I’ve mentioned before, and posted recipes for, sourdough bread, using my wonderful aged and active San Francisco-born starter. I keep my starter small, to reduce the amount of discard (having worked in a large commercial production kitchen, I hate discarding ANYTHING!). My starter regimen is this: from my daily starter feeding, I retain 5 grams of starter, add 20 grams whole-wheat flour, and 20 grams of spring water, and save the remaining starter in a 1-pint Mason jar. When I have about 200 grams of discard I make something with it, like lemon and olive oil quick bread, zucchini-and-carrot quick bread, banana bread, or my favorite, herb-and-garlic focaccia. Adding the discard to my focaccia recipe produces an incredible extra layer of flavor that sings, and it keeps me from wasting beautiful ingredients. In addition, making foccacia allows me to experiment with flavor combinations using other concoctions I make myself, such as garlic-infused olive oil, lemon-and-fennel coarse salt, tomato sauce, jalapeno relish, pickled red onions, and home-grown pepperoncini peppers.

But here’s the basic focaccia platform, based on a recipe from Grace in My Space, which has become one of my go-to sources of all things sourdough.

INGREDIENTS:

• 170 grams sourdough discard (preferably fed at some point in the last 72 hours)
• 284 grams lukewarm water (90-105 degrees F)
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 225 grams high-protein bread flour
• 280 grams all-purpose unbleached flour
• 2 tsp fine pink Himalayan or sea salt

PREPARATION:

1. Begin by dissolving 170 grams of sourdough discard in 284 grams of warm water in a mixing bowl. Mix in 1 tsp of instant yeast and let sit for 10-15 minutes to let the yeast bloom.
2. Add 225 grams of bread flour (spooned) and 280 grams unbleached all-purpose flour. Turn your mixer onto level 1 and mix ingredients with a dough hook attachment. Once the water-and-flour mixture is combined, add 2 tsp (11 grams) fine salt and continue mixing on level 3-4 until the dough is smooth and pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl (the amount of time you allow your dough to mix will depend on your mixer, starter hydration, and temperature. Start with 4-5 minutes and then check your dough. When it is ready, it will not be too sticky to the touch and will stretch easily.
3. Cover your mixed dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1-2 hours until it has doubled in size. I do this in the oven with the light turned on.
4. Once your dough has doubled in size, line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tbs. of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil in the bottom of the lined pan and spread with a basting brush.
5. Dump your dough into the oiled pan, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, and use your fingers to spread it evenly to all four corners of the baking pan. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the top of the dough.
6. Then, add your fresh herbs and lightly dimple the dough further with wet fingertips to push the herbs into the dough.
7. Once the herbs are added, cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise another 1 hour.
8. When the dough has completed its second rise, top with flaky salt, red onion, and minced garlic. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 15 minutes.
9. After 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 450 degrees and rotate the pan 180 degrees, to help it bake evenly. Bake at 450 for 7-12 more minutes, until the top of the dough is nicely browned.
10. Remove the focaccia from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

TOPPINGS:

• 5 tbs high-quality olive oil, divided
• Flaky sea salt (I use Maldon salt, sometimes the smoked variety)
• 1/8 of a red onion, sliced thin lengthwise
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 sprigs chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp dried thyme alternative)
• 2 sprigs chopped fresh oregano (1 tsp dried oregano alternative)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped (or not!)

NOTES: Some alternative foccacia toppings, or use your imagination for others.

• Freshly harvested home-grown rosemary and garlic, using garlic-infused olive oil
• Butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins (often soaked in rum or brandy), and glazed with a milk-and-10X sugar glaze
• Kalamata olives, cherry tomato halves, and rosemary
• Freshly made tomato sauce, mozzarella, oregano, and assorted pizza toppings of your choice