Italian focaccia varieties at a glance
Focaccia Genovese: Thin, twice-oiled, sea salt and sometimes rosemary. Liguria | Focaccia di Recco IGP: Two unleavened sheets with fresh stracchino. Recco, Genova. IGP since 2015 | Focaccia Barese: Thick, with cherry tomatoes and olives. Bari, Puglia | Sfincione: Very thick, with tomato/anchovy/caciocavallo/breadcrumb. Palermo, Sicily | Carasau: Paper-thin, twice-baked, crispy. Sardinia. The oldest
How do you want to see it?
Liguria, ItalyCompare the same experience on GetYourGuide and Viator, save what you like to My Trip, share it, and book when you’re sure. Nearest to this page first.
The Ligurian focaccia tradition, the Genovese and the Recco
The Focaccia Genovese (the Ligurian flatbread, also called simply 'fugassa' in the Genovese dialect) is the most internationally recognised Italian focaccia: a flat yeasted bread of approximately 1–2 cm thickness, made with a dough that contains olive oil both in the mix and as a surface coating, pressed with the fingers to create the specific dimple pattern that holds additional olive oil in pools, and baked at high temperature to produce a crispy exterior and a soft, slightly chewy interior. The Genovese focaccia is consumed at any time of the day, the specific Genovese morning ritual involves focaccia dunked in a cappuccino (dipping the focaccia in the cappuccino before eating, a practice that northern Italian visitors find bizarre and Genoese consider natural). The salt: coarse sea salt is the standard flavouring. A rosemary variant is common. The Genovese never put tomato or cheese on the Focaccia Genovese, those are different products. The Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio IGP (Protected Geographical Indication since 2015, produced specifically in the municipality of Recco and five adjacent comuni in the Genova province) is a completely different product from the Focaccia Genovese: two paper-thin sheets of unleavened dough (flour, water, olive oil, salt, no yeast), between which fresh stracchino cheese (the specific runny, slightly sour fresh cheese of the Ligurian inland valleys) is evenly spread, then baked at very high temperature until the cheese melts and the dough sheets turn golden and slightly bubbled. The Focaccia di Recco IGP has no flavour heritage with the yeasted Genovese focaccia. It is a completely different preparation. The term 'Focaccia di Recco senza formaggio' (without cheese) is a legal oxymoron, the IGP specifically requires the stracchino. Liguria food
The Barese focaccia and the Sicilian sfincione
The Focaccia Barese (the focaccia of Bari, Puglia) is a thicker, softer product than the Ligurian version, a yeasted dough enriched with semolino (durum wheat semolina) that gives the specific texture (slightly denser, more chewy than the Genovese), topped before baking with cherry tomatoes cut in half and pressed into the surface, and black olives (the Barese olive tradition uses the specific Coratina or Cellina di Nardò varieties). The Barese focaccia is baked in round metal pans. It is sold by the kilo in Bari's panifici (bakeries) at approximately €3–4/kg. The specific Bari focaccia experience: the panificio (bakery) Santa Rita on Via Crisanzio in Bari Vecchia (the old city), and the dozens of focaccerie along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, are the standard Bari focaccia references. The sfincione di Palermo (the Palermo thick pizza/focaccia, from the Greek σπόγγος, sponge, referring to the specific spongy thick-crumbed dough) is the Sicilian street food version of the focaccia tradition: a thick yeasted base (4–5 cm) topped with tomato sauce, salted anchovies, white onion, caciocavallo cheese, dried oregano, and breadcrumbs, the breadcrumbs on top toast during baking and provide the specific crunchy contrast to the soft spongy interior. Sfincione is sold from three-wheeled electric carts by the sfinciunaro vendor, still found in the Ballarò and Vucciria market areas of Palermo.
What is focaccia Genovese?
