Focaccia in Italy is enjoyed at any time of day, from a savoury breakfast to dinner. Every well-made aperitif buffet should include focaccia, accompanied by cold meats and cheeses, to be complete.
Difficulty: medium
Method: 20
Cooking: 25
Rest: 90
Difficulty: medium
Method: 20
Cooking: 25
Rest: 90
Put the flour in the planetary mixer
Add the crumbled yeast, water, sugar, and extra virgin olive oil
Turn the mixer on low speed
Add salt when the dough starts to form gluten
Increase the speed of the planetary mixer, it must be medium
When the dough is well formed, remove it from the machine
Put the dough on the worktop and finish the process
You should obtain a compact and homogeneous dough
Place the dough in a bowl to leaven covered with cling film
Let it leaven until it has doubled in volume
Put the flour in the bowl
Add the crumbled yeast, water, sugar, and extra virgin olive oi
Start working with your fingers
Add salt when the dough starts to form
Increase the kneading force
Transfer the dough to the work surface when it is formed
Finish kneading by using your hands vigorously and twisting the dough in all directions
Place the dough on the worktop and finish kneading
The dough should be compact, homogeneous, and not sticky, if necessary, add a little flour
Place the dough in a bowl to leaven covered with cling film (if possible, at 25°/28° C)
Let it leaven until it has doubled in volume
Flour your hands
Flour the worktop
Place the dough on the worktop and lightly flour the surface
Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 3-5 mm with a rolling pin, working it in all directions
Shape the dough as closely as possible to the baking tray you will be using
Grease the baking tray with extra virgin olive oil
Roll out the dough, adapting it to the shape of the tray with your fingers
Add the water and extra virgin olive oil in a bowl
Work vigorously with a whisk to form an emulsion (or with the help of a blender)
Press the dough with your fingers
Wet the dough with the water and oil emulsion using a brush
Press the dough again with your fingers
Let it leaven for another 30 minutes (if possible, at 25/28°C)
Make the traditional holes and leave to leaven for another 15/30 minutes (if possible, at 25/28°C)
Season the focaccia with fresh rosemary needles
Bake the focaccia in the oven at 220°C for about 15/25 minutes
The focaccia is cooked when it is easy to lift it from the bottom of the baking tray with a spatula
Remove it from the oven
Sprinkle the surface with salt crystals before serving
Focaccia is a very versatile food, and can be served on any occasion either as a substitute for bread or as an accompaniment to cold cuts or cheese. The pairing depends on how you serve it.
If you are serving it as an aperitif, pair it with a fresh and fragrant Mediterranean white wine, like Vermentino from Liguria or Sardinia, or with the freshness of the bubbles of a Prosecco from Valdobbiadene.
You can make the focaccia dough a few hours in advance and let it leaven first in the bowl covered with food cling film in the refrigerator: leavening will be very slow because of the cold temperature. When taking it out of the refrigerator, proceed as indicated in the recipe, allowing it to complete its leavening until doubling in volume at a temperature of 25°-28°C.
You can also prepare the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge as indicated above. In this case, reduce the amount of yeast: 5/7 g of fresh brewer’s yeast will suffice.
Flour is very important: do not use a weak flour, poor in protein, but a medium-strong one, with 12-13 g of protein per kg of flour. This type of flour absorbs enough water to prevent the dough from becoming sticky and to allow it leaven well.
Pay attention to the temperatures: yeasts work well at temperatures between 25° and 28°C. Therefore, do not use hot water, but the warmer the room temperature, the cooler the water must be. Do not allow your dough to leaven in an environment where the temperature is above 28°C. Cold also inhibits leavening: if you have no alternative, turn on the oven and then turn it off to obtain a temperature between 25° and 28°C, then place your dough to leaven, closing the door to prevent heat loss.
Do not let your dough near drafts: a crust will form on the surface preventing it from leavening.
Do not add the water and extra virgin olive oil all at once, but in small doses, always waiting for the dough to absorb the dose inserted before pouring the next one.
Salt inhibits the action of the yeast: do not add it immediately to the other ingredients, but when the dough starts to form.
Do not skip the leavening phases as this would compromise the focaccia!
Do not forget to press the focaccia with your fingers when adding the emulsion: the emulsion enters the “eyes” that form in such a way as to create the right contrast between crunchiness and softness when baking.
If you have leftover focaccia you can keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. All you need to do before using it is let it cool at room temperature.
You can freeze the focaccia, even cut into slices so you have ready-made portions. Then defrost it in the fridge and, before eating, let it cool to room temperature.
Choose a “medium-strong” flour, rich in protein: check the label of the product you are buying, the amount of protein should be 12-13 g per kg.
You can also use dry brewer’s yeast, calculating that 1 gram of dry yeast corresponds to 3.5 g of fresh yeast.
Focaccia in Italy is enjoyed at any time of day, from a savoury breakfast to dinner. Every well-made aperitif buffet should include focaccia, accompanied by cold meats and cheeses, to be complete. You can also stuff your focaccia, cutting it in half and enriching it with prosciutto or whatever you wish. The stuffing can also be added while cooking, as in the case of focaccia with onions.
1 kg “0” flour
20 g fresh brewer’s yeast
550 ml water
Add the extra virgin olive oil
10 g fine salt
10 g sugar
Fresh rosemary
Crystal salt
For the emulsion
50 ml water
50 g oil
Focaccia is a very versatile food, and can be served on any occasion either as a substitute for bread or as an accompaniment to cold cuts or cheese. The pairing depends on how you serve it.
If you are serving it as an aperitif, pair it with a fresh and fragrant Mediterranean white wine, like Vermentino from Liguria or Sardinia, or with the freshness of the bubbles of a Prosecco from Valdobbiadene.
One of the special features of Bari-style focaccia is the use of durum wheat semolina flour and boiled potatoes: these two ingredients give the focaccia a very pleasant softness and fluffiness.
