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Quick, easy, crispy and delicious this sourdough discard focaccia bread is one you’ll want to keep in your back pocket. I have been making focaccia for years and have many delicious sourdough focaccia recipes on my website already, but not a sourdough discard version – until now! Many of you were asking for a discard version for those days when you want focaccia bread but don’t have all day to make it. And this is it! Light and airy, quick and easy – this sourdough discard focaccia bread will become a new favorite recipe!
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread
- Faster than 100% Sourdough Focaccia: This discard recipe uses instant yeast, which cuts down on rise time significantly.
- Texture: You’ll love how this focaccia recipe produces results that are crispy outside, and light and airy middle. Yum!
- Versatile: This recipe can be topped with any favorite flavors – there are so many different varieties possible with this recipe!
- No Mixer Required: This sourdough discard focaccia bread is so easy to mix up without a mixer!
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – About 1 cup of sourdough discard is used in this recipe. I use discard where the starter has been fed equal weights of flour and water (100% hydration). The older the discard, the more sour flavor will be in this focaccia. If you don’t want any sour flavor, use a fresher discard.
- Water – Warm water, around 95-100ºF helps activate the instant yeast and influences how quickly the dough will rise.
- Instant Yeast – This recipe calls for instant yeast instead of using 100% sourdough levain. This makes for a quicker rise and cuts down on the overall time to make this sourdough focaccia.
- Bread Flour – I almost always use bread flour for any bread that I am kneading. My bread flour is purchased from a local mill and is about 12.5% protein content. If you don’t have bread flour on hand, make sure to substitute some vital wheat gluten.
- Salt – This recipe uses salt to balance flavor, and you can add flaky sea salt to taste as a finishing touch.
- Olive Oil – Good quality olive oil that you like the flavor of is important in this recipe. The dough will take on the flavor of the oil as it bakes. I like using a light olive oil that doesn’t have a distinct flavor.
Substitutions
- Dry Active Yeast: Dry active yeast can be substituted for the instant yeast in the recipe. Activate it with a little bit of the water from the recipe and a sprinkle of sugar. Once it is bubbly and active, mix up the dough.
- Toppings: Use any toppings you’d like on this focaccia – tomatoes, olives, cheese – the possibilities are endless!
- Sourdough Starter: Ripe, active sourdough starter can be substituted for the discard if you prefer. However, if you want to make a 100% sourdough version of focaccia, I recommend this recipe here.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread
Mix the Dough
Begin preparing your focaccia bread with sourdough discard by combining sourdough discard and warm water in a large bowl. Add instant yeast and stir. You will notice the yeast begin to activate.
Add salt and bread flour to the dough and combine until a dough forms. This recipe does not require a stand or hand mixer. You can mix the dough together with your hands or with a dough whisk. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Stretch & Folds & Proofing
After letting the dough rest for 15 minutes, wet your hands and perform one set of “stretch and folds.” To perform a stretch and fold, wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach down to the bottom of the bowl of dough and pull the dough up and over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat the process by reaching to the bottom of the bowl and pulling the dough up and folding it over again. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more 1/4 turn with stretching and folding the dough. That process is considered your first stretch and fold.
Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, repeat the sets of stretch and folds. Cover and set aside for another 15 minutes. Repeat a 3rd set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rise for another half hour or until doubled in size.
While waiting for your focaccia dough to double in size, Prepare your baking dish by pouring 50 grams of light tasting olive oil into the bottom of a non-stick, metal 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Cover the entire bottom of the pan. You can add a little extra oil if desired.
Once the dough has doubled in size, dump the risen focaccia dough into the prepared pan. Gently spread it out to fill the entire pan, avoiding pushing out any bubbles that may be forming. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour.
Dimple & Bake
Prepare to bake by preheating the oven to 450ºF. Once the focaccia dough has once again doubled in size in your baking pan, pour 30 grams olive oil on top of the dough. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough by pressing your fingers into the dough all along the surface, being careful not to press all the air out of the dough. This focaccia dough will be very jiggly and aerated. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt or any desired toppings. Bake sourdough discard focaccia for 25 minutes at 450ºF. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover sourdough discard focaccia can be stored at room temperature for a few hours. After that I like to slice it and stick it in the freezer for 1-2 months. When you want to eat it, thaw it and warm it back up to enjoy it.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
Many focaccia recipes call for a long overnight rise in the refrigerator. If you have time for a long overnight rise, I would make this 100% sourdough focaccia instead. This discard version is meant to be a quick and easy way to get some delicious focaccia made if you don’t have the time for a sourdough version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. During the first rise, you can stick the dough in the refrigerator to rise overnight. After that rise, put the focaccia in the pan and proceed with the recipe, letting it rise fully before dimpling and baking.