Focaccia Genovese (fugassa in Genovese dialect) is the thin Ligurian flatbread, yeasted dough of approximately 1–2 cm thickness, twice-oiled (olive oil in the dough and generously applied to the surface before baking), dimpled by fingers to create olive oil pools, and baked at high temperature. Seasoned with coarse sea salt. Rosemary is a common variant. No tomato or cheese in the classic version. Consumed at any hour in Liguria, including dunked in a morning cappuccino. Available at every Ligurian bakery. Via Brera area in Genova and the Recco-Camogli coast road have the highest concentration of quality focaccerie.
What is Focaccia di Recco?
Focaccia di Recco col Formaggio IGP (Protected Geographical Indication 2015, produced in Recco and 5 adjacent Genova province municipalities) is two paper-thin sheets of unleavened dough (flour, water, olive oil, salt, no yeast) enclosing a layer of fresh stracchino cheese, baked at very high temperature until golden and bubbled. Completely different from the yeasted Genovese focaccia. The IGP protection specifies: only stracchino (or crescenza) cheese. Only the designated Recco zone. No substitution of ingredients. The most accessible Recco focacceria: the town of Recco (25 km east of Genova on the coastal SS1) has a dozen focaccerie on the main street, most open from approximately 10am–8pm.
What is the difference between focaccia and pizza?
Focaccia versus pizza: the historical distinction is the topping complexity, focaccia traditionally had minimal topping (oil, salt, and perhaps rosemary or onion) while pizza developed a more complex topping program. The structural difference: focaccia dough typically has more olive oil and a higher hydration than pizza dough, giving a softer, more airy crumb structure. Pizza dough is drier and crispier. The Sicilian sfincione and the Barese focaccia overlap with pizza territory, the sfincione particularly has a topping complexity (tomato, anchovy, cheese, breadcrumbs) that matches a pizza while maintaining the thick spongy focaccia base. In the Neapolitan tradition, the distinction between focaccia and pizza is clear (the pizza Napoletana has a thin, soft, charred base with wet toppings). In Sicilian and Pugliese traditions the distinction blurs.
What is Sardinian carasau bread?
Pane carasau (carta di musica, music paper, from the specific thinness and the crispiness that makes the bread rustle like paper when handled) is the oldest documented Italian bread tradition, the double-baked paper-thin Sardinian flatbread made from durum wheat semolina (semola di grano duro), water, salt, and yeast. The carasau process: the dough is rolled to extreme thinness (approximately 1–2 mm), baked once until puffed (the steam inside creates a puffed pocket), immediately removed and split at the natural separation, then rebaked at lower temperature until completely dry and crispy. The result: large paper-thin rounds of crispy bread that last for months without refrigeration (the shepherds' bread of the Sardinian Barbagia highlands, carried for weeks of transhumance). Pane carasau is available at every Sardinian grocery and delicatessen. In Barbagia villages (Orgosolo, Oliena, Dorgali) the local carasau is made from local ancient grain varieties and is the most specifically flavourful.
Where to eat the best Italian focaccia?
Best focaccia in Italy by type: the Genovese in Genova. Via San Vincenzo and the Recco coastal village are the references. The Focaccia di Recco in Recco, the town's dozen focaccerie on the main street (Via Roma). The Barese in Bari, the panificio Santa Rita in the old city and Via Crisanzio bakeries. The sfincione in Palermo, the Ballarò and Vucciria market area sfinciunaro carts (from approximately 10am). And the Sicilian crispeddi (fried dough rings, sold hot from the market stalls) as the Sicilian street variant.
Planning an Italian focaccia food tour?
Genova Via San Vincenzo focacceria morning + Recco stracchino cheese focaccia lunch + Bari Vecchia focaccia Barese + Ballarò Palermo sfinciunaro cart.
Plan my trip →Booking
Trenitalia
GetYourGuide
What is the tigella Emilian flatbread?
