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Perfect Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Focaccia Recipe: Best Ever

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This tangy, aromatic sourdough focaccia features a shatteringly crisp bottom crust and a tender, pillowy top, infused with fragrant rosemary and sweet roasted garlic. It’s a forgiving, crowd-pleasing bread that tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups (500g) bread flour
  • 1 cup (240g) active sourdough starter
  • 1 ½ cups (360ml) warm water (85°F/29°C)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil (for dough)
  • 2 teaspoons (10g) fine sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 4–5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon)
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine warm water and active sourdough starter. Stir until mostly dissolved. Add bread flour, ¼ cup olive oil, and fine sea salt. Mix with hands or a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes (autolyse).
  2. Perform stretch and folds: Wet your hands slightly. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Do 4 stretches (one full rotation). Cover and rest 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3 more times, resting 30 minutes between each.
  3. Bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl tightly and let it sit at room temperature (around 70°F/21°C) until nearly doubled in size and bubbly on top, 6-8 hours.
  4. Prepare the pan and cold ferment (optional): Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into a half-sheet pan (13×18 inches) and spread evenly. Gently tip the dough into the pan. Let sit uncovered for 20 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or skip fridge and proceed after a 2-hour rest at room temperature).
  5. Dimple the dough: About 2 hours before baking, take the pan out of the fridge (if cold fermented) and let come to room temperature. Drizzle remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over the top. Using your fingertips, press deep dimples all over the dough, going all the way to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle chopped rosemary and sliced garlic evenly over the surface, pressing gently into the dimples. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
  6. Final proof: Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled in height, 1.5-2 hours.
  7. Bake: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the top is deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. If top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
  8. Cool and serve: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

For best flavor, cold ferment overnight. Use a thermometer for water (85°F/29°C). Don’t be afraid of sticky dough; oil your hands instead of adding extra flour. Dimple aggressively to create oil pockets. Check bottom crust for doneness. Focaccia tastes even better on day two.

Nutrition

Keywords: sourdough focaccia, rosemary garlic focaccia, homemade focaccia, sourdough bread, Italian bread, focaccia recipe

Find it online: https://rowanrecipes.com/perfect-rosemary-garlic-sourdough-focaccia-recipe-best-ever/