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The ultimate Focaccia alla Genovese

by Micaela Harrasser

Ah, focaccia… or fügassa (in regional dialect). A generous bite into it, and I am teleported to a sunny Ligurian town, gazing at the shiny Mediterranean Sea. Focaccia tastes of my childhood summer holidays!

And the taste… how can you NOT be obsessed with it? Just pulled out of the oven it’s light, balanced (super moist & crunchy), delicious.. a simple piece of salty heaven! This is the recipe for the plain version, but feel free to experiment with various toppings! These include: onions, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, rosemary.

I found that abroad (or even in some parts of Italy) it’s very difficult to find the authentic masterpiece you can enjoy everywhere in Liguria. For example, the real deal is not very tall, nor bread-like and so spongy. Big no! This version comes very close to what I personally think it’s the real deal. Hope you like it too! 😀

A small note on the baking tray vs flour ratio. To start with, try to get a width of 1, 1 ½ cm when you place it on the baking tray. Bake it, see how you like it, and take it from here!

The flours are important. You need a mix of a strong flour (Manitoba) and a less strong, all purpose like the 00. In this way you will get a nice rise and lower the risks of ruptures given the higher gluten (elasticity) in the Manitoba.

As always, the extra virgin olive oil is also important: in Liguria it’s fundamental to use local, sweet extra virgin olive oil for maximum deliciousness. Use whichever oil you prefer, as long as it has a very nice flavor and it’s good quality! I can’t wait for you to try it and let me know your thoughts 😀 have you also tried the ‘real deal’??

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The ultimate Focaccia alla Genovese

Serves: 8 Prep Time: Cooking Time: Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

For a 20x30cm baking tray:

  • 200g Flour 00 / all purpose
  • 125g Flour Manitoba
  • 165g lukewarm water
  • 7g sea salt
  • 7g honey
  • 4g active dry yeast
  • 15g Extra Virgin olive oil (+ extra for the baking tray)

For the salamoia:

  • 5g sea salt
  • 90g water
  • 25g Extra Virgin Olive oil

Instructions

  1. First, in a small jar combine the lukewarm water, yeast and honey. Whisk quickly with a fork to activate the yeast (you'll notice some foam on top). Set aside.
  2. On a worktop, add the flours and salt, mix quickly with your hands.
  3. Add slowly the water+yeast and start working the dough with your hands until all liquid is incorporated.
  4. Add the olive oil and work the dough until you get a smooth, shiny ball, about 5 minutes.
  5. Fold it into itself 2 times leaving the smooth part on top, then cover the surface with a pinch of flour.
  6. Cover with a kitchen towel, let it rest until doubled in size (about 1h depending on temperature).
  7. One doubled, add some oil to the baking tray.
  8. With a rolling pin, flatten the dough to a rectangle, then transfer to the baking tray.
  9. Lightly flour the surface of the focaccia, then with your hands, push the dough to adhere to the corners & edges of the tray, creating a small edge. This step is crucial to prevent the salamoia to go under the focaccia, making the bottom soggy.
  10. Cover again with the kitchen towel and let it rest for another  hour.
  11. Prepare the salamoia, then check all the edges are still there and adhere very well to the tray.
  12. With your fingers, make holes in the dough being careful not to pierce it at the bottom. 
  13. Put the salamoia on top making sure it's spreaded evenly everywhere and in every hole. You can use a brush to help you.
  14. Let it sit uncovered for an extra 30 minutes. Eventually re-distribute the salamoia if you notice dry patches.
  15. Turn the oven on to 230C.
  16. Once at temperature, add the focaccia in the middle of the oven and cook for 15 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
  17. Wait a few minutes, and serve while still hot! Enjoy! 

Notes

Storage: You can freeze the focaccia after baking to preserve freshness. Otherwise, keep at room temperature covered for up to 2 days. If it gets too hard, just pop it in the toaster or the oven!

Note: it works perfectly as 'bread' for a snadwich! Just cut it in half lenght-way 😉

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