The red focaccia with sourdough is a tall, soft, and juicy flatbread, with a highly hydrated dough that makes everything really tasty! Perfect for a snack for both kids and adults, for aperitifs or appetizers, it’s a must at birthday parties or picnics… just make sure you have a napkin 😊 If you want to try making it with me, let’s start the stand mixer and knead!
This red focaccia couldn’t be missing among my numerous variants of flatbreads on this blog… I’ll leave you with just a few of them, but there are many more!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Red Focaccia with Sourdough
To make this red focaccia, besides using my sourdough Gino, I kneaded with a blend formulated by Molino Colombo: the Light Focaccia which contains rice semolina and potato flakes, making it soft and crunchy at the same time. To approximate the result of the blend, you can subtract 50 g from the total flour weight and replace it with half rice flour and half re-milled semolina.
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (medium/high strength)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 oz sourdough starter
- 1 tsp sugar (or malt)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 14 oz tomato pulp
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp coarse salt
Tools for Making Red Focaccia with Sourdough
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Ladle
- 2 Salad Bowls
- 1 Cling Film
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Container
Steps
To prepare the dough for this red focaccia, it’s essential to develop a good gluten network. For this, I used the autolyse technique, which is very useful for creating strong gluten bonds. Of course, it’s not strictly necessary, and if you don’t have time, you can proceed directly to the dough with the original measurements. The recipe starts with the autolyse, but if it’s not possible, a traditional dough can be made.
Pour the flour into a bowl (whether it’s sifted or not doesn’t matter).
Add 200 ml of water all at once.
First with a wooden spoon and then with your hands, roughly absorb the water into the flour. Cover with cling film and let rest for at least an hour.
In the stand mixer, tear the sourdough starter and add 70 ml of the remaining water and the sugar (or malt).
Dissolve the starter well with the paddle attachment until it becomes a milky liquid.
Start adding the result of the autolyse little by little.
Alternate parts of the autolyzed dough with the remaining water, still using the paddle attachment.
Finish flour and water, starting to slightly knead with the paddle attachment.
Once the dough starts to “clean” the sides of the stand mixer, detach the paddle and insert the hook.
With the hook, add the oil in two parts, being careful to maintain the kneading.
Add the salt, increase the speed, and finish the dough, which should never exceed 77°F.
Turn the dough onto a stainless steel work surface. It will be very sticky and slightly unmanageable… that’s normal! Let it rest for half an hour before proceeding with the folds.
With slightly damp hands, make envelope folds by spreading the dough as wide as possible on the work surface (if it’s wooden, it’s advisable to dust it with rice flour or dusting powder).
Close by folding from the top and bottom towards the center.
And then from left and right towards the center. Round and cover with a bowl. Repeat three times half an hour apart.
At the beginning of the three folds, the dough will seem almost unmanageable due to its hydration, but it will gradually start to structure. At the end of the three folds, place it in a lightly oiled rectangular container and, after a couple of hours, put it in the refrigerator.
The next morning, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for a couple of hours (depending on the external temperature) while preparing the sauce.
In a bowl, pour the tomato puree, 2 tbsp of oil, and the oregano, and mix very well with a spoon. Set aside to let the flavors blend.
Cover the baking tray with parchment paper and drizzle with oil. Turn the dough over and let it relax.
Gently spread it out with your fingertips, taking care not to break the fermentation bubbles. As soon as it begins to retract, cover it with cling film and a cloth and wait for half an hour.
Finish spreading, pour the remaining oil over it, cover with cling film and a cloth, and wait for an hour.
Once risen, the dough should appear nice and puffy. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 428°F.
Pour almost all of the seasoned tomato puree over it to cover it as much as possible (about two-thirds) and wait for the oven to reach temperature.
Bake the red focaccia with sourdough for 20 minutes (depending on your oven’s performance). Remove from oven and pour the remaining seasoned tomato puree over it. Re-bake for 10 minutes at 392°F. This double baking will make it very tomatoey!
Remove from oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Once it has cooled a bit, you can cut it into squares and enjoy it… alone or with company, for any occasion that comes to mind!
Storage and Tips
The red focaccia with sourdough keeps for about 4 days if covered. It can also be frozen or kept in the fridge and then reheated, and the result will be excellent. This focaccia is also a base to be filled as you like, turning it into a real pizza. How would you fill it? Come tell me on Instagram!
