Focaccia

I favor the focaccia style from the Ligurian region of Northwestern Italy. Here, the focaccia is slightly crispy on the bottom, golden on the top, has a fluffy interior with several larger air holes, and only 2 cm (about one inch) thick. The oil is light and fruity…which mysteriously seeps out and coats the bottom after it completely cools. Napkins are mandatory.

This recipe results from work I did with my chef friend, Claudio – an Italian chef who once worked in a Ligurian bakery. Together, we converted his commercial recipe to a version that would work in a home environment.

The keys to success are to allow enough time for the dough to ferment (once in a bowl and again while in the baking pan), to adjust the oven temperature after 15 minutes, and to use the right kind of flour.

It’s helpful to have an electric mixer for this recipe. Mixing the dough by hand is possible, but it is a wet and sticky dough to work with, and that’s not appealing to most people.

Allow plenty of time to make focaccia – something like 4 hours should be enough.

Suggested Pan Size: 38 x 28 cm (15 x 11 inch or 1/3 sheet pan)
Difficulty: Simple- to Moderate
Yield: Makes 4-6 Sandwiches (and also great snacks and leftovers for breakfast)