Focaccia is a flat, yeasted, oven-baked Italian bread. It can be plain or topped with olive oil, spices and other ingredients, can be served as a side dish or as a sandwich bread, and can be round, rectangular, or square shaped. But one thing is certain – it has been consumed for thousands of years.

Historians mostly agree that focaccia originated either with the Etruscans of North-Central Italy before the Roman Empire was formed or in Ancient Greece at the beginning of the first millennium BC. Though, similar flatbreads have long been made throughout the Middle East for centuries. The word focaccia probably comes from the Latin word focus meaning hearth, place for baking, referring to the early versions of the bread which were cooked on the hearth of a fire, or on a heated tile or earthenware disk, like the similar flatbreads from the Middle East. The first mention of the word focaccia dates back to the 14th century.
As the Romans started expanding their empire to France and Spain, they brought focaccia with them, spreading its popularity across Europe and influencing other cuisines – the Spanish pan de hogaza, a version of focaccia, originated that way, as did fougasse, in the French regions of Burgundy, Provence and Languedoc. In the beginning focaccia or “panis focacius” was mostly a poor man’s meal, but it quickly found its way to all kinds of households.

Today, several regions and cities in Italy have their versions of focaccia, but it is a dish that is mostly associated with the Italian region Liguria. The two most famous types of focaccia are the one made in Genova and the one made in the Recco region. Focaccia Genovese or Fugassa from the city of Genova, the capital of the Liguria region, is made from flour, water and beer yeast, and it is cooked in olive oil. It is marked by finger-sized dents on its surface, a practice that dates centuries back in time – bakers of early versions of focaccia often punctured the bread with a knife or dotted it with fingers, to relieve bubbling on the surface of the bread. It is eaten warm, usually at breakfast, and often dipped in milk or cappuccino. There are many versions of Focaccia Genovese, such as Sardenaira from the city of Sanremo, which is topped with anchovies, as well as variations topped with onions, olives or sage, and rosemary.
The Recco focaccia – focaccia di Recco or focaccia tipo Recco is made from unyeasted bread dough which is spread very thinly and filled with fresh stracchino cheese between two layers of paper-thin dough. It is believed that this bread was offered to the crusaders leaving for the Holy Land.
Other regions of Italy have their own take on focaccia. In the South of Italy and especially in Apulia, focaccia is topped with cherry tomatoes and boiled potatoes are added to the dough, making it softer and giving it a special taste.
There are also sweet focaccias or focaccia dolce, which is sprinkled lightly with sugar and may include raisins or honey. In Northeast Italy, focaccia Veneta – Venetian focaccia – is usually eaten for Easter and it includes eggs, sugar and butter, and it is similar to panettone.

Focaccia is often considered an ancestor of pizza. But, even though ingredients for focaccia are similar to those for pizza, focaccia is not a pizza. It is a lot softer since focaccia dough is left to rise after being flattened, while pizza is baked immediately.
Even though it is not a pizza, this easy-to-make, divinely soft bread won’t disappoint you. And with quality olive oil to dip it in, you won’t be needing anything else.