Chilli and Garlic Sourdough Focaccia

Light, fluffy and FULL of flavour! This recipe was created by Lara Green, who adds a delicious twist to a sourdough focaccia with Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt to impress your guests. It pairs perfectly with dips, pasta and antipasti, where the hints of chilli and garlic elevate it from ‘fluffy’ to fantastic.

Cold proofing overnight in the fridge makes for an extra soft, pillowy focaccia with the most delicious golden crust.

How to make chilli and garlic sourdough focaccia

1. Place the warm water into a bowl with the levain/sourdough starter and honey and whisk to combine. Add the flours and stir until no dry bits remain. Put a towel over the bowl and place somewhere warm.
2. 30 minutes later, add both the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt, using your fingers to pinch them into the dough. Cover the bowl with the tea towel and place back in the warm spot.
3. 30 minutes later, perform your first set of stretch and folds: starting from the furthest edge, pull and stretch the dough up and then fold it down over itself. Turn the bowl and repeat until you have completed four stretch and folds. Set your timer for three additional sets of folds – spaced half an hour apart, leaving the covered dough to rest after each set.
4. Using 2 tbsp of the oil, generously grease and line a 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, then place more oil on top of the paper. Transfer the focaccia dough to the baking dish, cover and place back in the warm spot for another 1-2 hours. Then cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
5. The following morning, remove the focaccia from the fridge and place in the warm spot to bring it back to room temperature. You’ll know when it’s ready as the dough will have noticeably risen and look soft and pillowy on the surface (around 3-4 hours).
6. Preheat the oven to 215C.
7. Remove the cling film from the baking pan and with wet hands, massage the dough to create dimples in the surface of the focaccia. Drizzle with the remaining tbsp of oil and scatter with a pinch of both the Maldon Chilli Sea Salt and Maldon Garlic Sea Salt.
8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the pan and bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown on the surface and light and crispy on the base and edges. Allow to cool thoroughly before cutting into slices.

*If using Instant Yeast instead of a sourdough starter, simply add the yeast with the flour and mix to combine. Follow the same sequence of steps above.