Every region of Italy has a strong tradition of bread-making and focaccia is one of the cornerstones of our cuisine. White, soft or crunchy; high or low; with toppings or stuffed; with or without salt; oily and greasy or maybe a little less so.
What’s your favorite kind of focaccia?
We would like to suggest some famous (and a few less famous) recipes for making good focaccia at home. The ingredients are few and the process not so complex. There’s only one fundamental rule when it comes to making focaccia: you must have patience. The leavened dough requires time, precision, tranquility and a lot of care. It is absolutely worth it, though. We promise!
Focaccia genovese
The focaccia genovese, also known as fugassa in the local tradition, is perhaps one of the most famous in Italy. It is eaten for breakfast, or as a snack instead of regular old bread. It’s oh-so-good and deliciously greasy… you can’t not try it!
To prepare focaccia genovese, you need to create a yeast starter with the following ingredients: 1 lb. of manitoba flour, 8 oz. of water and 1/4 oz. of yeast. Let this mixture ferment for 12 hours (or overnight).
The next day, you’ll add 1 lb. of flour, 10 oz. water, 1 oz. extra-virgin olive oil, ½ oz. brewer’s yeast, ½ oz. malt (or honey) and finally, ½ oz. salt to only 5 oz. of the yeast starter (and put the rest of the starter aside).
Once the dough is complete, divide it into 500-gram pieces and give each section a rectangular shape with two folds, closed downward.
Place dough rectangles on a well-floured surface and roll them out with a rolling pin. Let rise for another 30 minutes and place on a greased baking pan with slightly wet hands to keep the dough from sticking.
Make small holes with your fingertips without breaking the dough. Season with a brine of one part water, two parts oil and a little salt.
Let rise for another hour and then bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes. Once cooked through, brush again with extra-virgin olive and remove from baking pan immediately.
Focaccia pugliese
Another famous focaccia in Italy is the typical focaccia of Puglia (from Bari to be exact). This recipe is known for its softer consistency – due to the addition of a boiled potato. The recipe is simple.
Peel one potato and cut into pieces. Boil in lightly salted water and then mash with a potato masher. Keep the cooking water, putting it aside for now.
Pour 1 lb. flour into a bowl and mix it with 2 tbsps of oil, 2 tsps of salt and 1 oz. yeast dissolved with sugar in a little warm water. Then add a glass and a half of warm potato cooking water and the mashed potato. Mix and let cool down. Cover the dough and let it rise for about an hour.
Heat the oven to 425°F. Transfer the leavened dough into a round baking pan greased with oil. Spread halved tomatoes and season with salt and oregano.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake the focaccia in the oven for about 30 - 35 minutes.
Focaccia di Recco
It's a thin focaccia stuffed with cheese. A delicacy that’s a little bit difficult to make at home, but it's worth a try! If you don't have the typical Ligurian cheese, you can also use a crescenza or a stracchino cheese.
Knead 2 lb. soft wheat flour, 4 oz. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 lb. water and 10 oz. salt together until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover with a cloth and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Divide dough in half. Pull the dough with your hands in a circular motion until very thin, keeping your hands underneath the pastry as you do so. Be careful not to break it as you work the dough.
Put about one kg of fresh soft cheese in the middle of the dough then lay the next layer of dough on top. Pinch the edges together to close the cheese inside and brush with oil.
Bake for 15 minutes at 480°F.
Focaccia Locatelli
This focaccia recipe is very famous on the web. Not only is it easy to prepare – you don’t even have to use your hands to knead the dough in the first phase of preparation.
To make Focaccia Locatelli, all you need to do is mix together 9 oz. 00 flour, 9 oz. 0 flour, half a stick (or packet) of yeast, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
Knead the mixture with a spoon (not your hands). Once ingredients are well-mixed, grease the surface of the dough with a little oil and let rest inside the bowl for 10 minutes, covered with a cloth.
Transfer dough as-is onto a well-greased baking pan – and, without touching it further (do not roll it out!), let the dough rise for 20 more minutes (keeping it covered). Then roll out the dough using only your fingertips. Start from the center and work the dough toward the edges of the pan. Cover and let rest for another 20 minutes.
Prepare a brine by mixing 3 tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of water plus a pinch of salt. Cover the surface of the focaccia with the brine.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Focaccine on the stove
If you don't feel like waiting (or you don’t have time) for the whole leavening process, try making these delicious mini versions of focaccia that you can make on the stove! And the best part? Kids love them!
Put 11 oz. flour in a bowl and add 5 oz. water, a tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt and 2 teaspoons of yeast – little by little – to make the dough for savory focaccine. Knead until dough is soft.
Divide dough into several pieces (about 12) and heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place dough sections on the heat with your hands, leaving a little space between them.
Cook each for about 10-15 minutes, turning them over from time to time.
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