Focaccia Genovese is a very thin focaccia that has a lovely chewy texture and a crisp, golden crust. What makes it unique is the brine that is poured over the dough before baking: a mixture of olive oil, salt, and water. When these ingredients are whisked together until creamy, poured over a thin layer of dough, and baked, the results are an out-of-this-world delicious bread that has great flavor and beautiful richness. To put my own spin on things, I like to add julienned potatoes (because, hello, potatoes) in addition to stretching the dough as thin as I can and pushing the bake time until it is ridiculously crispy. The final bake is a golden brown flatbread with perfectly tender potatoes that’s showered with fresh parsley and cut into nice little slices. Who could resist?
SOURDOUGH STARTER
The first step with this recipe is starting off with a good, strong sourdough starter. For me this usually involves taking my starter out of the fridge, feeding it a few spoonfuls of fresh flour and water, mixing it, and letting it double in size at room temperature. Then I take a small scoop of that newly revitalized starter and transfer it to a new jar with more fresh flour and water (I fill the jar halfway and the texture should be like a very thick pancake batter). Then I cover that and let it double in size. (This will vary depending on your starter and the temperature of your kitchen but it usually takes at least a few hours, if not several. Keep an eye on it!) Once it is nice and bubbly (see image above), you are ready to make your dough!
Keep in mind, the starter needs to be strong and active. If you scoop a small amount out and plop it in a bowl of water, it should float. If it doesn’t, that means you need to let it grow more or offer it another feeding.
COMBINING AND MIXING THE DOUGH
When it comes to mixing the dough for this Focaccia Genovese, there are a few key things to remember. One is the autolyse. This is the time where just the flour and water have time to sit and get to know one another. It’s important to let this happen because it will make the dough soft and pliable and much easier to incorporate the starter, salt, and olive oil into the mixture.
Next, you need to mix the dough with your hand using the Rubaud method for a good 5 minutes. There are no stretch and folds for this dough (I wanted it to be very quick and easy), only one coil fold before the dough is left to rise, so this initial 5 minutes is very important. Watch this video to see how to do it. Essentially, this method is basically replicating the motion of a diving arm mixer (a machine) but with your hands. It is a great way to create a beautiful dough!
COIL FOLD AND LET RISE
After the initial mix and a rest, you will grease another bowl with some olive oil and you will coil fold the dough and transfer it to the new bowl. If you have never done a coil fold, it is basically lifting the dough up and letting the sides fall underneath it. Then you rotate the dough and repeat this until the dough tightens up into one nice blob! Watch this video to see what I mean.
LET THE DOUGH RISE
Once the coil folded dough is transferred to the new bowl, you will let the dough rise until it has close to doubled in size. This will take around 7-8 hours, so if you would like to do a same-day bake, I would make this dough in the morning as early as you can. (This means you should feed your starter in advance to make sure this timing works!)
SHAPING AND TOPPING THE DOUGH
When the dough is ready, it’s time to bake and you have a few options. I personally like to make this Focaccia Genovese in a cast-iron skillet (mine is around 13″) because I love the crust that it creates but you could use a well-greased baking sheet. Next, I like to split this dough in half to make two separate loaves. (I like to make it really thin and extra crispy.) You could use all of the dough to make one thicker loaf or spread it onto a larger baking sheet to make one larger crispy loaf. You can really shape the dough to do whatever you want. For example, you could make one very large rectangular loaf or multiple small circular loaves as individual servings. This is personal preference, so have fun with it!
TOPPING AND BAKING THE FOCACCIA GENOVESE
Once the dough has been stretched, you can prepare the toppings. First, make the brine by whisking together the olive oil, salt, and water. I know it may seem like an odd combination, but if you use a larger bowl and a whisk, you will have plenty of room to vigorously mix and it does all come together! The final texture will be like a creamy dressing.
PREPARE THE POTATOES
Next, you julienne the potato. I like to use a hand-held julienne peeler (linked below) but you could also use a sharp knife or a mandoline. Once cut, I like to toss the pieces in a little drizzling of olive oil. Then you scatter the potatoes over the dough and gently press them into the surface. Then you drizzle the brine evenly over top and bake until golden and crispy! Lastly, I like to finish the baking with a broil to achieve some nice color on top.