Make sure you’re use a good quality non-stick metal pan. I’ve been using the same USA pans for years and love them. If you need a quick fix, add some parchment paper to the bottom of your pan. Top the parchment with the olive oil, then put the focaccia dough on top of that. You can also try adding a little melted butter to the bottom of your pan WITH the oil to help keep the dough from sticking.
Slice it up for sandwiches. Serve in place of dinner rolls or just dip it in some olive oil/balsamic vinegar and enjoy! We have no qualms about eating it plain and snacking on it throughout the day.
The discard itself has the fermentation benefits because it has been fermented. But that doesn’t transfer over to the extra flour you are adding to the dough unless you let it undergo a long fermentation. If you want a 100% sourdough version, this is my favorite.
Favorite Sourdough Discard Recipes
If you tried this Sourdough Discard Focaccia Recipe or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Focaccia Bread
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Equipment
- 9 by 13 pan metal
Ingredients
- 240 grams sourdough discard, about 1 cup
- 390 grams water, warm (100ºF), about 1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons
- 8 grams instant yeast, 2 teaspoons
- 10 grams salt, 1.5 teaspoons
- 550 grams bread flour, about 4 cups
- 80 grams olive oil, 6 Tablespoons
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Mix Dough: To a large bowl, add sourdough discard and warm water. Sprinkle instant yeast on top of the water. The yeast will begin to activate right away – you will notice the smell and see the yeast start to clump together. Add salt and bread flour to the dough and mix together until a dough forms. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 15 minutes.
- Stretch and Folds (3 sets over 45 minutes): After 15 minutes, take the cover off the bowl. Get your hand wet and perform one set of stretch and folds. To “stretch and fold,” wet your hand (so it doesn’t stick to the dough). Reach down to the bottom of the bowl of dough and pull the dough up and over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat the stretch and fold. Turn another quarter turn and repeat. Perform one more 1/4 turn with stretching and folding the dough. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, repeat the sets of stretch and folds. Cover and set aside for another 15 minutes. Repeat a 3rd set of stretch and folds. Cover and let rise for another half hour or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the Pan: Pour 50 grams of olive oil into the bottom of a non-stick, metal 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Cover the entire bottom of the pan. You can add a little extra oil if desired.If your pan has issues with dough sticking, put some parchment paper down first. Add the oil on top of the parchment paper and the dough on top of that.
- Proof Dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, dump the risen focaccia dough into the pan. Gently spread it out to fill the entire pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for about an hour.
- Dimple and Bake: Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Once the focaccia dough has once again doubled in size, pour 30 grams olive oil on top of the dough. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough, being careful not to press all the air out of the dough. This focaccia dough will be very jiggly and aerated. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt or any desired toppings and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Cool completely and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I put this in the fridge after the stretch and fold and when the 30 minutes rise is done? I am unable to bake right away.
Yes, that should work.
My niece in North Carolina shared this recipe with her mom, and my sister in California shared this recipe with me in Hawaii. My niece named her sourdough discard Nigel the 3rd. Her first two discard didn’t make it. 😫 she then shared some discard to her good friend and she named it Nigel the 4th, and some to my sister and she named it Nigel the 5th, lastly to me in Hawaii, I named it Nigel Havii the 6th. We all share your recipe and loved this bread. I make it almost every week. Much Aloha! This bread is ono!
I’m glad sourdough has become a family affair! Aloha!
I made this yesterday, and it was perfect. I topped it simply with flakey salt and oregano, to pair with the flavor profiles I’d planned for dinner. I’ll definitely make it again when I have starter discard to use up. It would be great topped with caramelized onions, sundried tomatoes or olives.
Yum! That sounds delicious.
This made truly delicious light fluffy bread
Agreed! Thanks for the review.
My family loved this! And although I haven’t successfully made sourdough bread yet this made me feel like a winner! Can this be used as a pizza crust? I love the crunchy doughiness of it. I saw your true sourdough focaccia pizza recipe but wondered if this one would work.
I think that could work! Happy baking.
I loved this use of discard! My husband is already on his fourth piece not that long after it came out of the oven! Great recipe for an “ice day” at home.
I’m glad it made for the perfect “ice day” bake! Enjoy.
I loveeeeee this recipe, I was baking foccacia with yeast anyway and I was looking for an idea how to use my discard starter and this recipe is just perfect, starter makes the foccacia more tasty and more bubbly and airy I loveeeeee this recipe thank You for sharing p.s. I need to do the sourdough version too
I’m glad you love the recipe. Enjoy!
Can I mix everything up, do stretch and folds and put in fridge overnight- then pull out to rest for 2 hours before baking?
I think that should work!
Use made this for the first time and it’s delicious! I will definitely be making it again. I added roasted garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Yummmmm! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Yum! Thanks for the review.
This is a great recipe, and with the instant yeast it took some pressure off. After failing with my sourdough bread a few times this was a must needed win. Heavenly right out of the oven!
There’s nothing better than fresh focaccia! Enjoy!