The recipe in baker's percentages
| Ingredient | Baker's % | For 1 × 800 g focaccia (½-sheet tray) |
|---|---|---|
| Bread flour | 100% | 426 g |
| Water | 80% | 341 g |
| Sea salt | 2.5% | 11 g |
| Olive oil (dough) | 5% | 21 g |
| Olive oil (pan + topping) | +5% | 21 g + 21 g |
| Instant dry yeast | 0.18% | 0.8 g |
How it's made
- Mix. Combine flour and water, rest 30 min.
- Add salt, oil, yeast. Squeeze through.
- Stretch and fold. 4 sets over the next 2 hours, every 30 min. The dough goes from shaggy to smooth and stretchy.
- Transfer to oiled pan. Generously oil a ½-sheet tray. Pour dough in, gently coax toward the corners (it won't reach yet).
- Cold ferment. 18h in the fridge, covered.
- Warm up + dimple. Pull from fridge 4h before baking. When proofed, pour a slick of olive oil on top, then dimple deeply with oiled fingertips. Top with flaky salt + rosemary.
- Bake 20–25 min at 230 °C until deep golden on top and crisp underneath.
Why these numbers
80% hydration is the Genovese standard — enough water for the open crumb and pillowy texture, not so much that you can't handle it after a cold ferment. 2.5% salt is the Genovese baseline (some go to 3%). The total oil — 15% counting the dough oil, pan oil, and finishing oil — is what separates focaccia from bread.
Pugliese vs Genovese
| Genovese | Pugliese (Barese) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hydration | 75–80% | 85%+ |
| Toppings | Olive oil + flaky salt + rosemary | Cherry tomatoes + oregano + olives |
| Texture | Pillowy with crisp edges | Very open, lacy crumb |
| Pan | Rectangular steel tray | Round (teglia) |
Frequently asked
What's the right hydration for focaccia?
Genovese-style is 75–80%. Pugliese-style goes higher, 85%+. Below 70% you're making bread, not focaccia.
Why does focaccia need so much olive oil?
Oil is structural in focaccia. The dough oil tenderizes the crumb, the pan oil fries the bottom into a crisp crust, and the topping oil pools in the dimples for that lacquered look.
Can I make focaccia same-day?
Yes. 4h bulk ferment with stretch-and-folds, then 2h proof in the pan, then bake. The flavor won't be as deep as an overnight ferment but it's a real focaccia.
What pan should I use for focaccia?
A half-sheet tray (13×18") is the home-kitchen standard. The classic Genovese pan is a rectangular steel teglia. Anything heavy-gauge with sides works.
Why is my focaccia not getting brown on the bottom?
Not enough oil in the pan, or the oven is too cool. You want a generous slick — a few tablespoons — so the dough essentially fries on the bottom while it bakes.