Sourdough Margarita Focaccia

🧂 Ingredients

• 55 grams sourdough starter

  fed, active starter
• 250 grams water
• 360 grams bread flour
• 6 grams salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil

  plus more for drizzling
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese ball
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

  halved
• Flaky sea salt

  like Maldon
• 1/3 cup fresh torn basil leaves

Instructions

• 1 Combine the sourdough starter and water in a large mixing bowl. Add in the flour
  and salt, then mix together until the flour is fully incorporated.
• 2 Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• 3 After resting, stretch and fold. Lightly wet your hands, then grab a portion of
  the dough from one side, gently stretch it upwards, and then fold it over the
  rest of the dough. Repeat this motion, working your way around the dough,
  stretching and folding in sections. Do this for about 4-6 stretches and folds
  total, resting about 30 minutes in between. The dough will start to feel
  smoother and more elastic with each stretch and fold.
• 4 Cover and let rise overnight at room temperature, about 10-12 hours, until the
  dough has almost doubled in size. The temperature of your kitchen will vary how
  long it takes– my dough doubles in about 8 hours in the summer and 12-14 hours
  in the winter. Watch the dough, not the clock. You can use a marked, high-sided
  dough tub [https://amzn.to/41gZB28] to easily see if your dough has risen. If
  you aren’t ready to make the focaccia pizza right away, then pop your doubled
  dough in the fridge until ready to bake. 
• 5 Add 1/4 cup olive oil to a 9×13 inch baking pan. Use your hands to rub the
  bottom and the sides of the pan until all covered.
• 6 Add the dough directly into the pan, oil your fingertips and gently dimple and
  stretch the dough, trying to reach the corners and sides of the pan. As the
  dough relaxes, it will spread out. It’s OK if the dough is tight, don’t force
  it– let the dough sit, and then try again. It doesn’t need to touch the edges
  now, but should be close.
• 7 Cover the pan with an inverted baking sheet and place in a warm spot to proof.
  In the summer, the top of my stove when it’s on is warm enough, or in the
  winter– I use a turned off oven with the light on. Allow the dough to proof for
  30 minutes.
• 8 Remove the pan from the dough and dimple the dough again, like you did before.
  It should now easily touch the sides of the pan. Cover and let rest another 30
  minutes.
• 9 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• 10 When ready to cook, place the cherry tomatoes all over the dough, pressing them
  down to stick. Dollop pieces of the mozzarella cheese all over the dough, then
  sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
• 11 Bake for 20-25, or until golden brown and crispy around the edges.
• 12 Remove pizza from oven and garnish with the basil leaves. Drizzle with more
  olive oil, slice and serve!

Nutrition Info