Focaccia might be over 9000 years old, but the method still works because it’s based on physics, fermentation, and a generous amount of olive oil.

This is traditional Focaccia Genovese — airy crumb, crisp bottom, deeply golden crust — made using a high hydration dough and the stretch-and-fold method instead of kneading.

No mixer. No theatrics. Just flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil — properly engineered.

If you’ve struggled with dense focaccia, pale crusts, or soggy bottoms, this method fixes all of that.

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Why This Focaccia Works

• 79% hydration creates an open, airy crumb.
• Stretch & fold technique develops gluten without kneading.
• Olive oil under the dough shallow-fries the bottom crust.
• High heat baking ensures strong oven spring.
• Maillard reaction creates deep flavor and color.

Bread is chemistry. Focaccia is controlled fermentation.

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Ingredients

Dough

• 480g Tipo 00 pizza flour or bread flour (3¾ cups)
• 380g lukewarm water (1⅔ cups, about 95°F / 35°C)
• 6g active dry yeast (2 teaspoons)
• 10g fine sea salt (1¾ teaspoons)
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil (3½ tablespoons total, divided)

Topping

• Fresh rosemary (or dried rosemary)
• Flaky sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

1. Mix the Dough

Add flour to a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.

Add yeast-water mixture to flour along with 1½ tablespoons (21g) olive oil.

Mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky — that’s correct.

Cover and rest 30 minutes.

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2. Stretch & Fold

With wet hands, stretch one side of the dough upward and fold it into the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat until you complete a full circle.

Cover and rest 30 minutes.

Repeat this process 3–4 times at 30-minute intervals.

After the final fold, rest 30 minutes.

This develops gluten structure without kneading.

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3. Prepare the Pan

Pour remaining olive oil into your baking tray and coat generously.

Transfer dough into the tray.

With well-oiled hands, gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. If it resists, wait 5 minutes and continue.

Cover and rest 30 minutes.

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4. Preheat Oven

• Convection oven: 220°C / 420°F
• Conventional oven: 240°C / 465°F

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5. Dimple & Top

Drizzle more olive oil over the dough.

Press your fingers deeply into the surface to create dimples.

Top with rosemary and flaky sea salt.

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6. Bake

Bake 20–25 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

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The Result

Crispy olive-oil fried bottom.
Soft, elastic interior.
Open irregular crumb.
Deep golden crust.

Nine thousand years later — still perfect.

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Variations

• Onion focaccia (Liguria style)
• Cherry tomato focaccia
• Sweet focaccia with sugar crust
• Olive focaccia

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my focaccia dense?

Likely under-fermented or too much flour added during handling.

Why is the bottom soggy?

You didn’t remove it from the pan immediately after baking.

Can I cold ferment it?

Yes. After the final fold, refrigerate 12–24 hours for deeper flavor.