Focaccia is where discard goes to show off. The overnight rise builds open, airy holes and a flavor that tastes like you fussed far more than you did — and the whole thing is mixed with a spoon, no kneading at all. If there's one recipe in this whole newsletter to make for other people, it's this one. It looks like a bakery window and takes about ten minutes of actual work.
🫓 Overnight discard focaccia
For a 9×13 pan.
The night before, stir with a spoon until shaggy:
- 1 cup (240g) sourdough discard
- 3 1/3 cups (440g) bread flour
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) warm water
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
No kneading — just mix until there's no dry flour. Cover and refrigerate overnight, 12 to 18 hours. The cold, slow rise is what gives focaccia its big bubbles and deep flavor.
The next day, pour a generous 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, scrape the (very wet, very sticky) dough in, and turn it once to coat in oil. Let it sit 2 hours at room temperature until pillowy and relaxed to the edges. Then oil your fingers and dimple it all over — press straight down to the bottom of the pan, making deep dents across the whole surface. Drizzle with more olive oil so it pools in the dimples, scatter flaky salt and rosemary, and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 22 to 27 minutes until deep gold all over and crisp underneath. Lift a corner — the bottom should be fried-crisp from the oil. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then slide it out so the base stays crunchy. A bottle of good finishing olive oil genuinely earns its place here; it's most of the flavor.
🍳 Same-day skillet flatbread
No overnight wait? Stir 1 cup (240g) discard with 1 cup (120g) flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a splash of water into a soft dough. Rest 15 minutes, press into rounds, and cook in an oiled skillet over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until blistered and golden. Brush with garlic-herb butter and tear to share.
⚡ Puffy discard pita
Same skillet dough, rolled thinner — about 1/4 inch — and cooked in a dry, screaming-hot pan. Give it 30 seconds, flip, and watch: the trapped steam blows it up into a pocket. Not every one puffs, and that's fine — the flat ones still make excellent wraps.
📝 Baker's note: don't fear the wet dough
The stickier and wetter a focaccia dough looks, the more open and tender the crumb will be — high hydration is the whole point, so resist the urge to add flour to make it manageable. Wet your hands and use oiled fingers instead of dry ones, and let the pan and the oil do the shaping. A tacky dough you can barely handle is exactly right.
Next Monday is our zero-waste finale: a week of using every single gram, plus the one celebratory bake we've been saving.
See you next Monday morning.