Focaccia calculator
Pick your pan and how thick you like your focaccia, and get the grams of flour, water, salt and olive oil, with sourdough starter or yeast.
Pan
75–85% is classic. Wetter dough bakes up with bigger bubbles but is stickier to handle.
Share of the total flour. 20% for a same-day bake, 10% for an overnight rise.
Your focaccia
- Flour
- 400g14.1 oz
- Water
- 311g11 oz
- Starter100% hydration
- 89g3.1 oz
- Salt
- 11.1g0.4 oz
- Olive oilin the dough
- 8.9g0.3 oz
Plus 3.5 tbsp (50 ml) of olive oil for the pan
Total dough 819 g
Hydration 80% counting the flour and water in the starter
How much dough for your pan
Focaccia is sized by the area of the pan. A regular focaccia uses about 7 g of dough per square inch, so a 9 × 13 inch pan takes about 820 g:
| Pan | Thin | Regular | Thick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 × 8 in (20 × 20 cm) | 320 g | 450 g | 575 g |
| 9 × 9 in (23 × 23 cm) | 405 g | 565 g | 730 g |
| 9 × 13 in (23 × 33 cm) | 585 g | 820 g | 1055 g |
| 13 × 18 in half sheet | 1170 g | 1640 g | 2105 g |
| 10 in round (25 cm) | 395 g | 550 g | 705 g |
| 12 in round (30 cm) | 565 g | 790 g | 1020 g |
How the numbers work
The recipe is in baker’s percentages: flour is 100% and everything else is a share of it. A regular 9 × 13 inch focaccia at 80% hydration, 2.5% salt, 2% olive oil and 20% starter needs 400 g of flour, 311 g of water, 89 g of starter, 11.1 g of salt and 8.9 g of oil, plus oil for the pan. The starter’s own flour and water are counted, so the hydration is the dough’s real hydration.
A simple sourdough focaccia day
- Morning: mix the flour, water, starter and salt into a shaggy dough. Add the oil once it comes together.
- Over the next 2 hours, do 3–4 sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart.
- Let it rise until about doubled, 4–6 hours at 75–78°F in total.
- Tip it into the oiled pan, stretch it gently towards the corners and let it puff for 1–2 hours.
- Drizzle with oil, dimple deeply with oiled fingers, sprinkle with flaky salt and bake at 450°F for 20–30 minutes.
For an overnight version, use about 10% starter and put the panned dough in the fridge for 12–24 hours; let it warm up for an hour or two before dimpling. The bulk fermentation calculator gives rise times for your kitchen’s temperature.
Tips
- Be generous with the oil in the pan: it fries the bottom of the focaccia into a crisp, golden crust.
- Wait until the dough is puffy and jiggly before dimpling. Dimpling too early gives a dense focaccia.
- Rosemary, olives, tomatoes and onions go on after dimpling; press them in so they don’t burn.
- Making pizza instead? The pizza dough calculator sizes dough balls the same way.
Tools for focaccia
Weighing in grams is what makes sourdough repeatable. Links go to Amazon search results, so you can pick any brand.
- Digital kitchen scale
Every number on this site is in grams. Any scale that reads to 1 g, holds at least 5 kg and has a tare button will do.
- Instant-read thermometer
Dough temperature sets the pace of bulk fermentation. Around 75–78 °F (24–26 °C) keeps the timings in most recipes on track.
- Dough proofing box
Keeps dough balls from drying out and sticking together while they rise, on the counter or in the fridge.
Questions bakers ask
How much dough do I need for a 9×13 pan?
About 820 g for a regular focaccia, made with roughly 444 g of flour at 80% hydration. Use about 585 g for a thin, crisp one and 1055 g for a tall, airy one. A 13×18 inch half sheet takes twice as much.
What hydration is best for focaccia?
75–85%. At 75% the dough is soft but manageable, which is a good start. At 80–85% it's very sticky but bakes up with big, irregular bubbles. Use wet hands or a little oil to handle it instead of adding flour.
How much olive oil goes into focaccia?
About 3–4 tablespoons in a 9×13 pan, so the bottom fries to a golden crust, plus a tablespoon or two drizzled over the top before baking. Some recipes add 2–4% oil to the dough itself for a softer crumb.
Can I make sourdough focaccia in one day?
Yes. With 20% starter in a warm 75–78°F (24–26°C) kitchen, mix in the morning, let the dough rise 4–6 hours, then let it puff in the oiled pan for 1–2 hours and bake in the evening. For more flavor, use about 10% starter and leave the panned dough in the fridge overnight.
Why is my focaccia dense?
Usually it needed more time. Focaccia should be clearly puffy and jiggly in the pan before you dimple it, and the dimpling should be gentle so it doesn't knock out the air. Low hydration and a sluggish starter also give a tighter crumb.
What temperature should I bake focaccia at?
425–450°F (220–230°C) for 20–30 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the bottom is crisp. A dark metal pan browns the bottom best.