Sourdough focaccia recipe topped with foraged fiddleheads

This sourdough focaccia recipe promises a crispy exterior combined with a tender open crumb. Whether you top it with herbs, flaky salt, or spring greens, it’s perfect for any meal or as a quick snack.

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Spring has finally sprung! Hummingbirds can be seen sipping the sweet nectar of haksap berries; tree buds are transforming into bright green speckled tableaux reminiscent of pointillism paintings; the forest floor’s budding verdure can be seen poking through a carpet of fallen leaves. During this period, all manners of fiddlehead ferns are in abundance, but the ones to look out for are the uncoiled ostrich ferns since they are safe to eat! I love to forage and discover new, safe foods to eat in nature. Every year, I try to identify new varieties to expand my repertoire of wild, edible greens.

My husband Stu isn’t a fan of fiddleheads, but he loves a good focaccia. By combining the two, I was able to bring him to the wild side! If you can’t find any in the forest, or in a farmer’s market near you, I would recommend using thinly stemmed, blanched asparagus as an alternative. Another viable option is to omit the veggies altogether and top it with fresh/dried herbs like thyme, rosemary or sage.

Sourdough focaccia recipe

460g water

120g sourdough starter*

600g AP flour

10g salt

15g olive oil

500g fiddleheads

2 rosemary sprigs

1. Put all the ingredients, except for the olive oil in a large bowl and mix until the dough comes together.

2. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

3. Add the olive oil and incorporate it by squeezing your fingers through the dough.

4. Cover and bulk ferment: Wet your hands, stretch and fold the dough onto itself, give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have folded on 4 sides. This is called a fold. Turn dough upside down so that the seam is on the bottom and the top is smooth. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for 4 hours.

5. Generously butter a deep 10x14” pan (I highly recommend this one) and add a liberal amount of olive oil. It might seem like overkill, but this will ensure that 1. Your focaccia doesn’t stick, 2. It will be crispy and 3. Flavourful!

6. Place the fermented dough in the pan and gently stretch it so that it is rectangular and fills most of the pan.

7. If you want the focaccia for dinner, then let it proof for 2-4hours on the counter. (If you want to eat it fresh the following day, transfer the covered pan to the fridge. The next day, bring the dough back to room temperature and finish proofing before proceeding with these next steps).

8. Boil a large pot of water, and generously salt.

9. Boil the trimmed fiddleheads for 2-3minutes twice, using fresh water each time.

10. Drain and let the fiddleheads air dry .

11. When the dough has proofed, dimple by firmly pressing into the dough with your fingers.

12. Top with blanched fiddleheads, rosemary, olive oil and salt.

13. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes.

*Don’t have a sourdough starter? You have options!

• Ask your friend who makes sourdough for some of theirs.

• Join a local FB sourdough community and find a new friend who will gladly share!

• Up for a project? Start your own from scratch! Head here for instructions.

• Sign up to my newsletter to find out when starter will be available in my shop!