Doughs & batters
Focaccia
Focaccia · A high-hydration Italian flatbread characterized by a dimpled, olive-oil-rich crust and an open, airy crumb. It is leavened, shaped free-form, proofed, and baked on a well-oiled sheet pan at high temperature. Focaccia is both a foundation dough — used as a base for toppings, sandwiches, and panini — and a standalone bread with deep roots in Liguria and central Italy.
The formula
100 flour : 70–75 water : 2 salt : 5 fresh yeast : 15–20 olive oil (plus additional oil for pan and surface)
All percentages are baker's percentages by weight relative to flour. At 75% hydration the dough is tacky and slack — this is correct, not a mistake. The high oil content (both in dough and pan) is what creates the characteristic golden, non-stick crust.
Identity
- Must be dimpled with fingertips before baking — this controls oven spring and creates the signature cratered surface
- Must use enough olive oil to coat the pan generously (at least 2–3 mm depth) and drizzle over the surface before baking
- Must have a 75% hydration dough — a stiff focaccia is a dead focaccia; the open crumb requires a slack, extensible dough
- Must be baked at 220–240 °C (430–465 °F) on a well-oiled surface until deeply golden at the edges
- Must be seasoned with coarse salt (fior di Sicilia or fleur de sel) pressed into the dimples before baking
Ingredients
| Base | Strong bread flour (12–14% protein) | High protein develops the gluten network needed to hold the high hydration and create an open crumb. All-purpose (10–11% protein) works but yields a tighter crumb. |
| Liquid | Water (room temperature, 20–22 °C) | 75% hydration. Cold water slows fermentation and is preferred in warm conditions; use slightly warmer water in cold kitchens. |
| Seasoning | Fine sea salt or kosher salt | 2% of flour weight. Fine salt dissolves faster; kosher requires more mixing time to distribute. |
| Binder | Fresh compressed yeast (or 1.5–2% active dry yeast) | 5% fresh yeast (about 12 g per 500 g flour). Dissolve fresh yeast in the mixing water; hydrate active dry yeast first in a portion of the water. |
| Fat | Extra-virgin olive oil (for dough and pan) | 15–20% in the dough for tenderness and flavor; 3–4% more for coating the pan and drizzling the surface. Use a decent olive oil — its flavor concentrates and caramelizes on the crust. |
Method
- 1Mix flour, salt, and yeast (if using fresh, dissolve it in the water first). Stir until a shaggy mass forms, then mix vigorously by hand or stand mixer for 6–8 minutes until the dough is smooth, extensible, and noticeably tacky but not sticky.Full gluten development is essential at 75% hydration — under-mixed dough will tear during proofing and collapse in the oven, yielding a dense, compact crumb instead of an open one.
- 2Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and bulk-ferment at room temperature (22–24 °C) for 1.5–2 hours, until doubled in volume. Optionally, perform one fold at 45 minutes: stretch each side of the dough over the center like an envelope.Bulk fermentation develops flavor and gas. The single fold strengthens the dough without fully degassing it, building the extensible gluten sheet that supports the open crumb.
- 3Oil a 30×40 cm sheet pan generously with 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the proofed dough to the pan and gently stretch it toward the corners — it will resist. Cover and rest 15 minutes, then stretch again. Repeat once more if needed. The dough should fill the pan.Resting between stretches allows the gluten to relax (the phenomenon of stress relaxation in gluten networks); stretched cold, the dough tears. The thick oil layer on the pan is what creates the characteristic golden, crisp bottom crust.
- 4Cover the stretched dough loosely and proof at room temperature for 45–60 minutes, until puffy and full of small bubbles. The dough should look alive and should not spring back immediately when poked.A proper final proof ensures the dough has maximum oven spring (CO₂ expansion) and develops the open, airy interior. Under-proofed dough will be dense and bready; over-proofed dough will be flat and sour.
- 5Preheat oven to 230–240 °C (445–465 °F) with a rack in the center. Just before baking, drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil over the surface and press your fingertips firmly into the dough to create deep dimples. Sprinkle generously with coarse fleur de sel or Maldon salt.Dimpling is the defining technique: it punctuates oven spring, creates the signature cratered landscape, and allows the surface oil to pool in the recesses, basting the crust as it bakes.
