Focaccia: Genovese (low hydration) vs. Pugliese (high)

Most non-Italian bakers first encounter focaccia as the high-hydration, deeply-dimpled, glistening-with-olive-oil flatbread that dominates Instagram. It's a real focaccia tradition, but it's the Pugliese (Bari) version, not the Genovese (Liguria) one. The Ligurian focaccia is older, drier, and structurally different. Both are delicious. They're not the same bread.

Knowing which one you're making (and which one a recipe is actually describing) saves a lot of confusion.

Focaccia genovese (Liguria, northwest Italy)

The original. "Fugassa" in Genoese dialect. Has its own protected regional designation. Made in Genoa and the surrounding Ligurian coast, served in cafes from breakfast onward, eaten with cappuccino.

Defining characteristics:

• Hydration: `60–65%`. Same as Neapolitan pizza dough. Stiff enough to handle, tight enough to produce a structured bread with a relatively even crumb.
• Thickness: `1.5–2 cm / ½–¾ inch` after baking. Thinner than Pugliese.
• Surface: shallow dimples, salt brine glaze. The classic Genovese is brushed with a salt-water mixture before baking, producing a slightly salty, lightly glazed surface.
• Crumb: tighter, more even. Visible structure but not the dramatic open holes of high-hydration focaccia.
• Flavor: clean, slightly salty, olive-oil forward. Minimal pre-ferment, short fermentation.

A baseline Genovese formula

Process: mix all dough ingredients, knead 5–7 minutes, bulk ferment 60 minutes, press into a 25×35 cm / 10×14 inch oiled sheet pan, dimple aggressively with fingers, brush with brine, proof another 30 minutes, bake at 220 °C / 425 °F for 20–25 minutes until golden.

Focaccia pugliese / barese (Puglia, southeast Italy)

Newer in international fame but with its own deep tradition. Originated in Bari and across Puglia. Often topped with cherry tomatoes, oregano, and olives: a focaccia with substantial toppings.

Defining characteristics:

• Hydration: `80–90%`. Far higher than Genovese. The dough is slack, sticky, almost pourable.
• Thickness: `3–5 cm / 1¼–2 inches`. Substantially thicker than Genovese.
• Surface: dramatic deep dimples, irregular bubbles visible through the surface. The wet dough produces irregular, photogenic structure.
• Crumb: very open, with large irregular holes. Light and airy.
• Flavor: deeply olive-oil-saturated, pronounced fermentation. Often uses a long cold ferment to develop flavor.

A baseline Pugliese formula

Process: mix the dough by hand or with a wet spatula, no kneading. Bulk ferment with 3–4 sets of stretch and folds spread across the first 2 hours. Cold ferment overnight in the fridge. Pour into an oiled pan, dimple, top, proof 1 hour at room temperature, bake at 230 °C / 450 °F for 25–30 minutes.

What changes between the two

The hydration difference cascades into nearly every other variable.

• Mixing: Genovese can be kneaded; Pugliese must be folded.
• Handling: Genovese is rolled or pressed into the pan; Pugliese is poured.
• Fermentation: Genovese same-day works fine; Pugliese benefits dramatically from overnight cold ferment.
• Crumb: Genovese is structured and even; Pugliese is open and irregular.
• Bite: Genovese is bready and tender; Pugliese is light and almost pillowy.
• Toppings: Genovese is mostly plain (salt, olive oil); Pugliese commonly carries substantial vegetable toppings.

Why Pugliese took over Instagram

Three reasons:

1. 1.It's photogenic. The dramatic dimples, the visible bubble structure, the cherry-tomato-and-oregano topping: all visually striking in a way Genovese isn't.
2. 2.It's beginner-friendly in some ways. No kneading, no shaping, just mix-fold-dimple-bake. The high hydration is intimidating but the technique is forgiving.
3. 3.It tolerates topping experimentation. The thick dough holds up under generous toppings, and home bakers love adding their own variations.

All real virtues. The downside: many recipes labeled "focaccia" are now Pugliese-style by default, even when written by people who think they're describing Genovese. The two have become conflated.

Common focaccia mistakes (both styles)

Not enough olive oil in the pan

Focaccia bottom should fry slightly during baking. That's where the characteristic crisp-bottom, soft-top contrast comes from. The pan should have a clearly visible layer of oil, not just a brushed coating. Generous oiling produces the textbook focaccia crust.

Under-fermented dough

Both styles fail when the dough is under-fermented. Genovese gets dense and tough; Pugliese gets gummy and structureless. Trust the volume signals from the bulk fermentation article: at least 50% volume increase, more for Pugliese.

Dimpling too gently

The dimples should reach almost to the bottom of the pan. Shallow dimples flatten out during baking and don't produce the visual character. Press firmly, with all your fingertips, until you can almost see the pan through the dough at the dimple.

Adding heavy toppings to a thin focaccia

Genovese is too thin to support cherry-tomato-and-olive toppings; they slide off, weigh the dough down, and prevent proper rise. Save substantial toppings for Pugliese. For Genovese, salt, olive oil, and rosemary are the limit.

Which one to make

Both, eventually. They serve different purposes.

• Genovese is for breakfast. Sliced horizontally, stuffed with cured meat or cheese. Simpler. Easier to fit into a weekday baking schedule (no overnight ferment needed).
• Pugliese is for dinner. Generous toppings, served warm, more of an event. Plan for overnight cold ferment for best results.

If this is your first focaccia, start with Genovese. It's more forgiving of timing mistakes and doesn't require the high-hydration handling skills. Move to Pugliese once you're comfortable with stretch-and-fold technique on slack doughs.

The takeaway

Two regional traditions, two different breads. Genovese is 64% hydration, structured, breakfast bread. Pugliese is 85% hydration, open-crumb, dinner bread. Both are real focaccia. Pick the one that fits the meal, and don't be misled by recipes that conflate them.