andrejthechef
ItalyBreadSideVegetarianDairy-free

Focaccia Genovese

Liguria's bread: a wet, slow-risen dough dimpled by hand and bathed in a salt-and-oil brine before baking, which is what gives it that shiny, salty crust.

prep
30 min
cook
25 min
total
55 min
serves
8
level
medium
Golden, dimpled Genoese focaccia glistening with olive oil and coarse salt

Focaccia genovese starts from a dough wetter than most home bakers expect, which is exactly what gives it that open, pillowy crumb. After the second rise, it gets dimpled all over with oiled fingers and doused with salamoia, a brine of water, olive oil and salt, right before it goes in the oven.

The salamoia pools in the dimples and partly fries the surface as it bakes, which is the whole source of that shiny, faintly crackling crust.

Focaccia Genovese is one of the twenty most famous Italian foods.

method

  1. Mix the flour, lukewarm water, yeast and olive oil into a very wet, sticky dough. Add the salt and knead by hand or mixer for 8 to 10 minutes until it starts coming together.

  2. Cover and let it rise until doubled, 1 to 1.5 hours.

  3. Oil a baking tray generously and tip the dough onto it, stretching it gently to fill the pan without deflating it too much.

  4. Let it rise again, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour, until puffy.

  5. Heat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Whisk the salamoia water, olive oil and salt together.

  6. Dimple the dough all over with oiled fingertips, pressing right down, then pour the salamoia evenly over the surface so it pools in the dimples.

  7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden. Cool slightly on a rack before cutting into squares.

chef's tips

  • The dough should feel too wet to knead comfortably at first; resist adding extra flour.
  • Don't skip the salamoia; it is the step that makes focaccia taste like focaccia instead of plain bread.
  • It is best the day it is baked, but toasts back to life well the next day.