Sourdough focaccia rise time is about 9 h in all at 22°C (72°F) with 20% levain, by the model's prediction: about 6 h of bulk and then about 3 h in the pan. Recipes say 4–6 hours, or 12–18, or anything from 4 to 18 hours, and the spread comes from the two things recipes rarely state: the kitchen temperature and the levain amount. This guide gives the times the model behind the bake schedule calculator predicts for a focaccia dough at 18–26°C (64–79°F), and says where a focaccia differs from the lean bread dough the model was built for.
Bulk and pan time by kitchen temperature
The model is the one behind the bake schedule calculator: bulk to a 50–75% rise, and a final proof of about half the bulk time afterward. For a focaccia the final proof happens in the pan, so the last two columns are the pan time. The levain is counted as the calculator counts it, ripe levain at 100% hydration as a percentage of the flour you add (how much starter in sourdough), and the 10% column is for the slower bulk many focaccia recipes use.
| Kitchen | Bulk with 20% levain (to a 50–75% rise) | Bulk with 10% levain | In the pan: start checking after | In the pan: typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18°C (64°F) | about 9 h | about 12 h | 3¼ h | about 4½ h |
| 20°C (68°F) | about 7½ h | about 9¾ h | 2½ h | about 3¾ h |
| 22°C (72°F) | about 6 h | about 8 h | 2¼ h | about 3 h |
| 24°C (75°F) | about 5 h | about 6½ h | 1¾ h | about 2½ h |
| 26°C (79°F) | about 4 h | about 5½ h | 1½ h | about 2 h |
At 18°C (64°F) the model predicts about 9 h of bulk with 20% levain and about 13½ h from mixing to the oven; at 26°C (79°F) about 4 h of bulk and about 6 h in all. That span, about 6 to 13½ hours with 20% levain, covers the middle of the recipes' 4 to 18 hours: the short end comes from more levain or a warmer spot, the long end from less levain, a colder kitchen or the fridge. Rows outside 19–23°C (66–73°F) are the model's extrapolation for the levain term; check early there. The pan time is the calculator's rule of thumb for a final proof after a full bulk, anchored on The Perfect Loaf's proofing guide and explained in how long to proof sourdough; start checking at the time in the fourth column.
What the model does not see in a focaccia
The model was fitted to lean bread doughs. A focaccia differs in four ways, none of which the model has a term for:
- Oil. Focaccia dough carries oil, from none to about 10% of the flour weight in the dough plus a generous amount in the pan. The model treats the dough as lean, so take the table as a starting point for an oily dough rather than a prediction made for one.
- Hydration. Focaccia is wet, often 75–85% hydration. A wet dough spreads in a wide tub, which makes the rise hard to read; judge the 50–75% rise in a straight-sided container with a mark at the start, as in bulk fermentation by temperature. Sourdough hydration explained covers how an 80% dough handles.
- The pan proof goes further. A loaf is shaped tight and baked before it slackens. A focaccia is stretched loosely into its pan and many recipes take it further, until it is puffy and full of bubbles, because it cannot spread any flatter than the pan. So start checking at the fourth column; the "typical" column is a midpoint, not a stop, and a focaccia can usually go past it (common practice, not a model figure), so judge by the signs below. The signs of overproofing are the same as for a loaf: the dough sighs and sinks when poked, and large bubbles collapse.
- Dimpling. Pressing the dimples with oiled fingers knocks a little gas out. Some recipes dimple just before baking, others dimple and then rest the dough 20–30 minutes. Both are common practice, not part of the model; the model's clock ends when the pan proof does.
Overnight focaccia at room temperature
Many focaccia recipes do the bulk overnight, and at room temperature that only fits a cool kitchen. The levain amounts in overnight bulk fermentation for sourdough apply to focaccia dough too, as a starting point: about 16% levain for a 10-hour night at 18°C (64°F); at 20°C (68°F) the same night is about 10% (check early), and from about 22°C (72°F) up the model's answer drops below 10%, where the calculator warns that it extrapolates. In a kitchen that warm, do the bulk in the fridge instead (common practice, outside the model): mix in the evening, give it a few folds, refrigerate it at about 4°C (39°F) overnight and pan it in the morning. The calculator's model does not cover the fridge, and a cold dough takes longer in the pan than the table shows because it has to warm up first; cold retard vs. same-day explains how to read a cold dough.
Reading the dough instead of the clock
- In the tub. Bulk is done at a 50–75% rise: the top is domed, the sides show bubbles and the dough jiggles as one piece when you shake the tub. Give it a few sets of folds in the first two hours (stretch and fold), gently, because a wet dough tears.
- In the pan. A dough made with 500 g of flour suits a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 in) metal pan with about 3 tablespoons (40 g) of olive oil (common practice; a glass or ceramic dish browns the bottom less). Tip the dough in and stretch it toward the corners without forcing it; if it springs back, wait 15 minutes and stretch again. Cover the pan with a lid or an upturned tray, kept off the dough, so no skin forms. It is ready to dimple when it fills the pan, looks puffy and shows bubbles under the surface, and the dent from a gentle poke fills back in slowly.
- The bake. Dimple with oiled fingers down to the pan, add oil, salt and toppings, and bake hot: preheat for at least 30 minutes and bake on a lower rack at 230–250°C (450–480°F) for about 20–30 minutes, until deep golden on top, brown underneath and about 96°C (205°F) inside (common practice, not a model figure). Slide it out of the pan onto a rack within a few minutes so the bottom stays crisp, and cool it for about 20 minutes before cutting.
- A pan proof that will not finish. If the dough in the pan sits flat and tight after the time in the table, the usual reasons are a bulk that ended early, a cold spot or a starter that is not at full strength; sourdough starter not doubling covers the last one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the bake schedule calculator for focaccia?
Yes, for the times. Enter your flour, hydration, levain and kitchen temperature, set the cold retard to zero, and read the bulk and the final proof; treat the final proof as the pan time, and ignore the shaping steps, which are written for a loaf. The calculator does not know about the oil or the pan, so apply the notes above.
Same-day sourdough focaccia: when do I start?
Add the levain's peak time to the table. At 22°C (72°F) with 20% levain the model predicts about 9 h from mixing to the oven, and a 1:2:2 levain takes about 5½ h to peak in the same kitchen: about 14½ h from feeding to the oven. For focaccia at 7 p.m., that means feeding the starter at about 4 a.m., with half an hour for mixing and panning. The gentler plans: feed a bigger 1:5:5 levain the night before (about 8 h to peak at 22°C by the model, so a 10 p.m. feed is ready to mix around 6 a.m.), use a warmer spot (at 24°C (75°F) the chain is about 12 h), or do the bulk in the fridge as above. Sourdough starter not doubling has the peak times for other feeds and temperatures.
Why do recipes give 12–18 hours?
They are written for an overnight bulk, with less levain or a cool kitchen or both. With 10% levain the model reaches a 12-hour bulk at about 18°C (64°F) (about 12 h of bulk, 16½ h in all with the pan time). Eighteen hours would need a kitchen around 14°C (57°F), below the 16°C (61°F) the calculator plans for, so that end is outside the model; a fridge bulk, which the model does not cover, can take that long or longer.
Plan it with your numbers
Put your flour, hydration, levain and kitchen temperature into the bake schedule calculator with the cold retard at zero. It gives the bulk and the final proof for your kitchen, which for a focaccia is the pan time, and the time to feed the starter so the levain is ready when you want to mix.