Genovese focaccia with rosemary, crispy outside and soft inside.
The Genovese focaccia (in dialect: fügassa) is a typical leavened specialty of Ligurian cuisine, a low and soft focaccia covered with brine made of: plenty of water, salt, and extra virgin olive oil
This rosemary focaccia is crispy outside and very soft inside, it rises wonderfully and is very easy to prepare.
Cut into cubes, it is perfect for an aperitif, accompanied by olives, cheeses, and sliced cured meats. Ideal also for Easter Monday picnics or to bring to the beach in summer.
Tested recipe and flop-proof, even for beginners in the kitchen.
If you love leavened goods (sweet or savory), visit the dedicated Section of my Blog for LEAVENED.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Dough of Genovese Focaccia with Rosemary
- 4 cups All-purpose flour
- 0.88 oz Fresh yeast
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1.23 tsp Fine salt
- 1 cup Water (lukewarm)
- 0.25 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Coarse salt
- to taste Rosemary
- 0.33 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 0.33 cup Water (hot, salted with 5 pinches of fine salt)
Tools
- Bowl
- Stand Mixer Kenwood with 5 L Bowl, 1200 W
- Baking Sheet
Preparation of Genovese Focaccia with Rosemary
First, preheat the oven to 482°F.
Next, place 4 cups of flour in a stand mixer, crumble the yeast and add 2 tbsp of sugar and, gradually, 1 cup of lukewarm water.
Let the yeast dissolve well by working with the leaf whisk, after 10 minutes add about 1.23 tsp of fine salt and 0.25 cup of extra virgin olive oil, replace the leaf and work with the hook whisks for another 8-10 minutes or so, until the dough becomes smooth and detaches from the sides.
Form a round loaf and grease it all with a little olive oil and transfer it to an oiled bowl, make a cross and cover with cling film, let rise for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, emulsify 0.33 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 0.33 cup of hot salted water (with about 5 pinches of fine salt).
After half an hour, the dough will have risen wonderfully, then transfer it to a rectangular baking sheet where the dough can fit snugly and with oiled hands (NOT with a rolling pin!) shape it to fit the baking sheet.
Once the dough is placed in the baking sheet, make dimples with your fingertips and let it rise for another 15-30 min.
Once the rising time has passed, pour the previously prepared brine emulsion over the entire surface of the dough with dimples and finally, sprinkle the entire focaccia with chopped coarse salt and rosemary.
Bake in a preheated oven at 482°F (depending on the oven) for about 20 minutes.
Serve this fragrant Genovese focaccia with rosemary hot, accompanied by quality cured meats and cheeses, with a good glass of white wine.
Notes and Tips
Calories: 100 g of Genovese Focaccia has 340 Kcal (read HERE).
Shopping Tips!!!
To knead perfectly, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with 7L EasyWarm bowl, bowl illumination, 1400 W, integrated scale and blender, a faithful ally in the kitchen for: kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, pasteurizing eggs. #adv
If instead, you are looking for a more economical and smaller stand mixer, you can safely choose to purchase the excellent Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL, 1200W power, 5l bowl and integrated scale. #adv
To weigh the ingredients, I use this practical Digital Kitchen Scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function and built-in timer, you can find it on Amazon at a great price. #adv
To weigh the ingredients, I use this practical Digital Kitchen Scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function and built-in timer, you can find it on Amazon at a great price. #adv
Why is the focaccia called that?
The word derives from late Latin “focacia”, the feminine of “focacius”, which simply means “baked on the hearth” (from Latin “focus”). Indeed, focaccia is the quintessential bakery product, with its low and flat shape.
How is focaccia stored?
The Genovese focaccia should be consumed hot and fragrant right out of the oven. In any case, to maintain its softness and prevent it from drying out excessively, you can store it in a paper bag for food. If desired, Genovese focaccia can also be frozen in portions after baking: let it cool well, store in the freezer in portions, and once you decide to consume it, let it thaw at room temperature and then reheat it in the oven before consuming.
