Pour the brine all over the focaccia. Sometimes the focaccia is served plain, while other times it has tasty toppings, like herbs, olive oil, or olives. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Knead for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth, homogenous, and sticky. The original focaccia, focaccia Genovese, was born in the harbour city of Genoa in the Middle Ages, and it remains unbelievably popular today. And it can be made at home even if you havent made any focaccia bread before. Press the risen dough into the sheet pan, then cover and leave it to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Then came home and ate it with a large, steaming cup of cappuccino. The bread has survived the test of time and remains an important part of Ligurian gastronomic tradition today, though it tends to be made with stracchino cheese rather than the yoghurt-like prescinsua as it would have been originally. If you're using a stand mixer use dough hook attachment. Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk. \u00a0The dough will continue to shrink a bit, so repeat the stretching once or twice over the course of 30 minutes to ensure the dough remains stretched. Thank you! This ligurian focaccia is so fragrant, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. I enjoy sharing authentic Mexican recipes made with ingredients easy to find abroad. If, for some reason, you dont immediately devour this and weirdly have leftovers, you can try to store it and keep it fresh. Yes, 25 grams of FRESH yeast is correct. This particular Italian bread hails from Genoa and the Liguria region, and has both a soft inside and a soft outside. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy. Samin NosratsSalt Fat Acid Heatis Kitchns September pick for our Cookbook Club. Transfer the focaccia to the middle rack and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Welcome to my little corner of the internet! We use it in bread and its amazing in pretzels too. To finish browning the top crust, move the focaccia to the upper rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more. Coat your hands with oil and dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your fingers down, little spreading them out when they hit the bottom. I do it overnight.Once it's risen, get an 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet and spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil onto it. Bake until puffed slightly and golden brown on top, 16 to 18 minutes (if top is browning . My name is Maricruz Avalos and I am a Mexican cook and photographer living in Italy. I made this recipe and it was certainly the closest Ive ever been able to get to the focaccia we were served at the counters in Santa Margherita. Add both flours and 1 teaspoon salt. Ligurian Focaccia - Homemade Step by Step Recipe Make the pre-fermented dough (biga) Prepare the biga by placing 150 gr (1 cup) of flour, yeast, malt and 85 ml of water in a bowl. 1/3 cup lukewarm water The way the olive oil crisps the crust and makes it oily, oh my gosh. This was my first bread making experience and I couldnt be happier. Great Italian Chefs is a team of passionate food-lovers dedicated to bringing you the latest news, views and reviews from the gastronomic mecca that is Italy. The locals often like to start the day with a crusty strip of focaccia genovese dipped into a foamy cappuccino?????? Stir together the active yeast and 2 cups lukewarm water in a spouted measuring cup. The Editors. Youll mimic her gentle movements, the dreamy glug of olive oil and sprinkles of salt. Maybe organize your closet. It's quite easy despite the detailed instructions, crunchy, salty, and amazing! When I moved to New York nine years ago, I felt its loss keenly, thinking of it sometimes twice a day. See what other Food52 readers are saying. Making this tonite. This recipe for Ligurian focaccia is easy to make, but the dough must be left to rise three times in order to get genuine results that echo genovese style focaccia. Then recently I watched the episode of Salt Fat Acid on pizza where they made a brine of just salt and water. The heavy use of olive oil means that you can infuse a variety of different flavours into the dough before it is baked, from herbs to vegetables you can even get a sweet version which is enriched with egg, butter and sugar! Mix both of the flours with salt. i've always believed that i could happily live on good water and fresh-baked bread. Add one teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons full of olive oil. First, you let the dough rise for several hours, and sometimes overnight. All purpose flour is just too weak to make a good focaccia. All my attempts to recreate this have had very dry sauce after baking it on the Focaccia. Ramiro asks about the oil needed for the recipe and you note that 1/3 cup is added to water and poured over the dough prior to baking. Onion focaccia became popular among Ligurias poorest inhabitants, largely because it was a cheap form of sustenance. Knead until the ingredients are combined. The one that's topped with tomato sauce and chopped green onions, and despite its name, lacks cheese of any kind. ","position":8,"name":"Make the brine by stirring together the salt","url":"https:\/\/findingtimeforcooking.com\/bread-recipes\/samin-nosrats-ligurian-focaccia\/#mv_create_84_8"},{"@type":"HowToStep","text":"Set the focaccia aside to rise for 45 minutes until the dough is light and bubbly. What is special about focaccia bread? At the end of the 30 minutes, dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your first three fingers in at an angle (dont push all the way through the dough). Notes Reprinted reprinted with permission courtesy of Netflix's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a clean bowl, and swirl the bowl around to ensure the sides are greased. The reason? Once it's risen, get an 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet and spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil onto it. This Focaccia is famous in Liguria, Italy. Pair it with a scrambled egg!) Inspired by Liguria Bakery in San Francisco. If youd like to make this focaccia with sourdough you can replace the yeast with 100 gr (about cup) of sourdough starter. