Garlic Bread Focaccia Recipe

This garlic bread focaccia combines fluffy homemade focaccia dough with roasted garlic butter, melted cheese, and crispy golden edges for the ultimate side dish. For those looking to recreate this delectable dish, this garlic bread focaccia recipe is your go-to guide.

When you combine the pillowy texture of focaccia dough with the flavors of classic garlic bread, you get the ultimate comfort food: cheesy garlic butter focaccia. This is one of the easiest breads you can make at home, yet it looks and tastes like it came from a bakery. 

A slow rise, roasted garlic butter, and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese give this Italian bread its rich, savory flavor and crispy golden brown edges. Whether you serve it as a side with marinara sauce, slice it up for appetizers, or just enjoy it warm out of the baking pan, this recipe will quickly become one of your favorite ways to bake bread.

Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia

• Simple ingredients, big flavor: You only need flour, yeast, water, olive oil, roasted garlic, and cheese.
• Beginner-friendly: With a long, slow rise time and stretch-and-fold method, you don’t need a bread machine, sourdough starter, or fancy equipment.
• The best of both worlds: This is part homemade focaccia recipe, part garlic parmesan focaccia bread (think crispy edges and fluffy interior with garlic butter in every bite).
• Versatile: Swap the toppings for rosemary focaccia bread, garlic confit, or even cherry tomatoes for something new next time.

Ingredients for Homemade Focaccia

This focaccia dough uses pizza flour for a soft, chewy crumb, but you can substitute bread flour or even purpose flour if that’s what you have on hand.

For the dough:

• Pizza flour or bread flour
• Lukewarm water
• Instant yeast (or active dry yeast mixture)
• Fine sea salt or coarse salt
• Extra virgin olive oil (plus a cup of olive oil on hand for greasing, drizzling, and dimpling)
• Cornmeal (to keep the dough from sticking to the baking dish)

For the garlic butter topping:

• Whole garlic head (roasted garlic is milder and sweeter than raw minced garlic)
• Olive oil and melted butter
• Fresh parsley and red pepper flakes
• Black pepper, Italian seasoning, or fresh rosemary as optional flavor boosts

For the cheese:

• Shredded mozzarella or a mozzarella blend
• Parmesan cheese for a salty, nutty flavor

How to Roast Garlic (for Garlic Butter)

Roasted garlic is the secret to this cheesy garlic focaccia. Instead of sharp raw garlic, you get a caramelized, nutty flavor that blends beautifully with melted butter and olive oil.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Slice the top of the garlic head off so the garlic cloves peek through.
3. Drizzle with garlic oil or a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and wrap in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil.
4. Roast for 35–40 minutes until soft, golden, and fragrant.
5. Once cooled slightly, squeeze the roasted garlic into a small saucepan or bowl and mash into a paste. Stir into melted butter with parsley and red pepper flakes.

Tip: If you love garlic flavor, try using garlic confit cooked low and slow in olive oil over low heat as a swap.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cheesy Garlic Butter Focaccia

Even if you’ve never made bread dough before, this recipe will walk you through it. Think of it as one of the easiest breads you can bake at home.

1. Make the dough

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour and most of the lukewarm water until a shaggy dough forms. This initial dough rest (called autolyse) gives the flour time to hydrate.
• Add instant yeast, salt, and a little more olive oil.  I simply stir with a rubber spatula until the flour and water are fully combined and everything is mixed and sticky. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 20–30 minutes.

2. Build gluten structure

• Instead of kneading, perform stretch-and-folds or a coil fold every 20 minutes for a total of 60 minutes. This traps air bubbles that give focaccia its texture.
• Place dough into a greased bowl or oiled bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight for a slow rise (12–18 hours). This slower cold fermentation process will add so much more flavor to your dough.

3. Pan proof

• Generously coat a 9×13 baking dish with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Place the dough into the baking pan, gently stretching toward the edges of the pan. If it resists, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again.
• Cover bowl or pan with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm spot at room temperature for 2–3 hours until airy and bubbly.

4. Add garlic butter

• Spread roasted garlic butter over the top of the dough. With oiled fingers, press dimples all over the top of the bread. This keeps it from ballooning and creates little flavor pockets.

5. Bake and add cheese

• Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
• Bake the focaccia for 12–15 minutes, then remove and scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese across the top of the bread.
• Return to oven for another 10–15 minutes until golden brown with crispy edges.

6. Serve

• Cool the focaccia bread for at least 10 minutes before slicing so the cheese sets and the top of the bread doesn’t tear. It also helps to remove it from the pan so the bottom doesn’t steam and get soggy after baking. 

Variations and Cheese Substitutions

• Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread: Use only Parmesan and extra garlic butter.
• Rosemary Focaccia Bread: Skip the cheese and top the dough with fresh rosemary, sea salt, and a little yeast flakes.
• Cheesy Garlic Focaccia with Marinara Sauce: Serve with a side of marinara for dipping; this is one of my favorite ways to eat it.
• Italian Seasoning Blend: Add Italian seasoning or black pepper to the garlic butter.
• Other cheeses: Try provolone, fontina, or asiago instead of mozzarella for a different flavor.

Serving Ideas for Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia

This bread is more than just a side. Here are some delicious ways to use it:

• Tear into chunks and serve with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
• Pair with a hearty soup (it’s amazing with this oven-roasted tomato soup or my classic Dutch oven chicken noodle) or salad as a great addition to dinner.
• Slice in half and use as sandwich bread for grilled chicken or roasted veggies.
• Cut into strips for the perfect breadstick substitute.
• Serve as part of a bread recipe platter with rosemary focaccia bread or sandwich bread rolls.

How to Store and Reheat Focaccia

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Refrigeration: Not recommended, as it dries out.
• Freezing: Wrap in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 10–12 minutes.
• Reheating: Use a toaster oven or oven set to 350°F for 5–7 minutes to revive crispy edges. A microwave will soften the bread, so avoid it unless needed.

Tip: Leftover focaccia makes the best croutons. Cube it, toss with a little more olive oil and Italian seasoning, and bake until crisp.

More Recipes To Try

Cheesy Garlic Bread with Steak Bruschetta

Chicken Caesar Garlic Bread Recipe

Focaccia Bread Pizza

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce