The Art of Making Authentic Italian Focaccia Bread
Italian focaccia bread is a staple in Italian cuisine and is now a popular dish enjoyed by many people worldwide. In this post, you will learn from our Italian bakery experts about the unique characteristics of Italian focaccia, the ingredients used, the traditional baking process, and the current focaccia flavour options at Goloso, an authentic Italian bakery in Soho, London.
Brief History of Italian Focaccia Bread
Focaccia is a type of Italian flatbread that has been enjoyed for centuries. The records of the first focaccia made from flour, water and salt may date back to the Etruscans (about 700 B.C). However, focaccia is more commonly associated with the coastal regions of Liguria in the 16th century.
Although the origins are hard to pinpoint precisely, focaccia is undoubtedly a staple in Italian cuisine that is enjoyed by many Italian home bakers in Italy and Italian chefs who have immigrated abroad to share their passion for delicious Italian cooking with others.
Over time, the traditional focaccia recipe has evolved, and various regional variations have emerged. Yet the core ingredients always remain the same – flour, yeast, salt, and olive oil. Bakers then add additional toppings to create a unique favour combination.
Adding toppings such as tomato, mozzarella, garlic, and herbs leads many food historians to believe that focaccia may be the predecessor of our modern-day pizzas.
The Unique Characteristics of Italian Focaccia
Italian focaccia is unique because of its light and airy texture, which comes from a long fermentation process and a high-hydration dough. The key to making the perfect focaccia is in the quality of the ingredients, proper technique, and patience.
Although the creation of focaccia is unique, this flatbread is suitable for everyone of any age to enjoy. As an Italian family-run business, we love seeing our customers bond together over our delicious food and drink options. Even kids love to try our Chicken Milanese or the simple Caprese with mozzarella focaccia.
The Making of Goloso’s Authentic Focaccia
At Goloso, we make our dough with only the finest ingredients, including flour, water, yeast, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. As a result, our signature dough creates a light and airy texture that is the hallmark of authentic Italian focaccia.
The dough is then allowed to ferment for several hours, which allows the yeast to work its magic and develop the flavour of the bread. You may have seen bakers on the popular show ‘The Great British Bake Off’ show off the skill of leaving the dough to rise during this stage of the baking process.
Before baking, we add other ingredients, such as mozzarella, tomatoes, oregano, or other herbs, to give our focaccia a unique flavour and texture. This is where the art of making authentic Italian focaccia comes in – the choice of toppings can truly make or break the dish. As we have ten different flavour combinations at Goloso, there is almost always an item on our menu that you’ll love.
The Baking Process
The baking process is crucial in making authentic Italian focaccia. We use a uniformly heated oven, which imparts a unique flavour and a crisp crust unmatched by other cooking methods. The high heat of the oven quickly sets the dough and allows the bread to rise and become light and airy. The combination of the high heat and the olive oil creates a delicious crust that is both crisp and soft, making every bite of our focaccia a true delight.
At Goloso, we believe that authentic Italian focaccia is more than just food – it is an art. And we take great pride in our commitment to preserving the tradition of this beloved dish and sharing it with the people of London.
Where to try Delicious Focaccia in London
As arguably the best Italian focacceria in London, Goloso have ten standard flavour combinations. Hence, there is almost guaranteed to be an item on our menu that will tickle your fancy.
You can enjoy delicious Italian focaccia at our family-run Italian bakery in London for breakfast or lunch during your busy work day, or bring your friends to show them the wonders of Italian bread. We take pride in our authentic Italian focaccia recipe and the art of making this delicious dish, so we can’t wait for you to try one yourself.
Focaccia flavours currently on the Goloso Menu:
- Chicken Milanese: fresh tomato, mozzarella, chicken Milanese, and pesto genovese
- Porchetta: caramelised onion, sliced porchetta and provola affumicata cheese
- Turkey: roasted turkey, provola affumicata cheese, grilled peppers, and rocket
- Caprese: fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil
- Tartufata: truffle cream, grilled aubergines, burrata, rocket, and Parmigiano.
- Zia pinotta: artichokes, sun-dried tomato, red onion, rocket, and Parmigiano.
- Mamma patrizia: pepato fresco, sun-dried tomato, red onion, black olives, and oregano
- Nonna angelina: parma ham, mozzarella, tomato, and basil.
- Valtellina: bresaola, parmigiano, and rocket.
- Golosa: mortadella, burrata, and pistachio pesto
At Goloso, we use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients to top our focaccia. Our Italian tomatoes are plump and juicy, our mozzarella melts in the mouth, and our herbs are carefully selected to complement the other flavours in the bread.
Stop By Goloso Focacceria
We invite you to visit our cafe and try our authentic Italian focaccia on Greet Street, Soho, London. Whether you are a fan of focaccia or are trying it for the first time, we are confident that you will love the taste and quality of our baked goods.
Come to Goloso today and experience the art of authentic Italian focaccia, Cannoli, flakey pastries, ice cold frappé and Italian coffee for yourself. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more updates and mouth-watering food photography @Goloso_UK. Keep an eye out for special offers and the latest menu items!
