Focaccia

Focaccia Genovese (Ligurian Olive Oil Focaccia)

The classic Ligurian focaccia is a celebration of olive oil — a simple, well-hydrated dough, generously oiled, dimpled by hand and baked until crisp-gold on the outside and tender within.

Prep

30 min

Cook

20 min

Total

50 min

Serves

8

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (17½ oz / ~4 cups) bread flour, Italian '00' or strong bread flour; all-purpose works but gives a slightly less chewy crumb
• •400 ml (1⅔ cups) lukewarm water, around 26–28°C / 78–82°F
• •10 g (¼ oz) fine sea salt
• •6 g (2 tsp) instant dry yeast, or 18 g fresh yeast
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing and topping; use a good Ligurian oil if possible
• •2 g (1 tbsp) fresh rosemary leaves, optional in the strict Genovese original; traditionalists leave it plain
• •coarse sea salt, to taste, for scattering on top

Steps

1. 1 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, fine sea salt and instant yeast. Pour in the lukewarm water and mix with a wooden spoon or your hand until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains.
2. 2 Cover the bowl with a damp towel and rest for 15 minutes (this is a short autolyse). After resting, work the dough briefly in the bowl by lifting and folding it over itself for 1–2 minutes until smoother and more elastic.
3. 3 Oil a clean bowl with about 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, place the dough in it, cover and let rise at warm room temperature for 1½–2 hours, until roughly 1½–2× in size. For deeper flavour, retard the dough in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours instead.
4. 4 Pour about 20 ml (1½ tbsp) olive oil into a 25×35 cm (10×14 in) sheet pan or rectangular tin and spread to coat. Tip the risen dough into the pan and gently stretch it toward the edges. Cover and rest 30–45 minutes so it relaxes.
5. 5 With oiled fingertips, press firmly all over the dough to dimple it deeply and stretch it to fill the pan. Be generous — the dimples hold the oil.
6. 6 Drizzle 25–30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil over the top and let it pool into the dimples. Scatter with coarse sea salt and the rosemary leaves, if using. Cover and proof 45–60 minutes at room temperature, until visibly puffy.
7. 7 Meanwhile, place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 230°C (450°F) for at least 20 minutes — a hot oven is essential for a crisp base.
8. 8 Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Internal crumb should reach at least 95°C / 200°F.
9. 9 Brush immediately with another 5–10 ml (1–2 tsp) olive oil as soon as it comes out of the oven. Cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting — the traditional Genovese way is to tear it by hand.