- 6Bake at 230–240 °C for 18–22 minutes, rotating the pan at 10 minutes. The focaccia is done when the edges are deep golden-brown and the surface looks lacquered with oil. Remove to a wire rack immediately.High heat drives Maillard browning on the crust and sets the crumb structure quickly. Immediate removal from the pan prevents the bottom from steaming and losing its crispness.
Techniques that matter
Gluten development via long mixing
At 75% hydration, the dough requires extended mixing (6–8 minutes) to align gluten strands into a functional, elastic network capable of trapping CO₂ and supporting the open, airy crumb structure.
Dimpling with fingertips
Firm fingertip pressure creates localized weak points in the dough's surface tension, controlling where the crust splits during oven spring and producing the characteristic dimpled, oil-pooled topography.
Oil-pan baking (focaccia method)
A thick layer of olive oil under the dough acts as both heat-transfer medium and fat, producing a crisp, golden bottom crust indistinguishable from pan-frying. The oil also prevents sticking and gives the bread its signature greasy-lustrous appearance.
High-temperature baking (220–240 °C)
At these temperatures the dough's surface dries rapidly, setting the crust before the crumb fully expands, which concentrates the crumb's open, honeycomb structure and drives the Maillard and caramelization reactions that give the crust its deep golden color and nutty flavor.
Variations & derivatives
Focaccia al rosmarinoLiguria and nationally throughout Italy
Classic version studded with fresh rosemary needles pressed into the dimples before baking. The rosemary's volatile oils (borneol, camphor) volatilize early in baking and penetrate the crust.
Focaccia di ReccoRecco, Liguria
Extremely thin (5 mm), filled with stracchino or crescenza cheese between two dough layers. Not dimpled. This is a protected geographical indication (IGP) product — the technique and thinness are non-negotiable.
Focaccia bareseBari, Puglia
Thicker, often topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, and oregano before baking. Uses a slightly stiffer dough (65–70% hydration) and is drizzled with olive oil and white wine vinegar.
Pizza biancaRome, Lazio
Often confused with focaccia; it is thinner, baked without heavy dimpling, sometimes brushed with garlic oil after baking. It is sold in slices and used for sandwiches (trapizzino).
SchiacciataTuscany
Very flat, sometimes layered with fresh sage and olive oil. The name means 'squashed'; it is rolled thinner than focaccia and has a crisper, cracker-like result.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- Fresh compressed yeast → Active dry yeast (use 40–50% of fresh yeast amount) — Hydrate active dry yeast in 25% of the warm mixing water (35–38 °C) for 10 minutes before adding to flour. The rise may be slightly less aromatic.
- Strong bread flour → All-purpose flour plus 1–2 tbsp vital wheat gluten per 500 g — Commercially available gluten raises protein content to bread-flour levels. Without it, the 75% hydration dough will be unmanageably slack and the crumb tight.
- Extra-virgin olive oil → Neutral vegetable oil or a blend — The flavor will be blander. The chemistry of fat in the crust — lubrication of starch granules, prevention of excessive gluten coalescence — still functions, but the characteristic olive-oil finish is lost. Use at least 50% olive oil for authenticity.changes result
Troubleshooting
Dense, tight crumb with no air pockets
Under-mixed dough (insufficient gluten development) or under-proofed dough. At 75% hydration, the dough must be mixed until smooth and extensible, and must double during bulk fermentation. → Mix for a full 8 minutes by stand mixer (or 12 by hand). Ensure bulk fermentation reaches full doubling, with bubbles visible at the surface. Perform one envelope fold during bulk fermentation to strengthen the gluten.
Bottom crust is pale, soft, or steamed
Insufficient oil in the pan (less than 2–3 mm depth) or baking sheet that is not a good heat conductor (dark non-stick coating insulates instead of conducting). → Use a bare aluminum or steel sheet pan (not dark non-stick). Coat with at least 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake on the center rack without a baking stone. If the bottom is pale on a stone, bake directly on the pan at 220 °C on the stone's surface.
Focaccia spreads and becomes flat, losing its thick dimension
Dough was over-proofed (bulk fermented too long at warm temperature) or the dough was stretched too thin too early without resting between stretches. → Use a cool room-temperature bulk ferment. At 22–24 °C, 1.5 hours is sufficient for 500 g flour. Rest the stretched dough 15 minutes between each stretch. A properly proofed dough should dome slightly above the pan's rim before baking.