The authentic recipe by Vittorio
The original recipe from Grandpa Beppe, adapted by Vittorio to obtain at home the authentic Genoese focaccia: crispy outside, soft inside, with its signature white brining and honeycomb structure.
Quantities update for pizza count and yeast type.
Dissolve sea salt (8g), malt syrup (3g), and olive oil (22g) into water (224g) at room temperature.
Add about half of the tipo 0 flour (180g), mixing until you get a dense but still fluid batter.
Crumble yeast (19g) into the mixture and incorporate. If using dry yeast, dissolve it first in a small portion of warm water taken from the total.
Gradually add the remaining tipo 0 flour (179g) until you obtain a compact but soft dough.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes under a cloth to prevent drying.
If needed, fold the dough once or twice depending on flour strength to build gluten.
Gently shape the dough roughly into the form of your baking tray without stretching it.
Pour some oil into the 30x40cm tray, place the dough on top, brush more oil on the surface, cover and let proof for 40-60 minutes.
Gently stretch the dough with your fingers until it fully covers the tray without tearing.
Sprinkle a generous layer of salt over the surface and let rest for 30 minutes.
Mix warm water for brine (40g) and salt for brine (1.5g). Pour over the surface. Firmly dimple the surface all over with your fingertips, pressing vertically to avoid tearing.
Let the focaccia proof for at least 60-75 minutes before baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 220-240°C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven, let cool on a rack to prevent sogginess, and optionally brush more olive oil on top.
