Focaccia Genovese (Ligurian Olive Oil Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Focaccia Genovese is the original and, many argue, the finest version of the dish. Ligurian focaccia is characterised by its high olive oil content (both in the dough and poured over the top before baking), its distinctive dimpled surface and a perfectly balanced salt crust. The interior should be soft and airy with a slight chew; the bottom should develop a light golden-brown crust from the oil in the pan. The dough is wetter than bread dough, enriched with olive oil and left for a long first rise, then spread into an oiled baking tray and left to rise again before dimpling and baking. In Genoa, focaccia is eaten for breakfast with a cappuccino, as a snack, as an accompaniment to meals — it is a way of life.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gstrong bread flour or 00 flour
• 375 mlwater, lukewarm
• 7 ginstant dried yeast
• 10 gfine salt
• 50 mlextra-virgin olive oil for dough
• 80 mlextra-virgin olive oil for tray and topping
• 1 tbspflaky sea salt (e.g. Maldon) for topping

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast and fine salt. Add water and 50 ml olive oil, mix into a rough dough and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. The dough is wetter than bread dough — don't add extra flour.

2. 2

   First rise

   Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave at room temperature for 1–1.5 hours until doubled.

3. 3

   Transfer to tray

   Pour 40 ml olive oil into a large rimmed baking tray (30×40 cm). Turn the dough onto the tray and gently stretch it to fit. If it springs back, rest for 10 minutes and try again.

4. 4

   Second rise

   Drizzle the remaining 40 ml olive oil over the surface. Cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes until puffy.

5. 5

   Dimple and salt

   Preheat oven to 230°C (445°F). Press your fingers firmly into the dough making deep dimples all over. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are deeply brown. The olive oil should make the bottom slightly crisp.

7. 7

   Cool and serve

   Rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Eat warm.

Variations

• •

  Focaccia al rosmarino: add rosemary sprigs pressed into the dimples.

• •

  Focaccia col formaggio (Recco): a completely different, paper-thin filled version from Recco near Genoa.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best on the day it is made. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze slices.

Frequently Asked Questions