Focaccia
Some food historians consider focaccia even more ancient than bread itself. I think they might be right, as cooking flattened and thin dough can be done on a flat stone, close to an open fire. The name focaccia itself comes from the Latin word focus – fire, suggesting its very distant origins. The first focacce could have been indeed made before the discovery of fermentation and the invention of the clay oven. The very basic mix of flour and water has evolved during the centuries, creating different specialities all across Europe and Asia. Pizza, for example, is one of these numerous variations, first found on books in Medieval Latin around the 9th Century A.D. in Southern Italy.
Focaccia has always been proved very popular in Italy. This has led to many interpretations of the original recipe according to the availability of local produce. All modern focacce in Italy are made with leavened dough, with some of the most popular created around Genova (with wheat flour, olive oil and sea salt), Bari (similar to the Genovese one but enriched with black olives and cherry tomato), Como (with onions) and in Sardinia (with anchovies). Many small Italian towns have their local variations that include adding cheese (focaccia di Recco), meat (like in Bologna), herbs, vegetables and even sultanas (a common focaccia in Emilia and Tuscany).
Focaccia in Genova
In Genova focaccia was so popular that during the 16th Century Bishop Gambaro had to forbid people from bringing tray after tray of aromatic focaccia inside S. Lorenzo Cathedral! Genova is still regarded – arguably, we are after all Italians and ‘food parochialists’ – as the best place in Italy to have focaccia on the street, a place where every bakery has its little secrets and special techniques. A slice of freshly baked focaccia is a lunch break favourite amongst children and adults, with the most hard-core city residents even having it with their cappuccinos! They swear it’s delicious; I couldn’t quite bear myself to try! Fancy trying? Here’s a simple recipe for you.
Focaccia di Genova (quick and simple):
- 500g type 0 wheat flour (W200/240) – you can use average plain flour as well!
- 20g brewer’s yeast
- 300ml water
- 25g extra virgin olive oil
- 10g salt
Emulsion:
- 50ml water
- 50g extra virgin olive oil
- 5g salt
1. Mix all the ingredients but the oil in a large bowl, adding the salt last after you’ve formed a large dough ball. Knead in a mixer for 10 minutes or vigorously by hand for 15, adding the olive oil in small quantities during the process. Leave to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes in a bowl smothered in oil and covered with a wet cloth or cling film.
2. Spread the leavened dough evenly on a baking tray with your fingertips, being careful to press the mixture rather than stretch it. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Make an emulsion with 50ml water, 50g oil and 5g salt. Pour around 2/3 of it on to the spreaded dough. With your fingertips make some deep dimples in the dough and pour the remaining emulsion over it. Your focaccia should look like this!
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes at 240°C (gas mark 8)
5. Enjoy with a glass of white Vermentino or Pigato wine. Or indeed a cappuccino!
This is me on the street of Genova, ‘researching’ this recipe for the benefit of you all. Buon appetito!
Giordano