A crisp, golden top glossed with olive oil, and close-set dimples, pressed with three fingers, that stay soft and moist from the brine and oil. That is focaccia genovese, fügassa in the local dialect, and in Genoa it is how the day begins: a coffee or a cappuccino with a slerfa, a slice of focaccia. The bread is low and rectangular, salty from the brine, rich with oil, and good enough plain that it needs nothing else. This recipe makes two 30 × 40 cm trays.
Focaccia Genovese in Genoa
Focaccia is a symbol of Genoese food. People eat it with morning coffee, and also as a snack, at lunch and with an aperitivo. In Voltri, in Genoa, people line up at the Marinetta bakery early in the morning to take home warm focaccia. For more dishes from the same country, see the Italy page.
"Focaccia" covers a wide family of breads across Italy, from thick, soft slabs to versions loaded with tomatoes and herbs. The Genoese one is relatively low, dimpled all over, and finished with olive oil and a salt-and-water brine before the last rise. It comes plain or with onion. Stories of very old origins circulate, but no specific origin or date is documented, and the "right" local formula is still debated.
The Genoese base and the cheese focaccia from Recco are different breads. Focaccia col formaggio, from Recco, is a thin dough with cheese enclosed in it. It has its own recipe and structure; scattering cheese over this dough won't get you there.
Preparation takes 30 minutes and cooking takes 15 minutes, with about 3 hours of proofing on top, so plan on roughly 3 hours 45 minutes altogether. Rising speed depends on room temperature, flour and yeast. With two trays, you need either an oven that fits both or time to bake one after the other, which adds to the total.
Ingredients: Two Trays, 30 × 40 cm
All amounts below are in grams. The oil appears three times with three different jobs (in the dough, on the trays, on the surface), so weigh each separately. The brine is made apart from the dough and is not part of it.
The dough is not a high-hydration dough. The dough water is 12 oz (335g) against 1.5 lb (650g) of total flour, about 51.5%. The 7 oz (200g) of water in the brine goes on top of the shaped dough and is never counted as dough water.
You will make more brine than you need. Mix 7 oz (200g) water with 10g salt, then pour about 3.25 oz (90g) over each tray. Any leftover brine can stay in the bowl; you do not need to force it onto the trays. The 3.25 oz (90g) is brine per tray, not water.
Two 30 × 40 cm trays make about 8 servings, cut to suit your table.
Flour, malt and yeast: what you can change, and what changes with it
- No Manitoba flour? Use strong bread flour. It is a substitute, not the same flour: strength and water absorption differ, so watch how the dough feels.
- No tipo 00? Use bread flour for all of the flour, at the same weights. Expect the dough to absorb and stretch differently, and the bread to differ.
- Malt: you can use the same amount of brown sugar. The aroma and browning will change.
- Fresh yeast: use 18g of fresh brewer's yeast.
This bread contains wheat (gluten). Malt products are usually made from grain, so check the label of the malt you buy. For cross-contact, follow each product's own labeling. To calculate nutrition figures, use the labels of the products you actually use.
Equipment
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Two baking trays, 30 × 40 cm | The recipe is sized for this tray |
| Large bowl | For the first mixing |
| Dough scraper or bench card | For handling and dividing a soft dough |
| Rolling pin | For starting to stretch each piece |
| Kitchen scale | For the flours, water, salt, malt, yeast and each of the three oils |
| Oven with a static (conventional) setting | Bake at 450°F (230°C) in a static oven |
What to look for when shopping
Look for an Italian flour labeled "tipo 00" and a Manitoba flour. If those are hard to find, strong bread flour is the substitute to look for, used as described above. Olive oil, salt and trays are ordinary items; nothing special is needed.
Choosing Flour and Malt for Focaccia Genovese
Tipo 00 is a refinement grade, not the same thing as bread or cake flour, and Manitoba is a specific strong flour. If you can't find them, you can replace both with bread flour at the same weights. The dough will absorb water and stretch differently, though, so the bread won't be identical.
The malt can be swapped for the same amount of brown sugar. Expect a difference in aroma and browning.
Method
Use the times below as a guide, and go by the dough: how relaxed it is, how it spreads in the tray, how far it has risen. The photos show each stage, not exact times, temperatures or weights.
Common Problems with Focaccia Genovese
Most trouble comes from the dough not resting enough or from the brine escaping. Ovens matter too: Genoese bakeries bake in ovens hotter than a home oven, so watch your own as you go.
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The dough is sticky and hard to handle | Dough is still developing; flour substitution changes absorption | Keep kneading and let it rest. A light dusting of flour is fine; a steady stream changes the recipe |
| The dough springs back when stretched | Not enough rest | Cover it and wait a few minutes before stretching again; that's what the rests in steps 5 and 6 are for |
| Dimples fill back in | Dough under-rested or tight | Let it rest briefly, then press once more |
| Brine runs to the edges or under the dough | Dough not stuck flat to the tray; no rim; too much liquid | Keep a rim, press the dough onto the tray before dimpling, and stop pouring once the dimples hold liquid |
| Uneven color, or an oily or dark bottom | Oven hot spots, rack position | Ovens differ, so watch the color and adjust the rack position next time |
Serving, Storing and Varying Focaccia Genovese
Storage and Reheating
A plain slice with a coffee is the simplest way to serve it, and the closest to how Genoa eats it. Keep baked focaccia in a paper bag for 1 day, and no longer at room temperature. It can also be frozen after baking. To reheat, warm a slice briefly and watch that it doesn't scorch.
Variations
Olives, onion, sage and rosemary all appear in Genoese focaccia, but each one changes the bread. Get to know the plain version first, then treat these as separate breads.
| Variation | Type | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sliced onion on top | Local variant | A recognized Genoese variant, alongside the plain style |
| Olives | Local variant | Adds saltiness, so test before adjusting the salt |
| Sage or rosemary | Local variant | The herb takes over the aroma; use a light hand |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh?
This recipe uses 18g of fresh brewer's yeast and gives no conversion for dry yeast.
Is it a mistake if liquid is still sitting in the dimples?
No. The brine and oil are meant to settle into the dimples before the final rise. The problem is liquid running under the dough or off the edges, which a rim and dough pressed flat to the tray help prevent. And there's no need to use all of the brine you made.
