Focaccia
Liguria gift to the bread world: a dimpled golden flatbread glistening with olive oil and scattered with sea salt crystals. Fingers pressed into the risen dough create wells that pool with fragrant Ligurian olive oil.
- 3.5 cupsbread flour
- 1.5 tspinstant yeast
- 1.5 tspkosher salt
- 1.5 cupswarm water(about 110°F)
- 0.5 cupextra-virgin olive oil(divided)
- 2 sprigsfresh rosemary(leaves picked)
- flaky sea salt(for topping)
Dough requires overnight rise. Baked focaccia keeps 2 days wrapped at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month. Reheat in 350°F oven.
- 1Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl
- 2Add warm water and 2 tablespoons olive oil, mix until shaggy dough forms
- 3Cover and let rise at room temperature 8-12 hours or overnight
- 4Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into 9x13 baking pan, spreading to coat
- 5Transfer dough to pan, turning to coat in oil
- 6Stretch dough gently toward edges - it will spring back
- 7Cover and let rise 2 hours until doubled and puffy
- 8Preheat oven to 450°F
- 9Dimple dough all over with fingertips
- 10Drizzle remaining olive oil over top, scatter rosemary
- 11Sprinkle generously with flaky salt
- 12Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown
The overnight rise develops complex flavor and creates an airy, irregular crumb. Don't skimp on olive oil - it creates the crispy bottom and tender interior. Dimple aggressively - the holes hold olive oil. Flaky salt is essential for texture contrast.
Focaccia derives from Latin "focus" meaning hearth where bread was baked. Ancient Romans made panis focacius on hearthstones. In Genoese dialect it is called fugassa, a tradition dating to medieval times. The distinctive finger-dimpled surface called ombrisalli holds pools of olive oil. When Genoa was a maritime republic, focaccia became an essential sailor provision.