Italialicious

Focaccia is the ultimate bread from Liguria, the magnificent region where the port of Genoa is located. Focaccia genovese, which means focaccia bread from Genoa, is always flat and never higher than 1 inch.

Ingredients
3 ½ cups bread flour
1 1/3 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Salamoia (Brine)
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup olive oil
3 tsp salt

Topping
Fresh rosemary

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water sweetened with 1 tsp of sugar. Check if the yeast is really active: after 1 minute the mixture has to have risen a bit, with some bubbles forming over the water. If the yeast is active, let the mixture rise until it doubles in volume (about 5 minutes). Prepare a hole in the flour (la Fontana), and add the active yeast. Stir with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour. When everything is incorporated, add the salt and the olive oil and begin to work the dough with your hands. When the dough is elastic, shape a ball, brush the ball with some olive oil, and place it covered in the fridge. The day after, punch down the dough in order to eliminate the air produced by the yeast. Knead the dough with your hands, shape a ball, and let it rise for at least 30 minutes in a warm place. Shape the focaccia: we want a disc about 1 inch high. Let it rise for 30 minutes, and then using your fingertips make holes all over the disc. Prepare the brine by simply whisking all the ingredients vigorously: water, olive oil and salt. Brush the brine on top of the focaccia, saturating the holes you made. Add the rosemary, slightly pressing it on top of the dough. Preheat the oven to 425F and bake for about 25 minutes.