Flavour & Fire
The Sourdough Journal
Focaccia: The Beautiful Rescue
When the loaf doesn’t go according to plan, the dough may not be lost at all.
Sometimes sourdough has other plans. Perhaps you forgot the dough during bulk fermentation, or it rose further than you expected. Maybe it has become soft and difficult to shape, or the tension you built into it has simply disappeared.
You could try to force it into a loaf. Or you could stop fighting it.
Focaccia is one of the most forgiving ways to give sourdough a second chance. Instead of asking the dough to hold a tall shape, you let it spread into a generously oiled pan, give it time to settle, press your fingers into the surface and bake it until the edges are golden and crisp.
The result may be completely different from the loaf you had imagined. It can also be very good.
The Method at a Glance
These are starting points for one focaccia made from roughly 500–700 g of dough, baked in a tin of about 20 × 30 cm.
Finish: rest briefly in the tin, then lift out and finish with a final drizzle of good olive oil
Oil: 3–4 tbsp olive oil in the tin, plus extra for your hands and the surface
First rest: 20–30 minutes in the oiled tin, then gently stretch the dough towards the edges
Second rest: 30–60 minutes, until the dough looks airy and gently wobbles when the tin is moved
Dimple: add olive oil, then press your fingertips deeply into the dough without breaking through
Bake: 220–230°C for about 20–25 minutes, until deeply golden
When the Loaf Doesn’t Go to Plan
Sourdough is adaptable, but it is not endlessly forgiving. A dough that has fermented too far can lose much of its strength. It may become slack and sticky, and instead of holding a neat boule or bâtard, it can spread across the work surface the moment you turn it out.
This is often when a baker thinks: I’ve ruined it.
But a failed loaf and failed dough are not the same thing. Focaccia changes the question. You no longer need the dough to stand tall, to have a tight surface, a beautiful score or a dramatic oven spring. You simply need to give it somewhere to go, and a little olive oil.
When Focaccia Can Save the Dough
Focaccia is a good option when your dough is:
- too soft or slack to shape, or unable to hold tension
- noticeably overproofed
- spread out after shaping
- the result of a much longer fermentation than planned
It can also be a deliberate choice. If you have dough in the fridge and realise focaccia sounds better than the bread you originally planned, that isn’t really a rescue at all. It’s just changing your mind.
The Method at a Glance
This makes one focaccia from roughly 500–700 g of dough, in a tin of about 20 × 30 cm.
- Oil: 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil in the tin, plus more for your hands and the top
- Rest: 20–30 minutes in the oiled tin, then stretch
- Second rest: 30–60 minutes, until the dough looks puffy and jiggles when you shake the tin
- Oven: 220–230°C, preheated properly
- Bake: 20–25 minutes, until deeply golden
From Loaf to Focaccia
Instead of shaping the dough, tip it into the oiled tin and let it relax. If it has been in the fridge, give it a little time to lose the chill first.
Then, with well-oiled fingers, gently stretch it towards the edges. If it resists, leave it alone for 10–15 minutes and try again. The dough does not need to be forced. Once it has spread, let it rest until it looks airy and puffy.
Then comes the part that makes focaccia unmistakably focaccia.
The Dimpled Surface
Pour a little olive oil over the dough, then press your fingertips into the surface, deep enough to reach close to the base of the tin without pushing through. You are creating small wells for the oil and salt to settle into as it bakes.
There is no need for symmetry. The dimples can be irregular and the edges uneven. That is part of the appeal.
Keep the Toppings Simple
A generous coating of olive oil and flaky salt can be enough. Rosemary is the classic partner, and thyme, sage, roasted garlic, cherry tomatoes, olives, thinly sliced onion or a little chilli all work well.
Avoid covering the whole surface, because the dough should still be able to speak for itself.
Baking
Bake in a properly preheated oven at 220–230°C for around 20–25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough, your tin and your oven.
You are looking for contrast: golden and crisp around the edges, soft and airy inside.
If the top colours too quickly while the centre still needs time, lower the temperature slightly and carry on. Let the focaccia rest briefly in the tin, then lift it out and add a final drizzle of good olive oil.
What If the Dough Has Gone Too Far?
This is where focaccia earns its place. An overproofed dough has already done most of its fermenting, so the goal now is to disturb it as little as possible.
- Skip or shorten the second rest. Once the dough is stretched and dimpled, it may be ready for the oven almost immediately.
- Handle it gently. Ease it into the oiled tin rather than degassing or kneading it back into shape.
- Expect a slightly more sour flavour. Flaky salt, plenty of olive oil and a strong topping such as rosemary or caramelised onion can balance this well.
A dough that is overproofed but otherwise healthy may be very soft, loose and bubbly, and smell tangy, yeasty or slightly boozy while still smelling pleasant. If it still has some structure, you may end up with a beautifully open, irregular crumb.
If it is flatter than expected, that is still focaccia.
When Focaccia Can’t Rescue It
Focaccia is forgiving, but it is not magic.
If the dough has sat at an unsuitable temperature for far too long, smells unpleasant rather than pleasantly fermented, shows any sign of spoilage or has become unsafe to eat, don’t try to rescue it.
When in doubt, throw it away.
A disappointing loaf is frustrating, but food safety matters more.
A Different Definition of Failure
There is something quietly useful about having focaccia in your sourdough repertoire. It takes away some of the pressure.
When every batch has to become a perfect loaf, a missed fermentation window can feel like a disaster. Once you know the dough has other possible destinations, sourdough becomes a little less precious.
A boule can become focaccia. A shaping problem can become lunch. An overproofed afternoon can become a tray of golden bread shared around the table.
And perhaps that is one of the nicest things sourdough can teach you:
not everything has to turn out exactly as planned to turn out well.
The Beautiful Rescue
So the next time your dough refuses to become the loaf you imagined, don’t reach straight for the flour and start again.
Look at the dough. Feel it. Ask yourself what it can still become.
If it is soft, fermented and full of life, there may be no reason to call it a failure.
Oil a pan. Ease the dough inside. Give it time. Dimple it generously. Add salt.
nd let the oven do the rest.
Sometimes the best bread is the bread you never intended to make.
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Focaccia: The Beautiful Rescue
Not everything has to go to plan to turn out well.