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Sourdough Focaccia

Sourdough Focaccia

⏱ 24 hours 👥 8 serves Track 6

The Story

This is the epic — the 24-hour ambient track you let play in the background while life happens around it. Sourdough focaccia doesn't rush. It rises slowly, builds flavour in layers, rewards patience with a crust that shatters and a crumb that pulls like silk.

The rhythm is largo larghissimo — as slow as it gets. Mix the dough, let the starter work its magic overnight, fold, rest, dimple, bake. Every step is simple, but the time between steps is where the flavour lives. The wild yeast hums quietly in the bowl, turning flour and water into something profound.

This is bread for weekend mornings, for dipping in olive oil, for tearing and sharing. Rosemary and cherry tomatoes stud the surface like notes on a staff. When it comes out of the oven, golden and crackling, you'll know the wait was worth it.

Credits (Ingredients)

  • 500g bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
  • 100g active sourdough starter
  • 350ml lukewarm water
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 60ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Lyrics (Method)

  1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sourdough starter, and water. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. It will look shaggy and rough — that's fine. Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes.
  2. After 30 minutes, add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly, squeezing and folding until the salt is fully incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Perform a series of stretch-and-folds: wet your hand, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times (one full rotation). Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this process 3 more times over the next 2 hours.
  4. After the final fold, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight (12-18 hours). This slow fermentation is where the flavour develops.
  5. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 1 hour. Generously oil a large baking tray (about 25x35cm) with olive oil.
  6. Turn the dough out onto the oiled tray and gently stretch it to fit, coaxing it into the corners. If it resists, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again. Once stretched, cover and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours until puffy and nearly doubled.
  7. Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Dimple the dough all over with your fingertips, creating deep wells. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then press in the rosemary sprigs and cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden and crisp on the edges. The bottom should sound hollow when tapped. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before tearing into it — if you can wait that long.

Nutrition (Per Serve)

Energy 280 kcal
Protein 7g
Carbs 42g
Fat 9g