Focaccia Genovese
Ligurian focaccia with a golden, crisp base, a soft open crumb and deep dimples filled with olive oil and salty brine. Minimal kneading, maximum flavour.
About this dish
Focaccia is the everyday bread of Genoa, eaten for breakfast dunked in caffè latte, as a mid-morning snack or with an aperitivo. It is thinner than many focacce, with a crisp, almost fried base and a soft, glossy top full of dimples.
Its signature is the salamoia, a brine of water, oil and salt poured over the dough just before baking. It pools in the dimples and keeps the surface soft and savoury while the base crisps in the oil.
Genoese focaccia is traditionally plain, with just oil and salt. Rosemary is a popular addition elsewhere in Italy and is optional here.
Italian Gourmet note: Be generous with the oil in the tin. It fries the base and gives focaccia its characteristic crunch.
Ingredients
Tick off ingredients as you go.
Method
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Step 1
Mix the dough
Mix the flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add the water and mix to a shaggy dough, then add the salt and 2 tablespoons of oil and squeeze it through until combined. The dough will be sticky.
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Step 2
Stretch and fold
Cover and leave for 30 minutes. With wet hands, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself, turning the bowl and repeating four times. Do this twice more, 30 minutes apart.
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Step 3
First prove
Cover and leave at room temperature for about an hour, until doubled and bubbly.
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Step 4
Shape in the tin
Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a 33 x 23cm roasting tin. Tip in the dough and gently stretch it towards the corners. If it springs back, leave it for 10 minutes and try again.
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Step 5
Second prove
Cover and leave for 45 minutes to an hour until puffy. Heat the oven to 230C, 210C fan.
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Step 6
Dimple and brine
Whisk the brine water, salt and remaining oil together. Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples all over the dough, right down to the tin. Pour over the brine, add rosemary if using and scatter with flaky salt.
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Step 7
Bake
Bake on the lowest shelf for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden on top and crisp underneath. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Cook's tips
Wet hands, not extra flour
The dough is meant to be sticky. Wet hands make it easy to handle without adding flour that makes the crumb dense.
Overnight flavour
After the folds, chill the dough overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before shaping for a more complex flavour.
Bake low in the oven
The lowest shelf gives the base direct heat, so it crisps while the top colours.
Use good oil
Focaccia tastes of its olive oil, so use a fruity extra virgin.
Storing and reheating
Best on the day it is baked. Keep leftovers wrapped at room temperature for a day, and refresh in a hot oven for 5 minutes. Focaccia freezes well for up to a month.
Questions about this recipe
Why is my focaccia dense?
The dough was probably under-proved or had too much flour added. Let it prove until puffy and keep it wet.
Can I use 00 flour?
Yes. A strong 00 pizza flour works well. Plain flour gives a softer, less open crumb.
What is the brine for?
The salamoia, a mix of water, oil and salt, seasons the focaccia and keeps the top soft while the base crisps.
Can I add toppings?
Yes. Cherry tomatoes, olives, thinly sliced onion or rosemary all work. Press them into the dimples before baking.
