This website uses affiliate links which may earn commission made for purchases at no extra cost to you.
Easy Overnight Focaccia Bread: The Perfect Beginner-Friendly Recipe
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly bread recipe that delivers incredible flavor with minimal effort, this Easy Overnight Focaccia Bread is the perfect choice. With a soft, airy interior and a golden, crispy crust, this focaccia is simple to make and perfect for anyone new to baking sourdough. The best part? It requires little hands-on time and the dough does most of the work overnight.
Why This Focaccia is Perfect for Beginners
Focaccia bread is one of the easiest sourdough recipes for beginners because it doesn’t require complicated shaping or special equipment. The dough is incredibly forgiving, making it easy to work with, even for those new to sourdough baking.
The Simple Ingredients You Need
This overnight focaccia recipe uses minimal ingredients, making it perfect for beginners:
Dough Ingredients:
- 100g active sourdough starter
- 400g filtered water (use 380g if using all-purpose flour)
- 30g olive oil
- 500g bread flour
- 10g salt
For Before Baking:
- Seasonings or herbs of your choice (onion powder and dried rosemary shown here, but feel free to get creative!)
- Extra olive oil for drizzling the pan and topping the dough
Feeding Your Sourdough Starter
Before starting your dough, make sure your sourdough starter is healthy and active. About 6 hours before you begin, feed your starter with a 1:1:1 ratio—50g of starter, 50g of unbleached flour, and 50g of water. This ensures that your starter is bubbly and ready to go for your focaccia!
Here’s an easy timeline for you to follow-
- Mix the Dough 8pm:
In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, and olive oil. Stir until the mixture looks milky, then add the flour and salt. Mix until there are no dry flour clumps. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour. - Stretch and Fold 9- 9:30pm:
Focaccia dough is flexible, but it benefits from a couple of stretch-and-folds. Perform 1-2 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. This step helps build structure and strength in the dough. - Bulk Fermentation 8pm-8am:
Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature for 10-12 hours, or overnight. By the end of this step, the dough should have doubled in size and be beautifully bubbly and airy. - Shape and Proof 8am-10am:
In the morning once bulk fermentation is complete- Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Transfer the dough into the pan. Gently fold both sides of the dough toward the middle and flip it upside down in the pan. Let it rest for an additional 1-2 hours to allow the dough to relax and spread out in the pan. - Add Toppings and Dimple 10am:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Drizzle the top of the dough generously with more olive oil, then sprinkle your chosen seasonings or herbs on top. Using both hands, press your fingers into the dough to create deep dimples across the surface. This step helps give focaccia its signature texture. - Bake 10am:
Bake the focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C) and has a golden, crispy crust. - Cool and Serve 10:30am:
Remove the focaccia from the oven, let it cool slightly, and transfer it out of the pan. Top with flaky sea salt, slice, and enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for beginners: With minimal effort and simple steps, anyone can make delicious focaccia.
- Overnight fermentation: The slow fermentation allows for deep flavor development with minimal hands-on time.
- Customizable: Feel free to top your focaccia with your favorite herbs and seasonings, from rosemary to garlic or even olives.
- Light, fluffy texture: The gentle fermentation and stretching give the bread its airy crumb and crisp, golden crust.
Tips for Success
- Use an active sourdough starter: For best results, make sure your starter is bubbly and active before using it.
- Don’t skip the olive oil: It adds flavor and ensures a golden, crispy crust.
- Patience is key: Let the dough rest overnight for the best texture and flavor.
Easy Overnight Sourdough Focaccia Bread
My overnight sourdough focaccia is one of the easiest sourdough recipes for beginners! With minimal ingredients and no complicated shaping, it creates a soft, airy bread with a crispy, golden crust.
Print
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 400 g warm filtered water use 380g if using all-purpose flour
- 30 g olive oil
- 500 g unbleached bread flour
- 10 g salt
- Seasonings or herbs of choice onion powder and dried rosemary shown here, but feel free to be creative!
- 1/4 cup Extra olive oil for drizzling the pan and topping the dough
Instructions
- Mix the Dough before bed: In a large bowl, combine the 100g of sourdough starter, 400g warm filtered water, and 30g olive oil. Stir until the mixture looks milky. Add the 500g of bread flour and 10g salt, then mix until there are no dry flour clumps. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
- Stretch and Fold: Focaccia dough is flexible, but it benefits from a couple sets of stretch and folds. Perform stretch and folds by gently pulling one side of the dough upward, then folding it over itself; rotate the bowl and repeat on all four sides to build strength and structure. Perform 1-2 sets of spaced 30 minutes apart, covering your dough in between.
- Bulk Fermentation: Allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature for 8-12 hours or overnight, until it has doubled in size, is bubbly, and jiggly. Its ok if it over ferments, focaccia is very forgiving!
- Shape and Proof: In the morning once bulk fermentation is complete- Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Transfer the dough into the pan. Gently fold both sides of the dough toward the middle and flip it upside down in the pan. Let it rest for an additional 1-2 hours to allow the dough to relax and spread out in the pan.
- Add Toppings and Dimple: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Drizzle the top of the dough generously with olive oil, then sprinkle your chosen seasonings or herbs on top. Using both hands, press your fingers into the dough to create deep dimples across the surface.
- Bake: Bake the focaccia for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C) and has a golden, crispy crust.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the focaccia from the oven, let it cool slightly, and transfer it out of the pan. Top with flaky sea salt, slice, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
I’ve added a video to this recipe for my visual learners!
Leave a Reply