Extra-virgin olive oil

What it contributes

Olive oil does three jobs in focaccia. In the dough it tenderizes the crumb and adds richness. In the pan it forms a hot frying layer that crisps and browns the base. Drizzled on top before and after baking it perfumes the bread and gives that glossy, savory finish. Because so much of the flavor is the oil, its quality shows.

"Extra-virgin" means the oil was mechanically pressed without heat or chemicals and meets quality and flavor standards — it retains the fruity, grassy, sometimes peppery character of the olives. Lower grades ("olive oil," "light" olive oil) are more refined and comparatively flavorless.

How to choose

Buy fresh: olive oil is a fruit juice that fades with age and light. Look for a harvest date, favor a recent one, and choose oil in dark glass or tin rather than clear bottles. A protected-origin label (DOP/IGP) or a single-country source is a reasonable quality signal, but taste is the real test — a good oil smells and tastes vividly of olives, grass, or artichoke, sometimes with a pleasant peppery bite at the back of the throat.

You do not need your most expensive bottle for the pan. A common approach is a good, affordable everyday extra-virgin for the dough and pan, and a special bottle reserved for finishing.

How much to use

Focaccia is meant to be rich. Coat the pan base in a thin, visible film (a few tablespoons for a standard pan) so the bottom fries crisp; add a spoonful or two into the dough depending on the recipe; and drizzle the dimpled top before baking. A final drizzle over the hot focaccia soaks in and lifts the aroma.

If your focaccia comes out greasy rather than rich, the usual cause is not too much oil but under-proofed dough that cannot absorb it, or too cool an oven — fix those before cutting the oil.

Storage

Keep olive oil in a cool, dark cupboard, tightly closed, away from the stove’s heat. Light, heat, and air turn it rancid. Buy a size you will finish within a few months of opening, and trust your nose — rancid oil smells flat, waxy, or like old crayons and will make the whole focaccia taste off.