Local name: Focaccia genovese
A soft, open-crumbed focaccia dimpled deeply and flooded with salty brine and fruity olive oil.
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The brine is what separates Genoese focaccia from every other kind: it stops a crust forming and keeps the crumb damp. In Genoa people eat it for breakfast, dunked in cappuccino.
An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.
It stops the surface from setting into a crust while it bakes and keeps the crumb moist. That is precisely what separates Genoese focaccia from drier styles. Without it the top hardens and the dimples close up.
It has not relaxed enough. Oil your hands, press it gently outward with your fingertips, then leave it ten minutes and come back. The gluten slackens and the dough will reach the corners without holes.
You can, but it will not hold this much water as well and the holes will be smaller. Hold back about 30 ml of the water so the dough stays workable.
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