Focaccia Genovese

Focaccia genovese is the canonical Ligurian flatbread: a high-hydration Type 00 dough, dimpled after the first rise, then flooded with olive oil that pools in the indentations. The result is crisp on the underside, airy inside, with a golden, oiled surface. It is not pizza — no tomato, no cheese.

Active preparation time is under 30 minutes. The dough requires two rest periods totalling approximately 2.5 hours of unattended time.

Ingredients (6 servings — one 30×40cm tray)

• 500g Type 00 flour (farina 00)
• 7g fresh yeast (lievito di birra fresco)
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the pan
• 325ml lukewarm water
• 10g salt

Instructions

1. Make the dough Dissolve the fresh yeast in 100ml of the lukewarm water. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast water and remaining 225ml water gradually. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then add 20ml of the olive oil. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes until smooth. The dough will be slightly sticky — this is correct for high-hydration focaccia.

2. First rise Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Rest at room temperature for 1.5 hours until roughly doubled.

3. Transfer to the tray Generously oil a 30×40cm baking tray with 20ml olive oil. Transfer the dough to the tray and press it outward with flat hands. It will resist at first — rest 10 minutes, then press again to the tray edges.

4. Dimple and second rise Using fingertips, press deep dimples across the entire surface. Drizzle with the remaining 20ml olive oil — it will pool in the dimples. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Rest uncovered for 45 minutes.

5. Bake Preheat oven to 220°C. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the surface is deep golden and the underside, when lifted with a palette knife, is crisp. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes

The dimpling step is structural, not decorative — it anchors the olive oil and prevents the surface from ballooning in the oven. The second rest after dimpling is mandatory; skipping it produces a denser result.

Focaccia genovese uses the same Type 00 flour and fresh yeast as pizza margherita. If you have already made pizza once, focaccia requires no new techniques or ingredients.

Cost Context

At Italian supermarket prices (Q1 2025), the ingredient cost for one tray (6 servings) is approximately €1.10 — under €0.20 per serving. Flour and olive oil are the two meaningful cost contributors; yeast is negligible (€0.05 for 7g). This makes focaccia genovese one of the lowest cost-per-serving items in this collection.

See the Recipe Cost Calculator to adjust serving quantities and compute exact costs per person.