Italian Focaccia: History, Regional Styles & an Easy High-Hydration Focaccia Recipe

There are few things more irresistible than freshly baked Italian focaccia.

Golden and crisp around the edges, soft and airy inside, and generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, focaccia proves that some of the best Italian food begins with the simplest ingredients.

Flour. Water. Yeast. Salt. Olive oil.

But there isn’t just one focaccia. Travel through Italy and you will find completely different versions, from the famous focaccia Genovese to the tomato-covered focaccia of Puglia.

Today, we’re taking a quick trip through Italy before making an easy high-hydration focaccia at home.

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A Little History of Focaccia

Even the name focaccia tells us something about its origins.

The Italian word comes from the Late Latin focacia, connected to focus, meaning hearth or fireplace — a reminder of an ancient way of cooking bread around the hearth.

Over time, different parts of Italy developed their own versions, which is why focaccia can look surprisingly different depending on where you order it.

Focaccia Around Italy

Focaccia Genovese

In Genoa, focaccia is known as fugassa and is an essential part of Ligurian food culture.

Golden, tender and generously flavored with olive oil, it can be enjoyed throughout the day — even at breakfast with cappuccino.

Yes, focaccia for breakfast.

Italy understands life.

Focaccia di Recco

Travel along the Ligurian coast to Recco and focaccia becomes something completely different.

Focaccia di Recco col formaggio is made with extremely thin layers of dough surrounding creamy fresh cheese. Unlike fluffy focaccia, it is thin, crisp and beautifully blistered.

It is such an important regional specialty that Focaccia di Recco col formaggio has protected PGI/IGP status in the European Union.

Focaccia Barese

Head south to Puglia and you will discover another delicious variation.

Focaccia Barese is commonly topped with tomatoes, olives, oregano and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Many traditional preparations also include potato in the dough, contributing to its soft texture.

If a southern Italian summer could become bread, this might be it.

Easy High-Hydration Italian Focaccia

High-hydration dough contains more water than many traditional bread doughs, helping create a wonderfully soft and airy interior.

Don’t worry if the dough seems sticky.

It’s supposed to.

We’re making focaccia, not teaching the dough manners.

Makes: 1 large focaccia

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Rising Time: 2–3 hours

Bake Time: 20–25 minutes

Oven Temperature: 450°F (230°C)

Total Time: approximately 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g bread flour or all-purpose flour

• 400 g lukewarm water

• 7 g dry yeast

• 10 g fine sea salt

• 30 g extra virgin olive oil

For the top:

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Flaky or coarse sea salt

• Fresh rosemary, optional

This recipe uses 400 g of water for 500 g of flour, giving us an 80% hydration dough.

And no, you don’t need to add sugar.

How to Make Focaccia

1. Mix the Dough

Combine 500 g flour, 400 g lukewarm water and 7 g yeast.

Mix until no dry flour remains, then add 10 g salt and 30 g extra virgin olive oil.

Continue mixing until everything is incorporated.

The dough will be wet and sticky. That’s exactly what we want.

2. First Rise

Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until visibly expanded and airy, approximately 1½–2 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

3. Stretch and Fold

With damp or lightly oiled hands, gently stretch one side of the dough and fold it toward the center.

Repeat from the other sides.

This helps develop structure without aggressively kneading the wet dough.

4. Prepare the Pan

Generously coat a metal pizza or focaccia pan with extra virgin olive oil.

Transfer the dough to the pan and gently stretch it toward the edges.

If it springs back, let it rest for 10–15 minutes before stretching it again.

5. Second Rise

Allow the dough to rest in the pan for approximately 30–45 minutes, until puffy.

6. Dimple the Focaccia

Coat your fingertips with olive oil and press them deeply into the dough to create the classic focaccia dimples.

Drizzle generously with more extra virgin olive oil and finish with flaky sea salt and rosemary, or your favorite toppings.

7. Bake

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the focaccia is deeply golden on top and crisp underneath.

Allow it to cool slightly before cutting.

If you can resist it.

Delicious Focaccia Topping Ideas

Once you master the dough, you can change your focaccia endlessly.

Try rosemary and sea salt for the classic version; cherry tomatoes and oregano; Kalamata olives; thinly sliced red onion; potato and rosemary; or tomatoes, olives and oregano for a Puglia-inspired version.

You can also add small dollops of Kalamata olive spread before baking.

For something a little more decadent, bake the focaccia simply and add mortadella, prosciutto, burrata, arugula or fresh basil after it comes out of the oven.

Mortadella and burrata on warm focaccia?

This is not the moment to count calories.

This is the moment to be Italian.

My Focaccia Essentials:

A few simple kitchen tools make homemade focaccia much easier.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Pizza Pan

A sturdy pizza pan helps the bottom of the focaccia become beautifully golden and crisp.

Shop the Pizza Pan on Amazon⁠:  https://amzn.to/4xyDVLM 

Olive Oil Drizzler

Focaccia and extra virgin olive oil are inseparable. A drizzler makes it easy to distribute olive oil across the dough before and after baking.

Shop the Olive Oil Drizzler on Amazon⁠  https://amzn.to/46xrRzm 

Dough Scraper

Especially useful with sticky, high-hydration dough for handling, folding and transferring your focaccia.

Shop the Dough Scraper on Amazon ⁠https://amzn.to/4iyyecZ 

Pizza Cutter

Perfect for cutting freshly baked focaccia into squares, strips or sandwich-sized portions.

Shop the Pizza Cutter on Amazon⁠ r https://amzn.to/4y3NnaZ 

How to Store Focaccia

Focaccia is at its best fresh from the oven.

Once completely cool, store leftovers in an airtight container. You can also freeze individual portions and reheat them in the oven until warm and crisp again.

A Little Piece of Italy From Your Oven

Perhaps that’s what I love most about focaccia.

The ingredients couldn’t be simpler, yet travel from Liguria to Puglia and they tell completely different stories.

There is Genoa’s beloved fugassa, the thin cheese-filled Focaccia di Recco, the tomato-and-olive-covered focaccia of Bari — and then there is the focaccia we make in our own kitchens.

Because la dolce vita doesn’t always require a plane ticket to Italy.

Sometimes it begins with flour on the counter, olive oil on your fingertips and the smell of freshly baked focaccia coming from the oven.

Buon appetito! 🇮🇹

Veronica Dolce

La Dolce Vita Dream

Don’t forget to be unforgettable. ✨