FOCACCIA GENOVESE - ORIGINAL ITALIAN RECIPE
In Italy you can find many types of Focaccia, but Genovese Focaccia is surely one of the most famous and loved!It is characterized by being quite thin (max 2 cm thick), slightly crispy outside and soft inside, with its typical dimples filled with salty extra virgin olive oil brine. The extra virgin olive oil flavor is the protagonist so use a good quality one for the best amazing result!Focaccia Genovese is pretty easy to make at home: you don't need a stand mixer, you can easily knead it by hand in few minutes and it rises in few hours, so you can have your original Italian Genovese Focaccia in about 4-5 hours!
Ingredients
Dough
- 120 g (1 cup) bread flour Manitoba type, 14 g protein amount on 100 g flour
- 180 g (1+1/2 cup) all purpose flour 9 g protein amount on 100 g flour
- 2 g (3/4 tsp) instant dry yeast
- 170 g (2/3 cup+1/2 tbsp) water room temperature
- 6 g (1 tsp) honey
- 7 g (1 tsp) salt
- 15 g (1 tbsp+1/2 tsp) extra virgin olive oil
Brine Topping
- 80 g (1/3 cup) water
- 6 g (3/4 tsp) salt
- 30 g (2 tbsp+1 tsp)) extra virgin olive oil
- Some exra virgin olive oil for brushing after baking
- Some flake/coarse salt for topping after baking
Instructions
Dough
- In a large bowl, mix the two flours with the yeast.
- Add about 3/4 of water, honey and mix with a spoon; when almost combined, knead by hands and add the remaining water: it could seem that the flour is too much, but keep on kneading until almost combined.
- Add salt and transfer the dough onto the work surface: knead 1-2 minutes until the salt is incorporated.
- Flatten a bit the dough then pour olive oil on top. Enclose the flattened dough and start kneading.
- Keep on kneading for about 10-15 minutes: the oil is completed absorbed, the dough turns out more elastic and soft, it is not sticky and it should be smooth but not completely smooth, just slightly rough.
- Form into a ball and place it into a large bowl slightly greased with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a slightly warm place (about 28°C) for about 1 hour or when it double in size.
- Grease a rectangular 34x26cm baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil. If you have a larger/smaller rectangular baking sheet, to know how many focaccia dough putting in, you should do this mathematical calculation: side(cm) x side(cm) : 2 -> 34 x 26 : 2 = 442 -> I should place about 442 g of dough in my baking sheet, and this recipe fits perfectly this baking tray size. if you add the weight of all the ingredients of the dough, you get 500 g which is fine even if it's not exactly 442 g.
- Roll the rised dough using a rolling pin into a rectangle slightly smaller than the size of baking sheet.I suggest to not sprinkle flour onto your work surface while rolling the dough: if you add too much flour, the dough will turn out too dry. Roll it gently and keep on peeling it off the work surface so it doesn't stick.
- Transfer the dough into the greased baking sheet, seal with plastic wrap on top and let it rest fot about 20 minutes.
- After this resting time, the dough is relaxed: using your fingers, stretch the rectangular dough to perfectly fit the baking sheet. It should be pretty thin (sbout 1 cm thick).
- Seal with plastic wrap on top and let it rise in a warm place (about 28°C) for about 90 minutes. It's ready when it rises a bit: it should be about 2 cm thick.
- Slightly sprinkle on top of your rised focaccia a small amount of flour (this will create a watery batter when you'll pour the topping), then using your fingers, create deep holes: press down until your fingers touch the bottom of the pan (cut your nails short or you'll break the dough :P).
Brine Topping and Baking
- In a pitcher (or a squeeze bottle) mix water and salt until dissolved, then add extra virgin olive oil and whisk hard: you should get an emulsion, water and oil should be mixed and not separated.
- Pour all this brine topping on top of your focaccia: all the holes should be completely filled by the topping.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 20 minutes until preheat your oven. Preheat the oven at 240°C-460°F.
- Bake in preheated oven (NO fan, upper+lower heat) at 230°C-450°F for about 10-12 minutes or until golden on top and at the bottom. Do not overbake or it will turn out dry.
- Remove immediately from the baking sheet, brush the top with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil until shiny, add some flake/coarse salt.
- Cut with a serrated knife in 8 pieces and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
I suggest to eat immediately your focaccia and do not store it.
If you have some leftovers, wrap every pieces in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day or in freezer for up to 3 months.