I want to tell you about the day I accidentally made the best bread of my life while panicking in my kitchen in my socks. It was a Tuesday, dinner was two hours away, and I had just remembered I had promised to bring bread to a last-minute get-together at my neighbor’s house. I had no active starter ready to go, a jar of neglected sourdough discard in the back of the fridge, and a very unhelpful dog staring at me. What came out of that chaotic, slightly sweaty afternoon was a sourdough discard focaccia so golden, so garlicky, and so impossibly good that my neighbor asked me if I had bought it from a bakery. Reader, I did not.
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If you have a jar of discard sitting in your fridge right now, please stop what you are doing and make this focaccia. It comes together faster than almost any other sourdough project, it requires zero active starter, and it rewards you with a thick, pillowy, dimpled bread that tastes like it took all day. I am going to walk you through exactly how I make it, share the embarrassing details of how I discovered this recipe, and give you every tip I have learned along the way.
Why Sourdough Discard Focaccia Is the Best Thing in Your Fridge Right Now
Focaccia is one of the most forgiving breads you can make, and when you add sourdough discard to the dough, something genuinely magical happens. The discard brings a gentle tang and a subtle depth of flavor that you simply cannot get from a straight commercial yeast loaf. Because we are using discard and not an active levain as the sole leavener, we do supplement with a small amount of instant yeast here to keep things moving and get dinner on the table at a reasonable hour. But the discard is the soul of this bread. It is what makes people lean over the pan and say, “wait, what IS that?”
The other reason I love this recipe specifically is the texture. Focaccia is meant to be baked in a generous pool of olive oil, which creates a crispy, almost fried bottom crust while the interior stays cloud-soft and airy. Combined with the slight acidity from the discard, the result is a bread that is complex and satisfying in a way that a simple white focaccia just is not. It is also, as I discovered on that frantic Tuesday, entirely achievable before dinner.
What You Will Need to Make This Recipe
The Gear
Let me talk about the pan first, because it genuinely matters more than people think. A flimsy dark pan will give you unevenly cooked focaccia with a burnt bottom and a pale top, and that is not what we are here for. I use a half sheet pan and I am devoted to it. My current go-to is the Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet Pan, which is made right here in the USA from commercial-grade aluminum. It heats evenly, it does not warp in a hot oven, and the encapsulated steel rim keeps it sturdy through years of baking. If you want to grab two at once so you always have one clean, the Nordic Ware Naturals Half Sheet 2-Pack is a smart buy. I also love the Umite Chef Warp Resistant Baker’s Half Sheet Pan Set as a more budget-friendly option that still delivers thick, sturdy aluminum construction and consistent results.
The Olive Oil
Do not skimp on the olive oil. Focaccia is not a place for olive oil substitutes or sad, flavorless grocery store oil. I use two different olive oils in this recipe depending on what I am doing with them. For the garlic oil that goes on top before baking, I reach for Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is first cold pressed and has a bold, fruity flavor that really comes through in the finished bread. For oiling the pan generously before the dough goes in, I use Pompeian Light Taste Olive Oil, which has a higher smoke point and a neutral flavor that lets the pan get properly hot without any bitterness.
The Ingredients
- 500g bread flour (all-purpose works too, but bread flour gives more chew)
- 150g sourdough discard, straight from the fridge
- 375g lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 10g fine sea salt
- 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for the pan
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
- Flaky sea salt and fresh rosemary for topping
How to Make Focaccia with Sourdough Discard: Step by Step
Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, combine your flour, instant yeast, and salt, then give it a quick stir. Add the sourdough discard, lukewarm water, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until everything is shaggy and coming together, then switch to a stretch-and-fold technique. Pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the center, rotate the bowl, and repeat four times. This is one set. Do three or four sets over the first hour, spacing them about fifteen minutes apart. You do not need a stand mixer. Your hands are perfect for this.
The Bulk Rise and the Pan
After your stretch-and-fold sets, cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it is puffy and roughly doubled. Because we are using instant yeast alongside the discard, this usually takes one to two hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. When the dough is ready, pour a very generous glug of your light-taste olive oil into your half sheet pan and spread it around with your hands. Tip the dough into the pan and gently coax it toward the edges. Do not force it. If it springs back, walk away for ten minutes and try again. Focaccia dough is stubborn like that and the rest time fixes it every time.
Dimple, Top, and Bake
Let the dough rest in the pan for another thirty to forty-five minutes until it looks puffy and relaxed. Meanwhile, warm your robust extra virgin olive oil in a small pan with the garlic over low heat for about two minutes. You are not frying the garlic, just blooming it gently so the oil picks up all that flavor. Let it cool slightly. When the dough is ready, drizzle the garlic oil generously over the top, then press your fingers firmly into the dough all over to create those iconic dimples. Do not be shy here. Push all the way down. Scatter flaky salt and rosemary over the top. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 25 minutes until deeply golden on top and crispy on the bottom.
A Few Tips I Learned the Hard Way
- Cold discard is totally fine straight from the fridge. You do not need to bring it to room temperature first.
- More oil in the pan is almost always the right call. It sounds like too much until you taste that crispy bottom.
- If your kitchen is cool, your dough will rise more slowly. Put it in an off oven with just the light on to speed things up.
- The focaccia is done when the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it and the top is a deep, gorgeous amber. Pale focaccia is sad focaccia.
- Let it rest on a wire rack for at least ten minutes before cutting so the interior sets up properly.
The Part Where It All Worked Out
Back to that Tuesday. I pulled the pan out of the oven about seven minutes before I needed to leave, flipped the focaccia onto a cutting board to check the bottom, and immediately burned three fingers because I am nothing if not consistent. But the bottom was this perfect, crackly, golden masterpiece. I drizzled a tiny bit more extra virgin olive oil over the top while it was still warm, wrapped it loosely in parchment, and ran out the door in my coat with flour on my sleeve.