Easy Sourdough Discard Focaccia With Yeast

By Lucy Parissi

4.75 from 4 votes

, Updated Aug 07, 2025

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Want to make sourdough focaccia but are short on time? This super-easy sourdough discard focaccia uses yeast so it is ready to bake in under two hours. With an irresistible crispy-chewy crust and soft crumb with large air holes this is the one sourdough discard focaccia recipe you will make again and again.

Whenever I bake my sourdough focaccia the entire loaf disappears as if by magic in just over 24 hours. It is so freaking delicious and easy, but quick it is not. 

If you are craving the deliciousness of sourdough but don’t have the time for the slow rise, or are new to sourdough baking, then this easy sourdough focaccia recipe is for you!

It is such an easy recipe and so quick! Want freshly baked bread with your soup or dinner, but don’t have time to spare? With this recipe you simply mix the dough, rise, prove and bake, all in under two hours.

Using dry yeast (rapid rise yeast) helps your focaccia dough to double in size quickly, while the sourdough starter discard brings the tang. Like my quick sourdough with yeast recipe, this is the perfect beginner’s sourdough focaccia.

It’s large enough to share at a dinner party with friends with a grazing platter or salad on the side, makes excellent croutons, and is ideal for open-faced sandwiches.

The bread stays fresh for a few days thanks to the olive oil, but I can honestly say it never lasts in our house, party because it is my son’s fave bread in the world.

Sourdough Discard Focaccia Ingredients

This simple sourdough recipe uses just a handful of ingredients but you can jazz it up by adding toppings if you like. Here’s what you will need:

• Sourdough starter: you can use sourdough discard, unfed sourdough starter or bubbly and active starter in this recipe. The wild yeast in the starter will not have enough time to provide the rise in this quick recipe but will still add some of the sourdough tanginess.
• White bread flour: using a good-quality bread flour with high protein will give your focaccia good structure and excellent chewiness!
• Salt: ideally sea-salt, plus coarse salt flakes for the crust.
• And finally: water, a little sugar or honey and olive oil.

Second Rise

1. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or a reusable liner and drizzle liberally with olive oil. I didn’t line mine when I made the video and the bread stuck a bit, so I definitely recommend you don’t skip that.
2. Gently lift the dough out of the bowl and place into the prepared pan. Use oiled hands to gently scoop the dough from the middle and fold in half.
3. Turn the dough over and gently press with your fingers to spread it out. It will not fill the pan at this stage. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rise for 30-40 minutes.

Bake the Focaccia

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF / 220C. Dip your fingers in olive oil then press deeply into the dough to dimple it. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough so that it rests in the dimples. Sprinkle with the salt.
2. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden. The internal temperature should be around 210°F (98°C) when checked with a digital thermometer.
3. Lift the focaccia out of the pan using the overhanging liner onto a wire rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes before slicing (if you can wait!).

More Sourdough Discard Recipes:

• Quick Sourdough Bread With Yeast
• Sourdough Cheese Scones | Sourdough Biscuits
• Sourdough Blueberry Crumb Cake
• Sourdough Discard Banana Bread

HAVE YOU MADE MY SOURDOUGH DISCARD FOCACCIA RECIPE? Please leave a comment and rating below, follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram and TikTok so I can see your creations!

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4.75 from 4 votes

Sourdough Discard Focaccia

By Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Want to make sourdough focaccia but are short on time? This super-easy sourdough discard focaccia uses yeast so it is ready to bake in under two hours. With an irresistible crispy-chewy crust and soft crumb with large air holes this is the one sourdough discard focaccia recipe you will make again and again!

Servings: 12 slices or more

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Video

Equipment

• Dough Whisk
• Instant Read Thermometer
• 9×13 rectangular cake tin
• Digital scales

Ingredients

• ▢ 500 g (4 cups) white bread flour
• ▢ 1 tbsp sugar
• ▢ 7 g rapid rise yeast (1 sachet)
• ▢ 12 g (2 scant teaspoons) sea salt
• ▢ 100 g ( 3 ½ oz) sourdough starter discard , or active starter
• ▢ 400 g (1½ cups + 3 tbsp) water
• ▢ 2 tbsp virgin olive oil for the bowl
• ▢ 4 tbsp virgin olive oil for the bread or as needed
• ▢ ½ tsp coarse sea salt flakes , to sprinkle

Instructions 

PREPARE THE DOUGH

• Combine the flour, sugar, rapid rise yeast and salt in a measuring cup or bowl.
  500 g (4 cups) white bread flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 7 g rapid rise yeast, 12 g (2 scant teaspoons) sea salt
• Add the sourdough starter discard to a large mixing bowl and stir in the water.
  100 g ( 3 ½ oz) sourdough starter discard, 400 g (1½ cups + 3 tbsp) water
• Add the flour mixture and mix using a Danish whisk to combine. The dough will be shaggy and very sticky. Drizzle a little olive oil over it and leave it for 10-15 minutes.
• Stir once again using the Danish whisk, a wooden spoon or your hands (drizzle them with olive oil first). The dough should now be fully hydrated. Drizzle some olive oil over the dough and turn over in the bowl.
  2 tbsp virgin olive oil for the bowl

FIRST RISE

• Cover the oiled bowl with a damp tea towel and leave the dough to rise for 60-90 minutes. If your kitchen is very cold, place the bowl in the microwave, air fryer or oven with a small bowl of steaming water to help it rise.

SECOND RISE

• Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper or a reusable liner and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
• Gently lift the dough out of the bowl and place into the prepared pan. Use oiled hands to gently scoop the dough from the middle and fold in half.
• Turn the dough over and gently press with your fingers to spread it out. It will not fill the pan at this stage. Cover with greased plastic wrap and rise for 30-40 minutes.

BAKE THE FOCACCIA

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF / 220°C. Dip your fingers in olive oil then press deeply into the dough to dimple it. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the dough so that it rests in the dimples. Sprinkle with the salt.
  4 tbsp virgin olive oil for the bread or as needed, ½ tsp coarse sea salt flakes
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden. The internal temperature should be around 210°F (98°C) when checked with a digital thermometer.
• Lift the focaccia using the overhanging liner onto a wire cooling rack and leave to cool for 30 minutes before slicing (if you can wait!).

Notes

DO I NEED TO USE A STAND MIXER FOR THIS RECIPE: You don’t need to use a mixer but you can, if you want to! Beat the dough on low speed setting using a dough hook attachment until it is elastic.

SHOULD I STRETCH AND FOLD THE DOUGH? You can do a set of stretch-and-folds if you like, once the dough is mixed and has rested. Gently pull the underside of the dough over the top starting with edge to your left. Rotate the bowl clockwise as you repeat the stretching a folding over the entire dough.

STORING FOCACCIA
Store the cooled bread in an airtight container or bread bag for two to three days. You can also slice and freezet the focaccia, toasting a slice from frozen whenever you crave some.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.

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