Focaccia - Make at Home Recipe
Focaccia is one of Italy’s oldest and most treasured breads, with roots that predate the Roman Empire. Its name comes from the Latin word focus, meaning "hearth," referring to the ancient practice of baking flatbreads directly over open flames on hot stones. The Etruscans and ancient Romans relied on this simple panis focaccius as an affordable, filling staple for farmworkers and soldiers.
Over the centuries, particularly as high-quality extra virgin olive oil became widely available across the Mediterranean, this humble hearth bread evolved into the golden, dimpled loaf enjoyed today.
Foccacia — More Than Just A Bread Course
For Italians, focaccia is far more than a side dish; it is a ritual deeply tied to regional pride and daily life. Nowhere is this passion stronger than in Liguria, the bread's spiritual home, where Focaccia Genovese is famously dipped into warm morning cappuccinos or enjoyed fresh from the local panificio wrapped in paper.
Whether topped with sweet cherry tomatoes in Puglia or filled with creamy cheese in Recco, its crispy exterior, pillowy centre, and rich olive oil flavour make it an enduring symbol of Italian comfort, shared by hand among family and friends.
Focaccia Recipe Ingredients
500g 00 flour
20g fresh yeast
1/2 tsp table salt
375ml water (+ some extra just in case in a separate jug)
Sea salt
Focaccia Recipe Method
Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Allow the air to get into the flour as you mix it through your fingers. In a jug, measure out the water (warm water – 34C). Add the yeast to the warm water and whisk until dissolved.
Pour the water and yeast into the flour – if you are mixing by hand, make a well in the middle of the flour then pour in all the water and yeast. Mix with a fork until it has combined then remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. If you are mixing with a machine, turn it on and mix the flour for 1 minute; then whilst the machine is running, add the liquid (all in one go) and mix to a smooth dough for about 4 minutes. If required, pour in more water to form a smooth, soft dough that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
Pour a little oil into a larger clean bowl and add your soft dough mixture. Cover with cling film and allow to double in size (prove), in a dry warm place. The dough is ready when you push your fingers into it lightly and it doesn’t spring back. When doubled, gently remove dough from the bowl and place onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Pre-heat your oven to 230-250C. To create the classic Focaccia look, shape your dough in the tray and very firmly push your fingers into it at regular intervals, touching the tray but not making a hole in the dough. Pour on some tasty extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flaked sea salt.
Place into the pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown (about 10-12 minutes depending on your oven).
When golden, remove from the oven and drizzle on some additional extra virgin olive oil which will soak into the bread as it cools, making for a delicious, moist Focaccia.
Allow to cool, then cut and eat.
