There’s more to that salty umami aroma than kickstarting a dirty martini. Use it to give your focaccia a perfect flavourful crust
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hen I taste-tested olives for the food filter column a few months ago, it reminded me that the brine is an ingredient in its own right. This intensely savoury liquid adds umami depth to whatever it touches, and, beyond seasoning soups and stews, it can also be used to make salamoia, the aromatic brine that’s traditionally used to top focaccia and create that perfect salty crust.
Pouring olive brine down the sink is like washing pure flavour down the drain. Instead, save it to supercharge your focaccia, creating a beautifully flavoured, salted crust that elevates an ordinary loaf into something extraordinary. While I’m partial to rosemary and olives as toppings, this focaccia delivers heaps of flavour even when kept completely plain and simple.
Taking inspiration from both Giorgio Locatelli and Solmaz Saberi, who makes an incredible tomato soup focaccia on Substack, I’ve come up with this recipe with a simplified method and a high-hydration dough (around 80-85%) that creates a light and fluffy focaccia even with the addition of a little wholemeal flour.
