To prepare the focaccia genovese, pour the Manitoba flour and the 00 flour into a bowl. Mix with a spatula, then make a small hole in the center and pour in almost all the water.

Mix again to absorb the water, then add the malt and salt.

Mix again, then pour in the remaining water and work again with the spatula until you obtain a smooth dough. Once the salt has been incorporated into the flour, you can add the crumbled brewer's yeast.

A few more turns of the spatula and the dough is ready. Transfer it to the work surface and continue kneading by hand, quite vigorously. If there's some unabsorbed flour left, it doesn't matter: it will be absorbed by kneading it, applying pressure with the palm of your hand as you knead, "tearing" the dough, replicating the motion of the machine. After a few minutes, when you see the gluten network taking shape and the dough becoming more homogeneous and almost elastic, pour the oil over the dough.

Continue kneading on the work surface to absorb all the oil, always kneading vigorously. Depending on the type of flour used, you may need to dust the dough with a very small amount of flour as you work. It will take 13-15 minutes in total to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. You can cover it and let it rest for a few minutes. Then remove the cloth.

Seal the dough by rotating it on the work surface. You'll notice that in just a few seconds, it will become smooth. Divide the dough into two 500g pieces, 17 each, and shape them into rectangles by flattening them with your hands. 18

And fold them into three. To do this, fold the dough over itself, bringing one edge inward and then folding it again, leaving a line underneath. 19 Then roll it up so that the fold is in contact with the work surface, lightly dusted with flour. 20 Repeat the same process for the other half of the dough. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Remove the cloth, 22 take one of the two dough balls and keep the other covered. Grease the first 30x40cm baking pan with 15g of oil, avoiding the corners because it will fall into place on its own. Place the dough on a floured surface and press it with your fingers to widen it, always using only your index, middle, and ring fingers, then three fingers of your hand.

Then roll out the dough with a rolling pin, turning the dough occasionally to maintain a rectangular shape. Run your hands under the dough, then turn them so that the backs of your hands lift the dough and gently press it onto the baking sheet, covering it 70-80% of the dough. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for another 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat the same process for the second dough ball.

At this point, dust the focaccia with a little flour. Press down well with your fingertips, spreading the dough over the entire pan, starting from the perimeter to create a small border. It's important that the dough adheres well to the pan, so that when you pour the brine over it, it doesn't sink to the bottom. Smooth the surface as much as possible with the palms of your hands.

Cover again and let it rest for an hour. Now prepare the brine by mixing together water and salt, until the salt is well dissolved.

Uncover the focaccia, dust it with a little flour, and use your three fingers (index finger, middle finger, and ring finger) to make the typical holes, applying firm pressure and pushing towards the edges. Your fingers should not be perpendicular to the dough, but slightly tilted. You should leave about 1 cm between each hole. When you've almost finished making all the holes, rotate the pan; this will make it easier to make all the holes, including along the remaining edge.

Now pour 30 g of oil and 90 g of brine into the center of each focaccia. 37 Then gently spread it out with your hand so as to fill all the holes. Let it rise for another 40-45 minutes, this time uncovered. 38 Bake in a preheated static oven at 230° for 15 minutes (if your oven is very powerful, we recommend adjusting the temperature, but not the timing. It's best not to bake for more than 15 minutes to avoid drying the focaccia out too much). When the surface is golden, you can take your focaccia out of the oven! 39 Let it cool for a few minutes, cut it, and serve!