Whole Wheat Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
400g filtered room temperature water — 80%
150g active sourdough starter — 30%
30g raw honey — 6%
15g olive oil — 3%
300g whole wheat flour — 60%
200g bread flour — 40%
20g kosher salt — 4%
Method
In a large bowl, whisk together the water, starter, honey, olive oil, and salt until fully combined. Add both flours and use a rubber spatula to bring the dough together, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover with a tea towel and let rest for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, wet your hands and perform a set of coil folds. Lift the dough from underneath the center, allowing it to fold over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat the fold in the opposite direction. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
After the 30-minute rest, perform one more set of coil folds, again lifting the dough from the center and folding it over itself, then rotating the bowl and repeating. Cover and place the dough in the oven on the proof setting, or in the oven with just the light on (oven off). Let the dough rest for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, the dough should have risen significantly and look airy. Generously oil a 9x13” sheet tray or baking dish, spreading the oil evenly across the bottom and sides. Turn the dough out onto the tray and gently pull and stretch it to fit the dish. Lightly coat the top of the dough with some of the oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Place back in a warm environment and proof for 2 more hours.
Remove the dough from the oven (if that’s where it has been proofing) and preheat the oven to 425°F. Once preheated, dimple the top of the dough firmly with your fingertips, pressing all the way down to create deep dimples. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205°F-210°F.
Remove the focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool completely to prevent gumminess. If slicing while still warm, let it rest briefly first, just note that the texture may be slightly gummy. Enjoy!
NotesBakeware
I used the MADE IN porciallin 9x13” baking slap for this batch and it worked beautifully. A 1/4 sheet tray will also work along with any other baking vessel that is around the dimensions of 9x13”
Hydration
Hydration refers to how much water is in the dough compared to the total flour weight. This dough contains 500g of flour and 400g of water, which is 80% hydration to start. Additional water comes from the sourdough starter and a small amount from the honey, bringing the total hydration to about 83%. I prefer making my focaccia dough higher in hydration than a regular loaf of bread. The extra water helps create a softer, airier crumb and gives focaccia its signature light, open texture.
Wheat
For this batch, I used the whole wheat blend from FARM CLUB. It’s a restaurant, market, and farm located in Traverse City, MI. They offer so many incredible products from their farm, and the food is amazing. I choose their whole wheat over store-bought whenever possible!