SHOP FOR THIS FOCACCIA GENOVESE
Here are some of my favorite ingredients and items from my Amazon Storefront that you can use for this recipe. If you click these affiliate links and make a purchase, I will make a very small commission. This is no extra charge to you! This will help to support my business and allow me to continue sharing recipes, so thank you in advance:
Hand-Held Julienne Peeler: This tool is essential to every kitchen, in my opinion. It allows you to carve noodles/long strands out of so many different vegetables, including the potatoes for this recipe. I cannot recommend one enough!
King Arther Bread Flour: This bread flour is my go-to for baking. It is high quality and its higher protein content is great for baking bread.
Lodge 15-inch Cast Iron Skillet: This large cast iron skillet is great for baking bread (and also roasting vegetables!). I highly recommend investing in one and it is already pre-seasoned. This is actually larger than the skillet I have (which is around 13 inches) but I think investing in a larger one is ideal, just because you have more room to cook with!
SERVE THE FOCACCIA GENOVESE
Once the loaf has cooled on a wire rack for 10 minutes, you are ready to slice and enjoy! You can cut it any way you see fit, but I quite like slicing it into squares. A fresh showering of fresh parsley (or thyme or even basil) is a lovely touch, as well.
I hope that y’all love this Focaccia Genovese! It is a delightful bread that’s a great offering to friends and family. If you do make it, please leave a review and comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
Happy baking!
-Timothy
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Dough* 325 g bread flour (2 ⅓ cups) Toppings* 1 small russet potato, julienned (about 1 cup) Brine* 25 g water (2 tablespoons) Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Mix well until incorporated and cover (using your hands or a Danish dough whisk). Let it rest for 20 minutes (this is called autolyse!). Once rested, add the active starter, sea salt, and olive oil. Using wet hands, combine and mix the dough for a good 5 minutes using the Rubaud method, like in this video. Then let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Coil fold the dough: Next, grease a separate bowl and set aside. Using wet hands, coil foil the dough a few times, rotating the bowl as needed, until it comes together into one blob, like in this video. Then transfer the dough to the set-aside well-greased bowl. Cover and let it just about double in size on the counter, around 7-8 hours (depending on the temperature of your kitchen*). Preheat the oven and stretch the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size and you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Then use well-oiled hands to split the dough into two equal parts. Transfer one piece into a well-oiled large cast iron skillet or baking sheet (and cover the remaining dough and place it in the fridge until ready to bake*). Using your fingers, spread the dough out into a thin circle or rectangle. Let rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the toppings. Mix the brine: In a large shallow bowl, add the water, olive oil, and salt. Whisk until creamy. Set aside. Prepare and add the potato: While the dough is resting, use a julienne peeler (or knife or mandoline) to peel the potato. To a small bowl, add the potato and a teaspoon of olive oil. Toss well to coat. Then use your fingers to sprinkle and spread the julienned potatoes over the dough and gently press. Add the brine and bake: Whisk the brine again and then pour it evenly over the bread. Bake for 13 minutes, then broil for around 3-5 minutes, until the potatoes and edges are slightly golden. (Always keep a close eye on it when broiling. You just want to achieve a little color on the top for extra flavor and texture.) Cool and serve: Once the loaf is done, use a thin spatula to transfer it to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with roughly chopped fresh herbs, slice, and enjoy! This dough recipe was designed to be split in half, resulting in two smaller loaves. You can use all of the dough for one larger loaf (making it thick or thin depending on your baking vessel), but you will need to double the potato and double the brine. If you are separating the dough into two loaves, because these toppings are so quick to prep, I recommend making them right before baking each loaf, as the potato will brown if made in advance. If you do split the dough, you can place the other half in the fridge (covered) and bake it off within 24 hours.
Ingredients
275 g water (1 ¼ cups)
50 g active starter (2 tablespoons)
8 g fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
8 g olive oil ( 2 teaspoons)
2 g olive oil (about 1 teaspoon)
Large handful fresh herbs (such as parsley or thyme)
20 g olive oil (2 tablespoons)
5 g fine sea salt (1 scant teaspoon)Instructions
notes
Instead of using a large cast-iron skillet (around 13 inches), you could also use all of the dough at once on a large baking sheet. Just make sure to grease it well or the dough will stick! When shaping, you can stretch the dough into more of a rectangle rather than a circle, depending on what you are using.
If you'd like to make the dough in advance, after the coil fold, you can transfer the dough to a covered bowl and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, let the bowl sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size. (Chilling the dough will greatly reduce the rising of the dough, so keep that in mind.)
Food styling, photography, recipe, and text by Timothy Pakron