Tangy Sourdough Discard Focaccia

Calling all sourdough bakers!

Tangy sourdough discard focaccia…

…is another great way to use sourdough discard!  This bread is a crustier, chewier cousin of San Francisco sourdough. You can use up to 2 cups of discard in this recipe!  Not only that, but it’s quick for a sourdough recipe. From start to finish, it’s just several hours, and shorter if you are using all discard and a little bit of baker’s yeast. If you want a gourmet treat that comes together fast, is great to freeze and your guests will love, meet your new go-to, Tangy Sourdough Discard Focaccia!

You don’t need to use a mixer either.  A dough whisk is fine, like this one from King Arthur.  Or you could easily use a wooden spoon.

I love to use this bread as an appetizer on a Mediterranean themed charcuterie board.  Definitely serve it with a good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  So many things go well with this: hummus, olives, and prosciutto or thinly sliced ham. And grapes.  Definitely grapes for a sweet contrast.  But I digress…

Starter and Discard

This recipe uses two cups of sourdough discard, or one cup fed, bubbly starter and one cup discard.  If you do the latter, you won’t have to use yeast.  Using all discard and yeast will give you a tangier focaccia and it will be ready faster, because you don’t want the acid to sit too long and break down the gluten.

Here is it will look like in the bowl if you use half fed, bubbly starter and half sourdough discard.

When you add water, the fed, bubbly starter should float.  This indicates it will be able to raise your tangy delicious focaccia!  But I will let you in on a little secret.  If you have a good starter and it is active and bubbly, you’ll get results even if it doesn’t completely float.   However, if you want to be sure, wait until it floats.

If you are using all starter, here is where you will sprinkle over your 1 tsp of baker’s yeast.

Let’s mix this bread!

Once you add the four and salt, you can use a wooden spoon or dough whisk to mix.  I like the dough whisk for use here because it easily incorporates everything and it also scrapes the sides of the bowl pretty well!

Once the dough is mixed, you’ll be letting it rise until it gets bubbly. Honestly, mine never actually doubles so I depend upon the bubbles to let me know when the fermentation has spread to the whole mixture.  It’s not crazy bubbly either, just bubbles throughout.

One thing about this recipe.  The dough will be sticky, very sticky.  Very high hydration!  Once you have your baking sheets prepared with parchment and olive oil, you will have to just dive in and grab a gob of what looks like half of the dough.  Then grab half of the half.  Plop that on the baking sheet in the olive oil, leaving room for blob number 2 that will need to fit on the sheet. As you are doing that the rest will kind of melt back together. Hopefully the remaining quarter will be discernible, and you can grab that one and put it opposite the first one on the baking sheet.  Then grab half of the remaining half and do the same thing on baking sheet number 2.

Bottom line: you are going for four blobs of sticky dough.  You won’t be shaping them, trust me.

Remember to  just land  them on the puddle of olive oil so they aren’t sticking to the paper and you’ll be good!

When they are baked they should look golden.  And crisp on the bottoms.  Wait until they are warm and tear off a piece.

So what is important about this?

• Good use of resources–budget friendly
• fairly easy and quick to make
• freezes well to make ahead
• people really love the flavor of this
• good for family, company, and meals to take,

 But this is the most important!

• a non-verbal expression of love and care from your hands to others

Want to learn more about Biblical Womanhood? Check out Resources !!!

Tangy Sourdough Discard Focaccia

Use your sourdough discard to make this tangy, crusty bread!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Sourdough discard
• 1 cup Active, bubbly sourdough starter, or use another 1 cup discard and use the baker's yeast, below
• 1 tsp Baker's yeast optional, only if using all discard
• 800 g Water
• 400 g White unbleached all purpose or bread flour
• 20 g Unrefined salt for adding to dough
• 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil divided into two 1/4 cups for use on 2 parchment, lined baking sheets
• 2 tsp Unrefined salt for sprinkling on 4 dough rounds
• 2 Tbs Fresh or dried rosemary leaves for sprinkling on 4 dough rounds, optional
• 2 Tbs Extra virgin olive oil For drizzling on the dough before adding salt

Equipment

• Oven
• 2 Sheet pans
• Parchment Paper

Method

 

1. In large stainless or pottery bowl, add 1 cup sourdough discard and 1 cup sourdough starter
2. If using all starter, use 2 cups discard instead of step 1
3. Add water and mix with discard/starter using dough whisk or wooden spoon
4. Only if you are using all discard, sprinkle in 1 tsp baker's yeast and mix in
5. Add white flour and 15 g salt
6. Mix thoroughly with dough whisk or spoon until everything is well incorporated
7. Let rise for 3-4 hours or until mixture has active bubbles. It will be very sticky.
8. If you are using all starter and baker's yeast, change the rising method to this: just let rise 60-90 minutes until you see bubbles or signs of yeast activity
9. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour 1/4 cup in two "puddles" on one of the baking sheets. If olive oil runs together, that's fine.

   Repeat with the second 1/4 cup of olive oil on the second baking sheet.
10. When you put the dough on the sheets you will be wanting the dough to be squarely in the olive oil in two separate blobs per sheet. With wet hands, reach in bowl, grabbing about 1/2 of the mixture. Then, still in the bowl, take that half and grab half of that. Quickly remove it and plop it in center of olive oil puddle on baking sheet. It should move freely on the olive oil.
11. Do the same with the other three quarters of the dough, so you have two quarters on each baking sheet.
12. Let rest for one hour, uncovered. If you are using all starter and baker's yeast, let rest for only 20 minutes.
13. Place oven racks as follows: one high and one low.

    Preheat oven to 425°.
14. Sprinkle rosemary leaves on the 4 rounds
15. With wet hands, gently put small dents in the 4 doughs with your fingertips. Drizzle the dough with about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil so the oil collects in the dents.
16. Sprinkle the 2 tsp of salt evenly all over on the 4 rounds
17. When oven is up to temperature, put one baking sheet on the top rack and one on the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes
18. Switch baking sheets (Top baking sheet to bottom rack, and vice versa)

    Bake for 15 more minutes, or until breads are golden brown on both top and bottom
19. Let cool, and serve by letting people break off hunks, or cutting in wedges, or cutting in strips. The hunks and wedges work great for serving with soup and pasta dishes; the strips are good for appetizers.