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Focaccia Dolce (Sweet Ligurian Bread

Ligurian Focaccia Dolce

A gently sweet Ligurian focaccia baked with honey, olive oil, and a classic salty brine that settles into deep dimples. Light, airy, and crisp on the edges, this bread brings warm Mediterranean flavors to breakfast, snacks, or easy gatherings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Resting Time 13 hours
Total Time 13 hours 33 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: Ligurian / Italian
Calories: 230
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the sponge (indirect method)
  • 130 g flour
  • 60 g lukewarm water
  • Pinch of active dry yeast
For the final dough
  • Sponge above
  • 500 g flour
  • ~310 g water adjust if needed
  • 9 g fine sea salt
  • 12 g sugar
  • 30 g extra-virgin olive oil
  • Optional: 10–15% raisins based on flour weight soak, drain, pat dry
For the brine
  • 200 ml lukewarm water
  • 11 g fine sea salt
  • Small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
Finishing
  • Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
  • Optional: citrus zest rosemary, warm honey (small amounts)

Method
 

Make the sponge (12–14 hours)
  1. Mix flour, water, and a pinch of yeast in a small bowl.
  2. Cover and rest at room temperature for 12–14 hours until bubbly and fragrant.
Mix the dough
  1. Add the sponge to a large bowl.
  2. Add flour, water, salt, sugar, and olive oil.
  3. Mix into a shaggy dough.
  4. Knead until smooth and elastic — the dough should stretch thin without tearing (windowpane stage).
  5. If adding raisins, fold them in gently.
First rise
  1. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
  2. Let rise at room temperature until soft, airy, and roughly doubled.
Pan and shape
  1. Grease an 18×13 inch sheet pan (or two 13×9 pans) with olive oil.
  2. Place the dough in the pan and stretch it to cover about 70% of the surface.
  3. Let it relax for a few minutes.
  4. Finish stretching gently to all corners.
  5. Let rest 10–15 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
Make deep dimples
  1. Lightly dust the surface with flour.
  2. Use three fingers at a time and press firmly down in rows.
  3. Create deep, even wells all over the dough.
Add the brine
  1. Mix the water and salt until dissolved.
  2. Pour the brine over the surface, filling the dimples.
  3. Add a small drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Rest 40–60 minutes so the dimples settle.
Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
  2. Bake for 15–18 minutes until the top is hazelnut-golden and the holes inside look pale and glossy.
  3. Rotate pans halfway if using two.
Finish and cool
  1. Slide a thin spatula under a corner and lift the bread out immediately to avoid steaming the bottom.
  2. Brush lightly with extra-virgin olive oil on top (and bottom if you like).
  3. Cool on a rack until edges stay crisp.

Notes

  • Keep toppings light so the dough can rise properly and the dimples stay defined.
  • Use extra-virgin olive oil with a fruity aroma—it's a big part of the flavor.
  • Cooling on a rack is key. If the bread sits in the pan, the bottom turns soft.
  • A hot oven is everything: don’t skip a full preheat.
  • If your kitchen is cold, give the dough extra time — visual cues matter more than timing.