Genoese Focaccia

La storia di questo piatto

Focaccia Genovese is the bread of Liguria's sea-facing streets, born where salt air and olive groves meet, and made here with nothing more than flour, water, yeast, olive oil and sea salt. It is humble by design, and golden by nature.

Ingredienti

• 500 g Type 00 flour
• 325 ml Lukewarm water (for dough and yeast)
• 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 10 g Fine sea salt
• 7 g Active dry brewer's yeast
• 5 g Coarse sea salt
• 40 ml Water for the brine

Preparazione

1. Dissolve the active dry yeast in 100 ml of water at about 35°C (lukewarm, never hot to the touch). Let it rest 5-10 minutes, until a light foam forms on the surface. Pour the flour into a large bowl, add the fine salt to one side and the dissolved yeast in the center, then begin mixing with your hands, gathering the flour from the edges, until you have a rough, crumbly dough.
2. Gradually add the remaining 225 ml of lukewarm water, continuing to knead. The dough will be wet and sticky: this is normal. Work it for about 10 minutes, with lightly oiled hands if it sticks too much, until it becomes smoother and elastic and, when you stretch a small piece, it extends without tearing right away.
3. Drizzle in 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil, little by little, kneading until fully absorbed (about 5-8 minutes, folding the edges toward the center). The dough will remain soft, hydrated and slightly sticky: do not try to make it dry; oil your hands with a thin layer of oil to work it.
4. Oil a clean bowl with about 5 ml of oil, transfer the dough and turn it to coat on all sides. Cover with a damp cloth or lid and let it rise at room temperature (20-22°C) for about 90 minutes, until it has doubled in volume and shows air bubbles on the surface.
5. Oil a 30x40 cm rectangular baking pan with about 15 ml of oil. Turn the dough out into the center, oil your hands and gently stretch it with your palms toward the edges, without tearing it. If it shrinks back, let it rest a few minutes and resume, until it covers the whole pan in an even layer.
6. Cover the pan with a damp cloth and let it rise another 45-60 minutes at room temperature, until the dough is puffy and full of bubbles. Towards the end, turn on the oven and preheat it to 230°C.
7. Prepare the brine: emulsify in a small bowl 40 ml of water, 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch (about 1 g) of the coarse salt, mixing vigorously with a fork. Wet your fingertips and press across the entire surface of the focaccia, forming regular dimples spaced 3-4 cm apart, deep but without piercing the dough.
8. Pour the brine over the surface so that it fills the dimples. Season with the remaining drizzle of oil (about 20 ml) and sprinkle with the rest of the coarse salt (about 4 g).
9. Bake at 230°C on the lower-middle rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the surface is golden and the edges are well browned; lift a corner with a spatula: the bottom should be golden and slightly crisp.
10. Remove from the oven with oven mitts and let the focaccia cool slightly in the pan for 5-10 minutes, without turning it over, to keep the oily surface and dimples intact. Then transfer it with a spatula to a cutting board or wire rack, holding it level. Enjoy it warm and fragrant, within a few hours of baking.