In ancient times, the flat bread, now known as focaccia, was baked in a family’s home. Later around the 14th Century, the first written recipes were associated with the mainland region of Liguria. Today its popularity has increased tremendously throughout Italy and internationally as bakeries and restaurants use it to make a side dish, a pizza or a sandwich. Many variations exist in recipes, especially for toppings. Experiment with this recipe to make your own focaccia, fatta in casa (homemade).

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients for Dough:

• 500 grams of flour, “0” or “00”
• 4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-sized potato (100-150 grams)
• 25 grams brewer’s yeast block or 7 grams of dry yeast
• 15 grams salt
• A small bowl of warm water

Ingredients for Toppings:

• Several small fresh red tomatoes
• Dry oregano and other spices of your choice
• More extra virgin olive oil
• Rock salt (optional)

Directions:

• Boil the potato, and then remove its skin. Pass it through a potato ricer.
• Dissolve the potato, olive oil, and yeast in a small bowl of warm water.
• Spread the flour on a pastry board, and make it into a small mountain. Make a hole in its middle, and pour the dissolved potato, olive oil, and yeast into the hole.
• Start mixing the dough with the hands. After few minutes, add the salt. Add water, little by little, until you have a soft dough.
• Let the dough rise for at least 1 hour on a wood cutting board.
• Grease an oven pan with a lot of olive oil, and stretch out the dough in the pan.
• Cut each tomato into 2 pieces, and put them on the dough with the skin side up, creating a small hole.
• If desired, sprinkle a small amount of rock salt on the dough.
• Warm the oven warm to 220 °C. Put the pan with the dough into the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Serve the focaccia warm. Buon Appetito!