Recipe hydration
Focaccia Genovese — Hydration Guide
Target 80%. Workable range 78–85%.
Why this hydration for Focaccia Genovese?
AICIG-regulated Focaccia Genovese — the Ligurian classic. Thinner than Roman focaccia (2 cm vs 4 cm), with olive oil salt brine on top (not just dry salt). Open, airy, chewy texture; pronounced olive oil flavor throughout. Baker's percentage oil is high (4-5% in dough, plus generous oil on top). Traditional topping is just olive oil and coarse salt — no herbs, no toppings.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 80% hydration does for Focaccia Genovese
At its 80% target, Focaccia Genovese bakes up with a very open, holey, translucent crumb — the hallmark of a high-hydration hearth loaf, at the cost of slack, sticky dough that needs confident handling. That's why the style sits where it does on the scale — push it much drier and it tightens toward a sandwich loaf; push it much wetter and it slackens past what the hearth structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 400 g (80%) |
| Salt | 9 g (1.8%) |
| Levain | 115 g (~23%) |
The levain already carries some of that flour and water. The calculator below subtracts its contribution so the numbers you actually weigh at the bench hit 80% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Focaccia Genovese uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 80% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 80%
Mix dough with olive oil incorporated. 3h bulk. Heavily oil sheet pan. Transfer, stretch to fill. Proof 90 min. Before baking: mix 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp water + 1 tsp salt, brush over surface, dimple aggressively. Bake 475°F 18-22 min until deep golden edges.
Calculator pre-set to 80%
- Flour to add
- 450 g
- Water to add
- 350 g
- Salt
- 10 g
- Levain @ 100%
- 100 g
- Total dough
- 910 g
- Effective hydration
- 80%
How the math works
Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.
Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.
Focaccia Genovese hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Focaccia Genovese meant to be?
Target 80% — that's 80 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 78–85% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Focaccia Genovese?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.8. For a 500 g flour batch that's 400 g water, plus about 9 g salt (1.8%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Focaccia Genovese at a lower hydration?
Down to about 78% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 78% the open, characteristic Focaccia Genovese texture is largely lost.
Can I make Focaccia Genovese at a higher hydration?
Up to about 85% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 85% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.