Focaccia genovese

Step 1 of 8

Dissolve 5 g of yeast and 7 g of malt syrup in 185 ml of lukewarm water. Add the flour and mix until it comes together, then add 8 g of salt and gradually work in 1½ tbsp olive oil. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

  • Yeast dough: Yeast is only human: cosy warmth gets it working, real heat finishes it off, and in the cold it just dawdles.
  • Kneading and gluten: Gluten is the dough's gym: give bread a proper workout, and let sponge cakes and pancakes put their feet up.
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15 min

00:00

Ingredients

  • 335 gWheat flour, white, bread, enriched
  • 185 mlBeverages, water, tap, drinking
  • 1.5 15 ml tablespoonOil, olive, salad or cooking
  • 5 gLeavening agents, yeast, baker's, compressed
  • 8 gSalt, table
  • 7 gSyrups, corn, light
  • 2 5 ml teaspoonOil, olive, salad or cooking
  • 75 mlBeverages, water, tap, drinking
  • 55 mlOil, olive, salad or cooking
  • 6 gSalt, table
  • 2 5 ml teaspoonOil, olive, salad or cooking

Method

  1. Dissolve 5 g of yeast and 7 g of malt syrup in 185 ml of lukewarm water. Add the flour and mix until it comes together, then add 8 g of salt and gradually work in 1½ tbsp olive oil. Knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  2. Round the dough, cover it and leave it to rise for 1 hour at room temperature. For a deeper flavour you can then let it mature in the fridge for 24 hours; let it come back to room temperature for an hour before the next step.
  3. Grease a 30 × 40 cm tray with 2 tsp of olive oil, transfer the dough to it and gently stretch it into the corners with your fingers. If it springs back, let it rest for 10 minutes and continue; it must not tear.
  4. Cover the dough and let it rise for 60 minutes at 28–30 °C, for example in a switched-off oven with the light on.
  5. Whisk the salamoia: 75 ml of lukewarm water, 55 ml of olive oil and 6 g of salt. Press dimples close together into the dough with your fingertips almost down to the tray and pour the brine evenly over it so that it pools in the dimples.
  6. Leave the focaccia to rise uncovered for another 90–120 minutes at 28–30 °C. Meanwhile heat the oven to 240 °C (top and bottom heat, no fan).
  7. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 14–15 minutes until the top is golden and the base firm and golden; the dimples stay paler and soft.
  8. Brush the hot focaccia with 2 tsp of olive oil straight away, move it to a wire rack and let it cool briefly. Cut into 6 rectangles; serve lukewarm or at room temperature.