Whole Wheat Focaccia

Whole wheat focaccia combines olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt with a heartier flour for a delicious twist on classic focaccia. Made with sourdough starter, this easy focaccia recipe doesn’t require any yeast and only minimal preparation.

Our family LOVES Italian food – pizza, pasta, and of course, focaccia bread. 🙂 After all, it’s pretty hard to top a warm loaf of bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Besides just eating it straight out of the oven, you can dip it in soup, make a sandwich with it, or serve it with your favorite pasta.

As much as we enjoy focaccia, sometimes we like to mix it up, and changing up the flour is an easy way to do that. By using half whole wheat flour in this recipe, you get a nuttier, heartier flavor without having to sacrifice the airy, springy texture. My younger brother says this bread is one of his favorite sourdough recipes we make (in the top 5!). Give it a try and see for yourself. 🙂

Can I make focaccia with whole wheat bread flour?

You can definitely make focaccia bread with whole wheat bread flour. However, to prevent the bread from becoming too dense, use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose or bread flour. You can also try using different flours such as einkorn or rye, but still keep at least half of the flour as all-purpose.

Is whole wheat focaccia healthy?

This whole wheat focaccia is a healthy option to serve along with dinner due to the prebiotic effects of the sourdough starter. The bacteria and yeast in the sourdough starter help digest the gluten in the flour, making it easier for you to eat and digest. Plus the whole wheat flour has all three parts of the grain kernel in it, which adds nutrients and fiber.

The rosemary can also help with digestion and prevention of bacterial infections in your intestines. Additionally, the olive oil provides a great source of healthy fats, keeping you full and satisfied for longer.

Tips for making Whole Wheat Focaccia

• The dough is meant to be slightly sticky as this will make it lighter and airier when you bake it. Wetting your hands when working with the dough will help keep it from sticking to you without adding extra flour to make the dough denser.
• Feeling creative? Try adding different herbs or spices to your focaccia dough. Basil, oregano, roasted garlic, parsley, or thyme would all be great additions.
• This focaccia is best enjoyed warm from the oven. If you have leftovers though, wrap the bread in plastic wrap or a towel and keep at room temperature. It will taste freshest if you eat it within the next two days.

Tools you will need

You’ll need a rimmed baking tray, a large bowl, and a basting brush to make this focaccia.

Ingredients you will need

• 260 grams whole wheat flour – I used a golden whole wheat flour for this, but really any kind will work.
• 260 grams all-purpose flour – This will help balance out the flavor of the whole-wheat flour.
• 400 mL water
• 100 grams sourdough starter – Make sure it’s active and bubbly!
• 10 grams salt – Kosher salt works well, but you can also use Himalayan salt if you like.
• 3 tbsp olive oil – This is classic for focaccia bread, but if you don’t have any olive oil, you can use avocado oil in a pinch.
• 3 tbsp dried rosemary – While not completely necessary, it adds such a lovely aromatic flavor. 🙂

How to make Whole Wheat Focaccia

The night before you want to eat your focaccia:

Measure out both kinds of flour, sourdough starter, olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Slowly stir in the water, until a sticky dough forms. You may need slightly more or less water to reach this consistency.

Knead the dough by pulling up the edges of the dough to the center to form a ball. Rotate the ball and pull up the edges to the center again, and repeat this process until the dough resists when you pull it. You can find a video of this stretch-and-fold method of kneading the dough in my Overnight Sourdough Bread recipe post.

Cover the dough and let rest for 15 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold kneading process once more, then cover and let rise overnight.

In the morning:
The dough should have doubled in size overnight. Use 1 tbsp of olive oil to grease a large rectangular baking pan.

Wet your hands and loosen the dough from the sides of the bowl. Gently transfer it to the greased baking pan. Stretch the dough into a rectangular shape and let it rest for a few minutes. It probably won’t fill the pan right now, that’s ok!

Stretch out the dough again, spreading it closer to the edges of the pan. If it still won’t fill the pan, let it rest for another few minutes, and then try again. Once you’ve stretched the dough out to the right size, drizzle with the last tbsp of olive oil and then cover the dough to let rise.

Once the focaccia has noticeably risen (about 3-4 hours), you can either refrigerate it for up to 12 hours or bake it immediately.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have the convection setting on your oven, I’d recommend using it to ensure even baking.

While the oven is heating, use your fingers to gently make depressions in the surface of the focaccia. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake the focaccia for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake another 12-14 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let the focaccia cool for at least 5 minutes before you cut it.

Hungry for more sourdough recipes?

If so, make sure you look at the Sourdough section at the Kitchen Counter. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sourdough Focaccia
• Pesto Bread
• Tomato Basil Bread
• Sourdough Challah
• Overnight Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Baguette Recipe

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.