Focaccia con la Salvia

Name: Focaccia con la Salvia
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 320 ml lukewarm water; 25 g fresh sage leaves; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 10 g Fine sea salt; 7 g dried active yeast; 5 g barley malt syrup or honey; 50 ml water for the brine (salamoia); 5 g coarse sea salt flakes

Focaccia con la salvia is a classic Ligurian flatbread studded with fresh sage leaves and drenched in aromatic olive oil brine.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 340 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — Italian type 0 or strong flour
320 ml lukewarm water — around 30C
25 g fresh sage leaves — roughly chopped, plus a few whole leaves for topping
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — preferably Ligurian Taggiasca olive oil
10 g Fine sea salt — for the dough
7 g dried active yeast — or 15g fresh yeast
5 g barley malt syrup or honey — or caster sugar
50 ml water for the brine (salamoia) — lukewarm
5 g coarse sea salt flakes — for scattering on top

Equipment

•Baking tray (30x40 cm)
•Large mixing bowl
•Small jug
•Pastry brush

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 340 kcal
fat: 9 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 340 kcal

Instructions

1
Dissolve the yeast and malt syrup in lukewarm water inside a large mixing bowl.
2
Add the flour, fine sea salt, and half the olive oil to the liquid.
3
Mix until a rough, sticky dough forms, then knead on a lightly oiled surface for ten minutes until smooth.
4
Fold the chopped sage leaves into the dough until evenly distributed.
5
Shape into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp cloth, and prove for ninety minutes until doubled in size.
6
Oil the baking tray generously with one tablespoon of olive oil.
7
Tip the dough onto the tray and gently press it towards the edges using flat palms.
8
Leave the dough to rest in the tray for thirty minutes to relax the gluten.
9
Whisk the remaining olive oil, warm brine water, and a pinch of salt together in a small jug.
10
Press your fingertips firmly into the dough to create deep dimples across the entire surface.
11
Pour the oil brine evenly over the dough, filling the dimples, and top with whole sage leaves and sea salt flakes.
12
Bake at 220C (200C fan) for eighteen to twenty minutes until golden with pale dimples.

Chef's tips

Do not tear the dough when stretching it into the tray; if it springs back, let it rest for five minutes before trying again. Ligurian focaccia relies on a wet brine poured into the dimples before baking to keep the crumb soft while achieving a crisp crust.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh sage leaves → fresh rosemary needles
barley malt syrup → white sugar

Storage

Store leftover focaccia wrapped in a paper bag at room temperature for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat in a hot oven at 180C for five minutes to crisp the crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the salamoia brine, which leads to a dry, bread-like texture rather than an authentic focaccia crumb.
•Using dried sage instead of fresh leaves, which burns easily and lacks fresh herbal brightness.
•Baking at too low a temperature, preventing the characteristic golden crust from forming quickly.

Serving suggestions

Cut into squares and serve warm with a glass of Ligurian Pigato white wine.Slice horizontally and fill with soft crescenza cheese and cured ham.Serve as an accompaniment to vegetable soups or antipasti.