Our Cooking Journey
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Cooking Classes in Italy

Focaccia Genovese

26/7/2024

2 Comments

 
Picture
You can't beat a classic focaccia Genovese, a typical Ligurian speciality. A perfect balanced consistency, crunchy and golden all around and nice and soft in the middle. 

Makes: 1 large focaccia
​

Ingredients 
  • 500g of Farina 0 or strong white flour
  • 300g of room temperature water
  • 3g of fresh yeast or 2g of dry yeast
  • 15g of fine sea salt plus extra for the salamoia
  • Olive oil

Method
  1. In a large bowl mix yeast and water first, then add the flour and knead well for 5 minutes before adding the salt. Now sprinkle the table with a touch of flour and transfer the dough to the floured surface. Keep kneading for another 10 minutes. Add a little extra pinch of flour only at this point and only if the dough seems very sticky.
  2. With the help of a dough scraper shape the dough into a nice ball shape. Add a tbsp of olive oil to the large bowl and with your hand, brush the olive oil all around the bowl before placing the focaccia ball inside. Cover well with cling film and move it to the fridge overnight (around 10 - 12 hours) or keep at room temperature for 4 - 6 hours or until almost doubled in size. 
  3. The morning after take the dough out of the fridge and let it prove at room temperature for a few hours or until almost doubled in size. 
  4. Prepare a large oven tray (35 x 25 cm) with parchment paper.
  5. Now place the dough in the middle of the tray and shape it so it fits well on the tray, pressing your fingers into it to make the iconic dimples. If the dough doesn't stretch enough to cover all the tray do not worry you can repeat this process again later on when the gluten in the dough has relaxed a bit more. Try to keep the thickness of the dough even all around. Now cover with cling film making sure the cling film doesn't touch the dough and rest it for 45-60 minutes.
  6. Make the salamoia by mixing 4 tbsp of water, 2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tsp of fine sea salt. If needed press again with your fingers to shape it so it fits well on the tray. Pour the mix all over the focaccia evenly so it goes inside the dimples.  
  7. Bake at 200°C (fan) for 15 - 20 mins or until nicely golden all around. Enjoy! 
Picture
Back to recipes
2 Comments
Ben Bowler
20/3/2025 08:34:11 pm

Hi! I love the recipes you post, and cannot wait to try making more. I’ve made focaccia genovese a few times, most recently following this recipe. Every time it comes out of the oven, the dough in the divots seems almost raw while the rest of the bread is cooked perfectly. Is this expected, or am I doing something wrong?

Reply
Chloe
26/6/2025 05:04:01 am

Ben, this is exactly as it should be…the divots are not raw but rather they’ve absorbed the salamoia and the contrast of the salty “moist”😆 divots with the crunchy is what it’s all about!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Blog
  • Cooking Classes in Italy