Focaccia
Ligurian-style olive-oil flatbread
Dimpled olive-oil bread has a golden surface and a tender crumb, with a salty finish that suits a snack or shared table.
The photo has rosemary; this recipe is plainDimples, olive oil,
a golden crust.
Focaccia is a flatbread with a dimpled surface that catches oil and brine before baking. In the Genoese style, it has a relatively thin, tender crumb beneath a golden top. Olive oil flavors both the dough and the crust, with salt giving each bite a savory finish.
Bakeries in Liguria sell it in pieces for breakfast, a snack or an informal meal. Toppings differ, and other Italian regions have their own focaccia traditions. The home version below follows the plain oil-and-brine approach; it is baked in a tray and served without a filling.
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At the table: Antipasti · Street food.
Let’s make focaccia.
A tray-baked home version with an oil-and-water topping.
One 30 × 40 cm tray, cut into six generous pieces.
What you’ll need
- 500 gstrong white bread flour
- 300 mllukewarm water, for the dough
- 5 ginstant dry yeast
- 5 gsugar
- 10 gfine salt, for the dough
- 80 mlolive oil, divided
- 60 mlwater, for the topping
- 3 gfine salt, for the topping
Rising times depend on room temperature; use the doubled and puffy appearance as your guide. The 190-minute allowance includes a 90-minute rise, a 15-minute dough relaxation, 30 and 45 minutes in the tray, and 10 minutes of cooling.
How to make it
- 01
Knead the dough
Mix flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl. Add 300 ml water and mix, then add the 10 g salt and 30 ml oil. Knead for about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 02
First rise
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes until doubled. Oil the tray with 20 ml of the measured oil.
- 03
Stretch gently
Put the dough in the tray and stretch it gently toward the edges. If it resists, rest for 15 minutes, then finish spreading. Leave covered for 30 minutes.
- 04
Dimple and rise again
Mix the remaining 30 ml oil, 60 ml water and 3 g salt. Press deep dimples into the dough with your fingertips without tearing through it. Pour the topping evenly over it. Let rise uncovered for about 45 minutes until puffy.
- 05
Bake and cool
Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F during the final rise. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden above and below. Lift onto a rack and cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
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