Focaccia alla Genovese
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There are many ways to make and enjoy focaccia. This is a bit of a challenge from a friend of mine, a Turino, who was certain the focaccia here could be made better. So, here it is. I don’t know if it is better. You can decide that.
What makes this great for fans of focaccia alla Genovese is the devotion to tradition. There’s a strong patriotism to regional foods everywhere. As someone in Boston who makes the best clam chowder or a Southerner who makes the best grits and you’ll not need to travel far to find the best says them.
That kind of devotion to place is exciting and opens us up to new tastes we might have missed. And missing new tastes seems just terrible.
Here is a link the a video I made about Focaccia alla Genovese.
Focaccia alla Genovese
My friend Elvira, from Turino, Italy, was of the opinion that the previous focaccia, fine thought it might be, was not focaccia alla Genovese, and was, on that criterion alone, a poorer focaccia. So, I set out to make one for her. Here it is.
Ingredients
- 500 g Bread flour
- 315 g water
- 30 g chef
- 40 g Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 g Instant yeast
- 8 g Sea salt
Garnish
- 10 g Pretzel salt
- 50 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T Fresh chopped herbs marjoram, thyme, rosemary
Chef
- 200 g water
- 200 g bread flour
Tools
- Stand mixer
- 1 sheet pan 9 inch X 12 inch
- 1 pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
Make the Chef
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Mix the flour and water together stirring for nearly 100 strokes to mix the chef well. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter over night.
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The next day add 25 grams each water and flour and mix well again. Leave on counter.
Mix the Focaccia
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Measure the water and extra virgin olive oil and chef into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
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Scale the flour, yeast and salt into another bowl.
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Add the flour mixture to the water mixture and mix on low speed for 4 minutes.
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Move the speed to medium and mix 3 more minutes. The dough should clean the bowl. If the bottom still sticks, that's fine.
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Oil the surface and edges of the sheet pan. Place the dough onto the oiled pan. With oiled fingertips, push the dough toward the corners and edges. It will pull back. Brush the top with olive oil, brush a piece of plastic wrap with olive oil also, place the plastic oiled side to dough and let rest 30 minutes.
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Brush the dough well with olive oil, flip top to bottom, brush the new top with olive oil, cover with plastic and let dough stand for 2 hours.
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Heat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle 2 T of olive oil on top of dough, sprinkle the pretzel salt and any chopped herbs you have prepared. Using your fingertips, press dimples, not holes, into the dough. Place dough into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
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The focaccia is done when the bottom is nicely brown. The focaccia might stick. This is common and requires a bit of patience and a hot-mit to fix. Hold the pan firmly and slice a metal or nylon (metal is better) between the focaccia and pan. Work from the edges toward the center and repeat until you've released the bread. Leave the bread in the pan.
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Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Remove the bread to the rack and allow it to cool another 5 to 10 minutes. I know, it's torture. If you eat some while it's still warm, the bread police won't arrest you.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
The significant difference between this focaccia and this focaccia is one of water. The Genovese version is far more like bread and the other version is more like soup. The Genovese version is much easier to work with and for a new to bread baking baker that might be the difference between success and not. So, give the Genovese version a try. If you have questions, e-mail me and I'll talk you through some of the complications.
Aside from the obvious ingredients on any list for bread, there are always two ingredients not really listed: time and temperature.
Time for bread means not just the rising and baking but also the fermenting, from the chef, or starter, to the fermenting, which is where the flavor develops and the texture of the finished dough is changed. Temperature refers, of course, to baking, but for bakers, also the temperature of fermentation. Fermenting in the cooler or at room temperature has a significant impact on the finished product. Bakers tweak and test and manipulate these two other ingredients all the time to get the best flavor and rise and color out of their breads.
Once you get your feet under you, so to speak, then give the other focaccia recipe a try. The same ingredients at different ratios makes for a very different experience for the baker and the eater.
Reach me in the comments section if you want to chat. Here is a link to the video I made for the wet version of focaccia.
Click here to see the first focaccia recipe and the one that made Elvira push me to make this one.
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