I feel the need to specify authentic because I am afraid l there is an overall misconception about what focaccia is and should be.
Focaccia should not be thick or doughy. I have encountered so many of this kind, such disappointing, heavy-as lead thick breads so wrongly called Focaccia, that I am now compelled to speak for its true identity and get rid of this misapprehension once and for all. Focaccia is its own thing and it’s one of the most recognized marvels of Liguria, a God-blessed region in north-west Italy. It is light, airy, bouncy and ever-so-satisfying. Each little (or big!) bite, so well seasoned with salt and ligurian extra-virgin olive oil is a joy for the palate. Focaccia is said to have been created by the masterful Genovese artisan bakers and to this day all Italians young and old know that it is in Genova and the nearby villages that you will find the best Focaccia. In Italy we love it so much we mostly eat it plain, fresh from the oven, warm and inviting. I have finally managed to snatch the recipe from my brother, a professional Chef who made Focaccia daily when he worked at “Il Genovese” , in Milan in the late 90′s. This recipe is so great I have been baking trays for two days straight…
Can you blame me though?
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of dried yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon of barley malt syrup or honey
320 gr (2 3/4 cups) 00 or plain flour
2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
For the glaze : 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil , 1 tablespoon of water.
How to
1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast with water, add flour, oil and barley malt syrup or honey. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the salt.
2. Knead vigorously until it looks smooth and elastic (feel free to use an electric mixer with a dough hook).
3. Shape into a ball and rest for 20 minutes in a bowl, covered with a tea towel.
4. Stretch it with your hand to form a rectangle and fold into 3 or 4. This step will give strength and texture to your dough and is essential in order to obtain a soft, airy and chewy focaccia.
5.Place the folded dough in an oiled oven tray, cover it with a tea-towel and let it prove for around 90 minutes or until it doubles in size.
6. Once the dough has risen, stretch it out to cover the tray and sprinkle the surface with seasalt.
7. Let it rest for another 30 minutes, than, using your fingertips, press the dough down onto the tray to create lots of little holes.
8. Drizzle the holes with the glaze and sprinkle with some more salt. You can top it with caramelized onion or cherry tomatoes if you wish, but , believe me, this is already amazing as it is.
9. Let it rest for another 20 minutes.
10. Bring your oven to 200 C (390 F), then bake for 20-25 minutes until it looks slighly golden and utterly irresistible…
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Related articles
- Bretzels (silviascucina.wordpress.com)
- Focaccia Pugliese (home-made focaccia Apulian style) (silviascucina.net)
- The Ultimate Focaccia (korenainthekitchen.com)
- Focaccia, Revisited (loavesandstitches.wordpress.com)
I am so excited to find your blog, and can’t wait to try so many of your recipes! Thank you for sharing!
i need tablespoons and cups ,,please ,in your recipes
Darlene, I’m in the process of updating every post to include cup/spoon measurements..hang in there…
THANK YOU SO MUCH ,,MADE THE BREAD WITH OLIVE YESTERDAY SO GOOD
DO YOU USE LESS YEAST WHEN WANTING THINNER CRUST FOR PIZZA
I am so glad I stumbled across your blog! I am making your focaccia right now!! Super excited to see how it turns out!
Great Nicole! Let me know how you go!
Silvia
awesome… thank you… a nice, traditional recipe I can teach my daughter…
Do you have any for Sicilian bread… my grandmother use to make it but i can’t recall the full recipe… thanks…
I grew up eating AUTHENTIC focaccia & spent 6 weeks in Sestri Levanti with relatives when I was 15 where I ate it morning, noon & night. After I grew up & had a family of my own I moved too far out of the city to pick up real focaccia whenever I wanted it so I started my mission trying to make it at home. I’ve been attempting to bake focaccia at home since 1998 with no luck! I’ve tried every recipe there is! recipes from family, recipes from italy! & it just never came out right. Your recipe worked!! it’s perfect! I’ve made 7 trays in the last week. I had to thank you! thank you so much!
Kim, it’s because of people like you, with a true passion and need for authentic Italian flavors, that I will keep posting recipes! You made my day! xx
The other recipe I’ve always wanted to recreate is a pesto lasagna which my Aunt made for me during the same trip to Italy I spoke of before. My Aunt has since passed away and I’ve tried to get the recipe from her daughter, my cousin. Something gets lost in translation and while I’ve received recipes for others I’ve yet to get one for a pesto lasagna. It was so delicious! Soft & fluffy, light & delicate not too rich like what I’ve come up with while trying to recreate it. Since you definitely understand the difference between Italian food and Italian/American food I thought I’d give it a shot and ask if you by chance may have a recipe for it that I could try. Thanks again Kim xxxxxx
Hi Kim,
I’m off to Liguria today…. I will be thinking of you! I will try and taste the best pesto and replicate it to make a cracking Lasagna for you.
Ciao
Silvia, when you said, “Bring your oven to 200 C (390 F), then until it looks slighly golden and utterly irresistible…” Do you mean preheat oven to 390 F and bake until slightly golden and utterly irresistible? About how long does it take to get to that point?
oops…Thanks for spotting that typo! Bake for 20-25 minutes!
Silvia, I have completely failed at this recipe! I was up until 1:30 am making this and was so looking forward to the bread, but it turned out hard and crusty. Maybe my dough didn’t rise enough. What brand of yeast do you use?
STeve, I am so sorry for you, i can feel your frustration and disappointment. Did the dough rose when you left it to prove? Do you think your oven temperature might have been to high?
Maybe my yeast wasn’t activated. The dough didn’t double, but did get larger than it was. I proved the dough in a gas oven that had some warmth from the pilot. Did you add sugar to the yeast?
I normally use barely malt syrup when making bread doughs. Honey or sugar will be fine too. Salt in only added after the dough has been kneaded for a few minutes, as it can stop the activation of the yeast.
I colder climate, a yeasted dough will take more time to rise. I hope this helps!
Thanks again. I’ll give it another shot.
I am making this tomorrow and can’t wait! My husband and I traveled to Italy last spring and have been craving real Italian focaccia. I was just wondering how much this recipe makes? Is it just 1 pan or 2 also what size pan do you use? Thanks so much!!
I hope you went well with this focaccia recipe! I make it regularly now, my kids go crazy for it.