Sourdough Focaccia with herbs + olives

makes one 9x13-in. focaccia
With help from Maurizio Leo at ThePerfectLoaf.com, a fantastic online resource for all things sourdough. Check out Leo’s new book, The Perfect Loaf for well rounded advice on working with sourdough.

Dough
425g all-purpose flour
180g amaranth flour (or other high-protein flour)
12g extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
460g water
11g salt
115g ripe sourdough starter (see page 19)

Toppings
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped herbs (chives, thyme, parsley)
5 garlic cloves, sliced
½ cup chopped olives
1 tsp. kosher salt

Mix (9am): Dough can be mixed by hand or with a stand mixer. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add both flours, water, salt, and ripe sourdough starter. Mix on speed 1 for 1–2 minutes until incorporated. Then, mix on speed 2 for 5 minutes until dough strengthens and clumps around the dough hook. Let the dough rest in the mixing bowl for 10 minutes. Turn the mixer to speed 1 and slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while mixing. Once all of the olive oil is absorbed, turn the mixer up to speed 2 for 1–2 minutes until the dough comes back together. Transfer dough to a large container and cover.

Bulk fermentation (9:15am–11:15am): Give the dough 4 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation.

Proof (11:15am–3:15pm): Line a 9×13-in. rimmed baking sheet with parchment and liberally oil the inside. (TIP: this bakes beautifully in a cast iron skillet, but if you don’t have one use the parchment to ease the removal.) Gently scrape the dough out of the container directly into the pan. The dough will proof in the pan for 4 hours. Every 30 minutes for the first hour, uncover the pan and gently stretch the dough with wet hands to the edges to encourage it to fill the pan. The dough will naturally spread out during this proofing period, so it’s unnecessary to spread the dough aggressively. Once the dough is mostly spread to the edges, cover the pan and let it proof for the remainder of the 4 hours at 72°–75°.

About 30 minutes before the end of the 4-hour proof period, preheat your oven to 450° with a rack in the bottom third.

Top & bake (3:15pm): When your oven is preheated, dimple the top of the dough all over with wet fingers. Then, liberally drizzle olive oil to cover the surface of the dough. Scatter herbs, garlic, and olives on top. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Let the focaccia cool in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. It’s wonderful straight from the oven, and best the day it’s baked.

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Some research suggests that sourdough bread, a naturally fermented product, functions as a prebiotic food, which boosts the beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. Sourdough bread is also lower in gluten than other types of bread (though it may not be appropriate for those with gluten-related diseases and disorders).