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DOUGHRISEFOUNDERS
Recipe
6 min read
Sourdough Focaccia with Asparagus, Whipped Feta & Honey
A spring sourdough focaccia recipe topped with tender asparagus, whipped feta and a drizzle of honey. Light, airy, golden-bottomed and worth every hour.
Photo by H Neisan on UnsplashThere is something about pulling a focaccia out of the oven in May that just feels right. The kitchen smells of olive oil and something almost floral, the dough has puffed up around the asparagus like it was always meant to be there, and if you time it well you have got a warm slab ready for a lazy bank holiday afternoon with no particular plans.
This sourdough focaccia is one of those recipes that earns its place in your regular rotation fast. The base is a classic high-hydration sourdough, around 80% hydration, which gives you that signature open crumb and a deeply golden, slightly crisp underside. The toppings are simple but they work together brilliantly: asparagus spears that go a little sweet and almost charred at the tips, a cloud of whipped feta that melts into the dough around the edges, and a thin drizzle of honey that ties everything together. Spring asparagus has a short window in the UK and right now it is exactly at its best, so it is worth taking full advantage while you can.
Dough
- 450g strong white bread flour
- 50g wholemeal flour
- 400g lukewarm water (80% hydration)
- 100g active sourdough starter (at peak)
- 10g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
- 30g good quality extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the tin and dimpling
Whipped Feta
- 150g feta cheese
- 80g full-fat cream cheese
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Black pepper to taste
Toppings
- 200g thin asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- 2 tbsp runny honey, to finish
- Small handful of fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Baker's Tips
- Your starter needs to be genuinely active and at or near peak for this one. Focaccia forgives a lot, but an under-ripe starter will give you something dense and flat rather than light and airy. If you are not sure whether your starter is ready, the float test is a useful quick check: drop a small spoonful into water and see if it bobs.
- The cold retard overnight in the fridge is optional but highly recommended. It develops flavour significantly and means you can start the bake the next morning without rushing the fermentation. Use the bulk fermentation calculator to dial in timing based on your kitchen temperature if you are unsure how long to go at room temperature first.
- If you find yourself second-guessing whether your dough is ready to bake, or struggling to get the crumb you want, the DoughRise Coach is worth trying. It gives you a personalised bake plan and unlimited troubleshooting, so you are not just guessing in the dark at 11pm.
METHOD
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the two flours with 360g of the water (hold the remaining 40g back). Stir until no dry flour remains, then cover and leave to rest for 45 minutes. This is your autolyse. After resting, add the active starter and mix well, then dissolve the salt in the remaining 40g of water and add that too. Squeeze and fold everything together until fully incorporated. Finally, add the olive oil and work it into the dough until absorbed. The dough will feel slippery at first but it will come together.
- Build strength with folds. Over the next 3–4 hours at room temperature (aim for around 24–26°C), perform 4 sets of coil folds, roughly 30–45 minutes apart. For each set, reach under the dough from one side, lift it gently until it stretches, then fold it back over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat four times around. Between folds, keep the bowl covered. The dough should become visibly smoother, more elastic, and start to hold its shape with each set.
- First proof in the tin. Generously coat a large baking tin (roughly 30cm x 20cm) with olive oil. Tip the dough in, turn it once to coat, then gently stretch it towards the corners as best you can. It will spring back , that is fine. Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, then stretch again. It should reach the edges more easily this time. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 16 hours.
- Make the whipped feta. While the oven heats up, blitz the feta, cream cheese, olive oil and lemon juice together in a small food processor or with a stick blender until smooth and fluffy. Season with black pepper. Set aside at room temperature.
- Bring the dough back to room temperature. Take the tin out of the fridge and leave uncovered at room temperature for 1.5–2 hours. It should puff up noticeably and look bubbly and relaxed. Preheat your oven to 230°C (fan 210°C) during this time. Get it really hot.
- Dimple and top. Drizzle another generous glug of olive oil over the surface. With well-oiled fingers, press dimples firmly all over the dough , go deep and do not be shy about it. Dot spoonfuls of the whipped feta across the surface, pressing them lightly into the dimples. Lay the asparagus spears on top, pressing them gently into the dough. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter over the thyme if using, and finish with flaky salt.
- Bake. Slide the tin onto the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 22–25 minutes until deep golden on top and the underside is properly crisp when you lift a corner with a palette knife. If the top is colouring too fast before the bottom is done, move it down to the floor of the oven for the last 5 minutes.
- Finish and serve. As soon as it comes out of the oven, drizzle the honey over the whole surface in a thin, even stream. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift onto a board and cut into squares. The contrast between the salty feta, the slightly charred asparagus and that sweet honey hit is genuinely one of the better things you will eat this spring.
Why this works
Coil folds are brilliant for high-hydration doughs because they build gluten structure without tearing it. Each fold aligns gluten strands and adds tension gradually, letting the fermentation gases build up inside the dough rather than escape. The wholemeal flour adds a small amount of extra enzymatic activity which helps with flavour development over the long ferment, and the delayed salt addition gives the gluten a head start before things start to tighten up.
INTO THE OVEN
Want to dial in this recipe for a different batch size or tin? Use the free DoughRise Baker's Percentages Calculator to scale the ingredients accurately without losing the dough's balance.
Happy baking! Find everything you need at doughrise.store