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Savory tomato sauce and bright scallions make it much closer to a pizza. Omg good! The locals often like to start the day with a crusty strip of focaccia genovese dipped into a foamy cappuccino not to everyones taste and serve focaccia in the bread basket at lunch and dinner. The dough is made as normal, but eggs, butter and sugar are kneaded in after the first rise. 35 minutes I was excited that I actually made focaccia! I used active-dry yeast but I have also made this focaccia using instant dry yeast or even sourdough. Arie was the Features Director at Kitchn. Thick and chewy homemade focaccia crust topped with easy tomato sauce and mozzarella. Let sit for a few minutes until yeast is completely dissolved. 1/3 cup water mixed with 1/3 cup oil, this is the topping before baking. Ligurian focaccia has a crisp crust anointed with olive oil and salt, and a soft inner crumb. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sorry for the delayed response, I had to go down a rabbit hole to try and get some answers First on the malt, I went back and re-watched and youre totally rightits shown and talked about there but not in any other place I could find (including her recipe; to be fair, she was making someone elses recipe on the show). At the end you will obtain a soft and elastic dough. Our destination was Liguria Bakery in North Beach. Dimple the focaccia with your fingers and place it in the oven. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward. Make the brine by stirring together salt and water until salt is dissolved. If you have a baking stone, place it on the center rack. A love of other vegetables, and a mistrust of "new" ingredients that goes back centuries. Your recipe only has oil listed for the topping. And what about spooning on some burrata just before serving? Whilst focaccia Genovese is the go-to choice for most people here, there are plenty of other focaccias available in the citys many bakeries. Preheat oven to 450F. Bake the focaccia for 20 minutes or until golden brown. If so, how much? Gradually add in the rest of the flour until a shaggy mass forms. Ingredients for two pans of focaccia 2 lb. Cover again and let it proof 30 to 40 minutes. Oh, how I miss this focaccia from Liguria bakery after leaving SF a few years ago. Your email address will not be published. Take it from me I was born in rapallo 1964 and Ive dipped many a focaccia, bread stick, biscuit in my cafe latte in the morning. Otherwise, invert another sturdy baking sheet and place on that rack. Maldon's flaky sea salt for topping, and either Sciabica's basil, jalapeno, lemon, or Mediterranean blend EVOO to finish. Focaccia con le cipolle Broil cheese on top! My husband and I had to make ourselves stop eating this. WATER. I do it overnight. FLOUR. Add 1/2 cup olive oil. Thanks Ella! By the way, looks so, so awesome and delicious! Step 1 Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and let it sit for a few minutes until foamy. ","position":11,"name":"Sprinkle the dough with flaky salt and bake","url":"https:\/\/findingtimeforcooking.com\/bread-recipes\/samin-nosrats-ligurian-focaccia\/#mv_create_84_11"},{"@type":"HowToStep","text":"Remove from the oven and brush or douse with 2 to 3 more tablespoons of oil over the whole surface (don\u2019t worry if the olive pools in pockets, it will absorb as it sits). Let the focaccia rise, uncovered, for about 20 minutes. The second I saw Samin Nosrat and Diego make Ligurian focaccia in the Fat episode of Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix I knew I was destined to make it at home. And then, the next day, we shuffled back again. With 15 minutes left in that final rise, adjust your main oven rack to center position, and a second rack to the upper position. It took me over 60 years to figure this out with much researching but I found a Ligurian site that mentiioned the brine. What's your best childhood food memory? I maniacally quizzed my family members about what they remembered of the crumb. I used this recipe from Samin Nosrat, via The Kitchn. 