The tigella (also called crescentina, the name varies between Modena and Bologna) is the specific Emilian flatbread of the Modena Apennines: a small disc of yeasted dough (approximately 8–10 cm diameter, 1 cm thick) cooked between two heated stone or metal moulds (the tigella moulds, traditionally engraved with a decorative pattern that imprints on the bread surface). The tigella is served hot and split open, filled with: the specific Modenese filling of pesto (NOT Genovese pesto, the Modenese 'pesto' is a mixture of lard, rosemary, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano pressed into the hot bread), and additionally mortadella, prosciutto di Modena, or squacquerone (a very fresh, runny Romagnolo cheese). Tigelle are the specific Modena aperitivo (pre-dinner drink with snacks) food, the Modena bars and osterie serve them in baskets from 6pm as aperitivo snacks. The connection to the Modena Apennine tradition: the tigella was historically the Alpine shepherd's bread, made in the mountain huts from simple ingredients with the available stone-heating system.
What is Puglia pane di Altamura?
Pane di Altamura DOP (Protected Designation of Origin, the durum wheat bread of Altamura in the Murge plateau of Puglia, province of Bari) is the most prestigious Italian bread DOP, a large round loaf (the pane rimacinato, made from twice-milled durum wheat semolina flour from the specific Altamura zone) with the characteristic dense golden crumb, thick crust, and the specific nutty sweetness of high-quality durum wheat. The Pane di Altamura DOP requires: durum wheat semolina from the Alta Murgia zone. A specific sourdough starter (the lievito madre). And the traditional form (the skullcap form, alta cappello di prete, the priest's hat shape, or the lower ciabatta elongated shape). The bread keeps for 7–10 days without going stale, the specific quality of the durum wheat gluten structure. Available from bakeries throughout Altamura (accessible by bus from Bari, 45 minutes).
What is the Neapolitan pizza difference from focaccia?
Neapolitan pizza versus focaccia: the specific distinction is the dough hydration, the thickness, and the topping tradition. The pizza Napoletana (the AVPN-certified Neapolitan pizza) uses a dough of approximately 65–70% hydration, fermented for 24–72 hours, hand-stretched to 35 cm diameter and approximately 0.4 cm thick (thinner than any Italian focaccia). Baked in a wood-fired oven at 450–485 degrees Celsius for 60–90 seconds. With a specific wet topping (San Marzano DOP tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella or bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, and Ligurian olive oil, the Margherita standard). The focaccia uses a wetter dough (75–80% hydration), less fermentation (2–8 hours typically), a thicker profile (1–4 cm depending on variety), and a baking temperature of 220–280 degrees for 20–30 minutes. The result: fundamentally different textures, different crust characters, and different topping systems.
What is schiacciata Toscana?
Schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread, from 'schiacciare', to flatten) is the Florentine and broader Tuscan equivalent of the Ligurian focaccia: an oiled flatbread, thinner than focaccia (typically 1–1.5 cm), with the characteristic dimpled surface and olive oil/salt topping. The specific schiacciata Fiorentina (the Florentine version): typically slightly thicker and softer than the Ligurian focaccia, with a more pronounced olive oil soaking. The October–November schiacciata con l'uva (the grape harvest season variant, the flatbread dough topped with wine grapes, sugar, and anise seeds before baking, the specific Tuscan harvest tradition): the most distinctive seasonal Italian flatbread, available from Florentine bakeries in October–November only and closely tied to the Chianti Classico harvest season. The schiacciata di carnevale (the February Carnival version, sweetened with sugar, orange rind, and olive oil) completes the Tuscan flatbread calendar.
What is the pizza bianca romana?
Pizza bianca romana (the Roman white pizza, also called scrocchiarella, the scratcher, referring to the specific crispy texture) is the Rome equivalent of the Ligurian focaccia: a flatbread of olive oil-enriched dough, extremely thin (5–8 mm), baked at high temperature until the surface is golden and slightly bubbled, then seasoned with fleur de sel. Unlike the Genovese focaccia (which has dimples to hold olive oil pools), the pizza bianca romana is flat and uniformly crispy. The specific Roman use: split horizontally and filled with prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, or fior di latte mozzarella, the pizza bianca con la mortadella (white pizza with mortadella) is the most specific Roman street food, sold from the panificio by weight (approximately €3–5 for a filled slice). The Roscioli bakery (Via dei Chiavari, behind Campo dei Fiori, Rome) is widely considered the finest Roman pizza bianca, though queues form before opening.
