Rosemary Focaccia

Rosemary focaccia is a classic of Italian cuisine, loved for its simplicity and aromatic flavor. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 300 ml of lukewarm water
• 10 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
• 10 g of salt
• 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil, and a little more for greasing
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• Coarse salt, as needed

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm water.
2. Add the flour and begin to knead until all the water is incorporated.
3. Add the extra virgin olive oil and salt until you have obtained a homogeneous and elastic dough.
4. Work the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
5. Form a ball with the dough and let it rise in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp cloth, in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
6. Take the risen dough and gently transfer it to a previously oiled baking sheet, spreading it with your hands to cover the entire surface.
7. Let it rest for another 20-30 minutes.
8. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200 °C.
9. After resting, create small dimples in the dough with your fingers and distribute the remaining extra virgin olive oil over it.
10. Sprinkle the surface with coarse salt and distribute the chopped rosemary sprigs.
11. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the focaccia has turned a beautiful golden color.
12. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack before serving.

Interesting Facts

In addition to being delicious on its own, rosemary focaccia can be enriched with ingredients such as Taggiasca olives or cherry tomatoes to give an extra touch of flavor and color. In Liguria, focaccia is almost a status symbol, and every bakery has its secret recipe and particular way of preparing it. Sometimes it is even consumed at breakfast, dipped in a cappuccino, in the typical “toccu genovese.”