Focaccia
Focaccia
A 2,000-Year Journey of Italian Bread Mastery
The Name Behind the Bread
The word focaccia derives from the Latin panis focacius, meaning "hearth bread" — from focus, the Latin word for "hearth" or "fireplace."
Through the Ages
100 BCE · Roman Legions 500 CE · Medieval Monasteries 1300s · Renaissance Genoa 1800s · Ligurian Identity 1950s · Global Spread
Regional Variations
Liguria
Focaccia di Recco
Paper-thin layers with stracchino cheese
Tuscany
Schiacciata all'Uva
Topped with wine grapes during harvest
Sicily
Sfincione
Thick, spongy, with tomato and anchovy
Calabria
Pitta
Spicy with nduja and roasted peppers
The Art of Making Focaccia
- Mix the Dough · Flour, water, yeast, olive oil, salt
- First Rise · 1-2 hours until doubled
- Stretch & Dimple · Create pockets for olive oil
- Second Rise · 30-45 minutes until puffy
- Top & Season · Olive oil, sea salt, rosemary
- Bake · 20-25 min at 425°F until golden
The Essential Five
Flour Water Olive Oil Sea Salt Rosemary