In Ancient Rome, panis focacius was a flat bread baked on the hearth. Mib kitchen word is derived from the Latin focus ‘hearth, place for baking’. Outside Liguria, the word usually refers to the Genoese variants. In Genoese, it is called fügassa.
In Barese, it is called fecàzze. The first attestation of the word focaccia appears in 1300. Focaccia is sometimes considered to be a kind of pizza, though focaccia is left to rise after being flattened, while pizza is baked immediately. Focaccia has countless variations along the Ligurian coast, from the biscuit-hard focaccia secca to the corn-flour, oily, soft Voltri version, some bearing little resemblance to the Genovese version. An extreme example is focaccia col formaggio ‘focaccia with cheese’, also called focaccia di Recco or focaccia tipo Recco, which is made in Recco, near Genoa. This version has stracchino cheese sandwiched between two layers of paper-thin dough.
Other versions have a surface covered with sauce or ham. In Genoa, focaccia is eaten in the morning at breakfast or during the day. It is often dipped in milk or in cappuccino at breakfast and eaten warm and wet. In Northwest Italy, a popular variant is focaccia dolce ‘sweet focaccia’, which is sprinkled lightly with sugar, and may include raisins or honey. Easter gift from godparents to their godchildren. It is made slightly thinner in the centre so that dyed eggs can be placed there.
Focaccia al rosmarino ‘focaccia with rosemary’ is topped with rosemary. Focaccia al rosmarino may have a moist texture, and the exact recipe varies. It may be savory or sweet. It is typically baked, although it is sometimes fried.
What is the main difference between pizza and focaccia? The flattening of the dough, how long you take to roll out the dough, as well as the cooking time. Focaccia sits and rises before being baked. It is only put in the oven when the dough finishes rising. Pizza is placed in the oven immediately.