and makes incredible sandwich bread.

What to serve with

Focaccia is the perfect:

• Italian dinner side
• Soup accompaniment
• Sandwich bread (split horizontally)
• Bruschetta base
• Antipasti platter element

It's also great as a snack with olive oil for dipping.

A focaccia sandwich

Cut focaccia in half horizontally. Fill with:

• Mozzarella, tomato, basil, balsamic
• Prosciutto, arugula, aged provolone
• Roasted vegetables, pesto, goat cheese
• Mortadella, pistachio cream
• Egg, bacon, avocado (breakfast)

The focaccia carries any filling.

Why my focaccia bottom is soft (and how to fix)

A soft bottom means too little oil or wrong pan:

• Use 30g oil minimum in the pan
• Use a metal pan (heat conducts well)
• Glass pans don't crisp the bottom
• Bake until bottom is amber

Lift the focaccia and check. If pale, return to oven for 5 min directly on rack.

Why my focaccia is too dense

Dense focaccia means:

• Bulk too short (under-fermented)
• Hydration too low (drop water by 20g if you went 80%)
• Old starter (refresh first)

For light, holey focaccia:

• 80% hydration minimum
• 12+ hour cold bulk
• Strong starter at peak

Pan size matters

A 9x13 produces a thicker focaccia (1.5 inches). A 13x18 produces a thinner one (3/4 inch).

For the classic Genovese style, use the larger pan. For thicker pizza-style focaccia, use the smaller.

A practice schedule

To master focaccia, bake one a week:

• Saturday morning: feed starter
• Saturday afternoon: mix
• Saturday night: bulk done, refrigerate
• Sunday morning: pan, dimple, proof, bake

By bake 4, your focaccia will be excellent. By bake 10, it will be your favorite bread.

Cost analysis

Focaccia at home:

• Flour, oil, salt: $3 total
• Yields 9x13 (8 generous portions)
• $0.38 per portion

Bakery focaccia: $4–8 for a similar piece.

Significant savings, dramatically better quality.

A weeknight version

Skip the cold retard:

• Same recipe
• Bulk 4 hours
• Pan, dimple, proof 1 hour
• Bake

Less complex flavor but still excellent. Total time: 6 hours.

Why this is the easiest sourdough

Focaccia is one of the most beginner-friendly sourdough breads:

• No shaping
• No basket
• No scoring
• Hydration tolerates variation
• Failure mode is "still tasty, just not perfect"

If sourdough boules intimidate you, start with focaccia. The success rate is dramatically higher.

A final note

Bake one focaccia and serve it warm with olive oil and balsamic. Watch it disappear.

It's the bread that makes home bakers proud.