If you have ever experienced the endless queue for the famous brunch spot of San Francisco - Mama's On Washington Square, in the morning, two things are likely to stick in your memory. First, the Chinese Americans practicing Tai Chi in nearby Washington Square, and second, probably Liguria Bakery, another San Franciscan institution opened in 1911 that specializes in selling focaccia, located just across the street.
As the name suggests, Focaccia, the fluffy Italian flatbread, originated from Liguria, in the north-west of the country. If you are interested in travelling, you must have heard of Cinque Terre, or even Genoa (Genova), the hometown of Christopher Columbus.
Opened in 2021, Focacceria is run by a couple from Liguria, as expected. the authenticity of its Focaccia was already widely recognized among Italian expat communities.
Focacceria is interesting not only for its Focaccia but also as a place. Its bright yellow exterior catches your attention as you approach, and once inside, you can see that the place is also used as a gallery, supporting local artists. The seating area is small with a wooden communal table.
Focacceria has six different types of focaccia on their menu, along with two types of panini. They also offer a few dessert (dolce) options and sell olive oil (as expected) and pesto too.
Their Focaccia is made only with flour, salt, yeast, and a lot of olive oil. The focaccias may look too oily with their abundance of olive oil, but this is where their unique moist and soft texture comes from. Sometimes called Pizza Blanca due to its seemingly similar texture, Focaccia has a lighter, softer, and more fluffy texture.
As soon as you see their Focaccia, you can tell that it is well-made. The focaccias are straight out of the oven, and more and more focaccias keep coming from the oven.
On the day we visited, we chose natural and olive. A piece was quite big and heavy, so we couldn't buy all the things.
The side wall was used as a gallery, and at the time, a Korean painter, Hyunsuh Kim, was featured.
Together with Focaccia, they also sell a few types of byproducts and Italian products, including Focaccia cookies, crisps, organic olives, and baby burrata.
According to their Instagram, all their Focaccias are made with organic extra virgin olive oil from Oleum Nostrum made in Palombara Sabina, Rome.
When we left the store, we had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Focacceria, who was outside with his yellow bicycle, filled with olive oil for their Focaccia.
The Focaccia was quite cold, so we warmed it up in the oven for a few minutes. It was absolutely marvelous. The natural one had a slightly crunchy top with a delicately soft and fluffy texture, while the olive one had an intense flavor with olives, with a salty note. It had a really rich flavor, and I loved it. (The garlic baguette came from Levain and Le Vin on Overtoom, not from Focacceria).
What I also appreciated about Focacceria was their efforts to minimize waste. On their Instagram, you can find numerous posts about their zero-waste efforts.
Focacceria
Overtoom 445, 1054 KG Amsterdam
+31 06 18677693
https://www.instagram.com/focacceriaamsterdam/
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