Traditional Ligurian focaccia

I started baking Ligurian focaccia at least once a week. I started with the “quick” recipe, the one you prepare straightforward in about four hours with the so-called “direct method”. You can find it in my post “Genoese Focaccia, the perfect recipe” However, having some time available, you know, I also tried the recipe that Genoese bakers use, the one that involves preparing the sponge the previous evening, the so-called “indirect method”. The sponge is basically a pre-dough made of water, flour and a little yeast, which improves the final product by giving perfume, flavor and digestibility. The result is magnificent. The focaccia is fragrant, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. It is just as described in the specification of the Genoese Bakers: “Once baked, the focaccia will have a hazelnut-colored crust, ivory-white in the holes. In the lower part it must be rightly greasy, white and golden. It must be two centimeters high on average. The irregular and deep eye with traces of oil. In the upper part there may be some glitter of salt. The perfume must be fairly intense, with a slight persistence, not having sweet sensations, but slightly bitter aromatic nuances because of extra virgin olive oil. On the palate it is soft, balanced in basic flavors (acid, sweet, salty), never chewy, but crunchy on the surface. A slight bitter sensation, because of the oil, may be slightly perceptible. The feeling of greasiness is clear “.