Sourdough Focaccia Bread, And My Favorite Sandwich Recipe!

When it comes to fresh-baked breads, I really don’t think it gets easier than focaccia! This bread is fluffy, delicious, delicate, and yet simple to make. There’s no machines or kneading required! And it fits easily into a busy schedule, requiring only a few minutes here or there of hands-on time. It’s also the perfect sandwich bread that doesn’t require a meticulous hand when slicing it up. I made delicious sandwiches for lunch today, and according to my husband they were “very very VERY good”. Find out how to make this delicious sourdough focaccia bread, as well as my favorite sandwich recipe, below!

Why Sourdough Focaccia Bread

I have been trying to branch out into making different varieties of bread, all sourdough of course. You can read all about why I make sourdough bread in my Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe post.

When comparing my sourdough focaccia bread to a typical artisan round loaf, I can say with certainty that my focaccia always yields a much lighter and fluffier result! And because it doesn’t have a hard crust around the edges, it makes it a perfect sandwich bread that tastes perfect in every bite, not just the center. It’s leveled up my sandwich game tremendously!

Not only is this sourdough focaccia bread fluffier, but it’s also easier to make! There’s no mixer required, and almost no kneading as well. It couldn’t be easier!

Supplies Needed

• A large bowl: I use the largest bowl from my Duralex set.
• A spatula: I prefer a silicone spatula for this recipe.
• Measuring cups: This set is my favorite.
• Measuring spoons: These spoons are my favorite because they have a flat bottom that keeps them from tipping over.
• A baking pan or dish: I use my stainless steel baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper, but you can even use a well-oiled 9”x13” baking dish instead if you’d like.
• A cooling rack: I use this black one that I’ve had forever!

Ingredients

• Sourdough starter: Find out how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch here! The starter must be fed and active (not discard). Feed your starter 4-6 hours before you start making your dough, and make sure it’s nice and bubbly!
• Salt: I use fine sea salt.
• Filtered water: At room temperature.
• All-purpose flour: I use King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.
• Olive oil: Or other oil of your choosing, as long as it is liquid at room temperature. Even though olive oil typically has a strong flavor, I find that in this recipe the flavor of the bread really shines through, and the olive flavor dissipates when it’s baked.

Directions

In a large bowl, carefully stir the sourdough starter, salt, and filtered water together with the spatula. The goal is just to start breaking up the sourdough starter. This will not combine uniformly.

Add the flour and stir everything together to combine. You will likely need to use your hands at the end to combine everything thoroughly. If the dough is too dry to absorb all of the flour, feel free to add more water 1 tbsp. at a time, working everything together until no dry flour remains. The dough should be somewhat soft, not firm like an artesian sourdough loaf.

Optional: If you have time, come back after 30 minutes and stretch the dough from the sides and fold it into the center (this will take about 6-10 folds). This helps to develop the gluten, and also incorporates more air into the dough for a fluffier bread in the end.

Drizzle some olive oil over the top of the dough, and spread it out with your hands to coat the top of the dough.

Cover the bowl with wrap or a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for anywhere from 4-18 hours, just depending on the temperature of your home. The warmer your home is, the faster the rise will be. You’re looking for your dough to double in size.

Once the dough has risen, pour about 2 tbsp. olive oil onto the bottom of your baking dish.

Using your hands, carefully deflate the dough and pull it away from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough into the center of the oil on your prepared baking dish.

Fold the dough into a rectangle (folding it like an envelope), and flipping it over so that the seam side is down.

Rub a bit more oil on top of the dough, and then cover with wrap or your tea towel for the final rise. Allow to rise for 4-6 hours until it’s fluffy, nearly doubling in size again.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

When the dough I ready to bake, use your fingers to dimple the dough all over. Gently press your fingertips into the dough, and then slowly press it outward to spread the dough as far and thin as you’d like.

Sprinkle the top of the dough with fine or flaky sea salt, and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and allow to cool for at least 25-30 minutes before slicing…if you can wait that long! I use my stainless bread knife for this.

Once it’s fully cooled, store leftovers in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days.

Example Schedules

While the amount of time that this dough takes from start to finish is sometimes about 24 hours, the actual hands-on time is minimal! Here’s how you can fit this beautiful bread into even a busy schedule!

Fresh-Baked Bread for Lunch

Day 1:

1. Feed the sourdough starter in the evening just before going to bed. This will insure that it’s nice and bubbly the next morning.

Day 2:

1. In the early or mid afternoon, make your dough and perform your optional stretch and folds. Allow to rise overnight.

Day 3:

1. First thing the next morning, transfer the dough to your baking dish and form it into the rectangle. Allow to rise until an hour before lunch.
2. When lunch is an hour away, dimple the dough and bake. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, and then enjoy just in time for lunch!

Fresh-Baked Bread for Dinner

Day 1:

1. In the early afternoon, feed the sourdough starter so that it’s nice and bubbly.
2. In the evening just before bed, make your dough and perform your optional stretch and folds. Allow to rise overnight.

Day 2:

1. The next early or mid afternoon, transfer the dough to your baking dish and form it into the rectangle. Allow to rise the rest of the afternoon, until about an hour before dinner.
2. When dinner is an hour away, dimple the dough and bake. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, and then enjoy just as dinner is being served!

What happens if I can’t bake my bread right away?

If life gets busy and you can’t bake your bread right away, you can simply put it in the fridge! The temperature of the refrigerator will significantly slow the continued fermentation process, meaning you can go longer before baking it. I have done this in the past, and the bread came out just as delicious! Just let the dough come back to room temperature for about an hour before continuing with the process and baking.

My Favorite Sandwich Recipe

If you asked me a couple of years ago if I like sandwiches, my answer would have been “they’re okay”. If you ask me today, I’d say “I could eat them daily!”

The difference between a couple of years ago and today is that I have changed everything about how I make a sandwich, all the way from ingredients down to the method. My sandwiches now taste like they came from a fancy bakery, but for a fraction of the cost!

Ingredients

• My sourdough focaccia bread (of course!)
• Mayonaise
• Chipotle mayonaise
• Honey mustard
• Turkey lunchmeat
• Sharp white cheddar cheese
• Tomato
• Butter lettuce
• (The most secret ingredients!) Salt and Pepper

Step-By-Step

In addition to having the right ingredients, you need to layer the sandwich in order for it to taste the best!

1. Spread both mayonnaises onto one side of the sourdough focaccia bread.
2. Spread honey mustard on the other side of the bread.
3. Lay all 5 slices of turkey down, folding each one over as you go (no flat lunchmeat here!)
4. Lay both slices of cheese on the turkey slices.
5. Layer the tomato slices on top of the cheese.
6. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and fresh-cracked pepper all over the side of the sandwich that has all of the toppings.
7. Place butter lettuce on top of the tomato.
8. Put the top piece of bread on your sandwich. Cut in half and enjoy!

Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later!