Focaccia Genovese

Ingredients

• 500g tipo 0 or strong white bread flour
• 300ml water, at room temperature
• 12g fresh yeast, or 5g instant dried yeast
• 10g fine salt
• 8g malt syrup or caster sugar
• 30ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the tin
• 40ml water, for the brine
• 40ml extra virgin olive oil, for the brine
• 8g coarse sea salt, for the brine
• Flaky sea salt, to finish

Before you cook

• Oil a 30cm by 40cm baking tin generously, right into the corners.
• Whisk the brine water, brine oil and coarse salt together in a jug until the salt dissolves and the mixture looks milky.

Steps

1. Dissolve the yeast and the malt syrup in the 300ml of water in a large bowl.
2. Add the flour and mix until no dry pockets remain.
3. Add the fine salt and the 30ml of olive oil, then knead for eight minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
4. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise for one hour, until roughly doubled.
5. Tip the dough into the oiled tin and press it out with oiled fingertips until it reaches about two thirds of the way to the edges.
6. Cover the tin and rest the dough for 20 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
7. Press the dough out again, this time all the way into the corners of the tin.
8. Cover the tin and prove for a further 45 minutes.
9. Whisk the brine again and pour it evenly over the whole surface of the dough.
10. Press your fingertips straight down through the dough to the base of the tin, all over, making deep dimples that pool with brine.
11. Prove uncovered for a final 30 minutes.
12. Heat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
13. Scatter a little flaky salt over the surface.
14. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden on top but still pale and soft down in the dimples.
15. Slide the focaccia straight out of the tin onto a rack and brush it with a little more olive oil.
16. Cut it into squares and eat it warm.