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan and finishing I just made my first Focaccia (plain). Allow it to preheat with the oven until its very hot, before proceeding with baking. And between doing those things you can do the few steps it takes to pretend youre as awesome and knowledgeable as Samin Nosrat and throw together this Ligurian focaccia. While I don't know the dough or sauce recipe I do remember Papa would slather his sauce on with a mop and sprinkle with green onions after removing the baking sheets from the brick oven. Your email address will not be published. Use non-stick vegetable oil spray to lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, or two 9" round pans. You must have been lucky on the day you went into Liguria's Bakery in August---they usually are closed for the whole month of August for their annual vacation. Not only are onions cheap, they also suppress hunger for that reason it became popular with longshoremen and fishermen, who took focaccia con le cipolle with them to sea. This version is my attempt to pay homage. Knead by hand for a minute, using as little flour as possible, until the dough forms a smooth round, still soft and a bit sticky. Gently press and stretch it into an evenly flat round that fills the pan. Pretend you are sitting on a bench overlooking the Ligurian Riviera or the Cinque Terre, and enjoy munching your warm focaccia. The secret to getting the crust to be similar to Liguria's is to make a brine of water and oil and pour it on top of the dough before baking. Stir in salt while kneading. Some of the best Ligurian focaccia can be found in the city of Genoa, in the towns of Santa Margherita and Rapallo, and while walking through the Cinque Terre towns. If you can, I also recommend searching for Diamond kosher salt, as Samin recommends. NEED IT NOW. Prepare the brine by mixing all ingredients on a bowl. After the resting time, you will notice that the focaccia has expanded covering almost all tray. Divide the dough into 2 equal blocks, cover it with contact paper and let it sit for two hours. A soft, moist dough should gather on the blade with some sticking to the sides of the bowl. The beautiful coastal province of Liguria is famously home to the most delicious, tearable bread youll ever lay your eyes on. In a very large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together, then add the water-honey-yeast mixture and the olive oil. Focaccia di Recco differs from regular focaccia it doesnt have the light, bouncy crumb usually associated with the bread, resembling more of a traditional flatbread. Pour over flour and knead at medium speed for 3 minutes. I would love recipes for the different toppings on foccacia- we found a wonderful restaurant on the harbour with a huge choice and went back many .This was in Monterrosa. And again. The recipe is written for kids so that should tell you how easy it is to make. We all shuffled over, like zombies. But, focaccia is made with more yeast than pizza dough, which allows it to rise more and become a fluffier and more bread-like loaf. Cover with plastic film and leave it to proof for about 50 minutes. The best bakery in San Francisco sells only one thing: focaccia. With this dough as a base, however, you can be creative and make a focaccia with mushrooms, leeks, sausages or cheese. It's quite easy despite the detailed instructions, crunchy, salty, and amazing! They were from a bakery in Buffalo, N. Y. I still dream about them. Brush it with a bit of olive oil and let it cool until you can handle it with your hands. It is typically savory but could also be sweet. Rising Option 2: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and a damp towel for 2 hours or until doubled in size. It's impossible for me to see bakery twine and not crave it. I've only known about your take on this bread for, like, 16 days, but I've thought about it maybe as many times. Ive been so many times to Liguria for holidays and work and Ive never seen anybody dipping focaccia in the cappuccino, and never heard of such a thing. Once its risen, spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil evenly onto a 18-by-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. 2 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 tablespoon of regular fine sea salt) Use a spatula or your hand to gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl and fold it onto itself gently, then pour it onto pan. In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and honey to dissolve. I used to trek down to the North Beach area to buy focaccia from Liguria Bakery - the famous family-run bakery that has been making only focaccia for over 100 years, and worth travel of any distance . Hope it works out in the end. A good slice of focaccia Genovese should be relatively thin (between one and two centimetres), crisp and golden on the outside, soft on the inside and still warm from the oven. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. my favorite pieces are from the doughy soft center. Use a large mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture to the bread flour, semolina, and olive oil. Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy. If you have a baking stone, put it on the center rack, and otherwise invert another sturdy baking sheet and place it on that rack. Leave out at room temperature to ferment for 12 to 14 hours until at least doubled in volume. 3. Cook Time: Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and herbs on top. He shows it as one of the ingredients. The best. In a very large bowl, whisk flour and salt together to combine and then add yeast mixture and olive oil. I have tried baking my own focaccia that always ended up too crispy with just the olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature. OMG, I forgot how good the carmelized scallions are. Give a quick stir with a spatula or a fork. I just made this, following your ingredients, etc., exactly. malt extract 2 oz. I do cook the sauce down for a thicker consistency. Our best tips for eating thoughtfully and living joyfully, right in your inbox. I had the pleasure of watching Papa Liguria baking process in the early 1980s. The bread they used to make the subs was like no other I have had. Olive oildrenched sheets of it, in 10 flavors (11 on Saturdays).