Roasted Garlic Focaccia
MAKES
one 9 inch / 23 cm round loaf
TAKES
Prep time: 14 hours 5 minutes (includes rise times)
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 15 hours 20 minutes (includes rise times)
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
Garlic lovers, this loaf is for you. It gets double the garlicky flavor, thanks to roasted garlic in the dough, and then it’s finished with garlic butter like a classic garlic bread, and baked a second time to crisp it up. Serve it alongside your favorite pasta, or make it just to enjoy as a snack.
INGREDIENTS
Roasted Garlic
1 medium head garlic
10 g / 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Focaccia
280 g / 2 ½ cups bread flour (see Note)
6 g / 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
5 g / 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
255 g / 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (around 110°F / 45°C)
30 g / 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 g / 1 ½ teaspoons honey
parmesan cheese, as needed for finishing
Finishing
85 g / 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
10 g / 2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, as needed for finishing
Make This Recipe With Me:
METHOD
1. Roast the garlic: preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C with an oven rack in the center. Cut off the top of the head to expose the cloves and discard. Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to encase the head and place the garlic in the center, cut side up. Drizzle a generous glug of olive oil over the surface, transfer to the oven, and roast it until the cloves are tender and caramelized, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins. Set aside.
2. Twelve to 48 hours before you want to bake the focaccia, make the dough: In a large bowl, stir the flour, salt, and yeast together. Add the water, olive oil, honey, and roasted garlic and mix until thoroughly combined, 1 to 2 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Using a dough scraper or damp hands, gently reach under the dough, folding the bottom portion of it over onto the top. Repeat this process 4 to 5 times, working your way around the bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 48 hours.
4. When ready to make the focaccia, bring the dough to room temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Grease a 9 inch / 23 cm cake pan generously with olive oil. Add the dough to the pan and gently turn it over so both sides are lightly oiled. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it nearly doubles in size and almost fills the pan, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Use your fingertips to gently stipple the dough - this will even out the thickness of the dough, spread it out over the base of the pan, and add texture to the surface. Cover and let rest while you preheat the oven.
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F / 235°C with an oven rack in the center.
8. Drizzle olive oil generously over the surface of the focaccia - it will pool in the dimples. Grate parmesan cheese generously to cover the surface of the loaf.
9. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese and focaccia are deeply golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes.
10. Cool the focaccia in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.
11. Reduce the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the loaf is cool, cut it in half horizontally, and place both pieces cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
12. In a small bowl, mix the butter and garlic to combine. Spread half of the butter mixture on each half of the bread. Garnish the surface generously with parmesan.
13. Transfer to the oven and bake until visibly toasted and fragrant, 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
I prefer to use bread flour in my focaccia, however - this recipe is flexible enough that you can use all purpose flour if it’s all you have on hand, and it will still work.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
