Fermented Garlic Honey and Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia BreadPhoto by Jennifer Padilla on intentionallyliving.wixsite.com
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Fermented Garlic Honey and Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia Bread

  • Author: Jennifer Padilla

Description

Focaccia bread was the gateway “drug” into Sourdough. It was the second recipe I tried, and my family and friends became as addicted as I did. Since that first loaf on February 12, 2022 I have fiddled with and tweaked the recipe a million times to come up with our family’s favorite version. I hope you join me in the kitchen today and whip up some delicious and beautiful Fermented Garlic Honey and Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia Bread.

Ingredients

  • 50g active sourdough starter
  • 375g cool water (unchlorinated)
  • 20g Fermented Garlic Honey*
  • 200g unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 300g spelt flour (this can be replaced with all-purpose flour or with a whole wheat flour)
  • 9g fine sea salt
  • 7g dried rosemary leaves
Ingredients for greasing the pan:
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Avocado Oil
A selection of our favorite toppings:
  • Nasturtium Leaves
  • Baby Kale Leaves
  • Baby Swiss Chard Leaves
  • Halved Cherry Tomatoes
  • Bell Pepper Rings
  • Peeled Carrot Roses
  • Dried/Fresh Herbs
  • Thin Onion Slices
  • Garlic Cloves
  • Flaky Sea Salt
*If you don’t have garlic fermented in honey on hand you can absolutely replace it with your favorite honey, just note that it will not have that underlying garlic flavor in the bread. Garlic fermented in honey is a great medicinal thing to have in your cabinet so I would suggest looking into it.

Instructions

Instructions: (this is an 18-22 hour process)
The night before you want the finished product mix the starter, water and honey together in a large bowl. I suggest using a Danish dough whisk for this process but you can use a fork. Add the flours, salt and rosemary and mix until thoroughly incorporated. If you are using a fork you will probably need to finish out with your hands. You want to mix until all of the flour is completely incorporated. The dough will be a sticky looser dough.
 
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let it rise for 12-18 hours. The length of time will depend on how warm your home is. 70 degrees is optimal, if it is cooler it will be closer to the 18 hours and if it is warmer then it may be slightly shorter. When it is ready the dough should just about double in size and be stringy as you pull it away from the bowl. It may also be bubbly on the top of the dough.
 
When your dough is ready then you will prepare your pan for baking. If you want a thicker focaccia then you will want to put a single batch in an 11×7 pan or a pie dish. If you are wanting a thinner focaccia (our favorite) then place it in a larger dish or split into two pie dishes. You will want to coat the pan with a thin layer of butter (don’t skip this or your bread will stick to the pan). Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the entire bottom of the pan you are using. Place the dough into the pan and then flip it over so both sides are coated with the oil. (If the pan looks really dry at this point you will want to add more oil.) Cover the dough and let it rise for another 1.5-2 hours.
 
Preheat oven to 425 F.
 
Your dough should look a little puffy at this point. You will take your fingers and press dimples into the dough, stretching the dough in this process towards the edges of the pan. Decorate your dough with whatever toppings you desire. This can be as simple (garlic and salt) or as elaborate (a garden scene) as you want. Press toppings into the dough as they are placed. Sprinkle with flaky salt just before popping in the oven.
 
Bake for 25-30 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Remove and let cool for as long as you can wait. Slice and enjoy.
 
 
 

Notes

You can freeze left over slices, or eat fresh within 2 days. You can store in foil or in a Ziploc at room temperature for 2 days.