Focaccia bread is one of my favorite go-to’s for family gatherings. It is easy because you don’t have to knead it a ton, it serves a lot of people thanks to being formed in a sheet pan, and, if you have a proven focaccia bread recipe, is crispy and fluffy.
As I started to grow my bank of bread recipes, I realized that my favorite food group, cheese, wasn’t fairly represented. So, this cheesy garlic bread focaccia had to be created. It blends my love for cheese with my family’s obsession with really crispy garlic bread making us all especially happy.
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And if I’ve managed to make the people I love most happy, my friend, I’ve won big.
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Ingredient spotlight: roasted garlic and the perfect cheese duo
Just like in my classic focaccia bread, I start with a water brine to add a subtle is-it-even-there salty flavor to the bread. Then, for a sweet garlicky oomph, I speckle the bread with a whole head of roasted garlic before baking.
Cheeses
Halfway through baking, two cheeses (3, if you count parmesan) are added to the roasted garlic while also letting it shine. They are:
- Fontina. My favorite Italian cheese when creamy cheese pulls are needed. Bake this corn pizza with fontina to see what I mean.
- Unexpected cheddar with caramelized onion. Now I realize by the time you make this, friend, this cheese may not be available. But—if it is, I highly suggest you run to Trader Joe’s and pick it up. And make this cheesy focaccia bread…now. And consider putting it on everything.
My mouth won’t stop watering.
How to make garlic and cheese focaccia
Prep and roast the head of garlic.
Proof #1: Mix up the focaccia dough whether by hand (easy to stir together) or in a stand mixer (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment).
Proof #2: with brine
Adding cheese topping and baking
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Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia
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Ingredients
For the roasted garlic
- 1 head garlic
- drizzle olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
For the focaccia
- 1 ¾ cup warm water, 105°
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 4 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, plus 1/4 cup or so for kneading
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus ½ cup for the pan
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
For the brine
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
Topping
- 1 cup unexpected cheddar with caramelized onion, or plain; grated
- ½ cup fontina cheese, grated
- flaked sea salt
Instructions
Roast the garlic
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tips of each clove.1 head garlic
- Place the head of garlic on a square of aluminum foil.
- Drizzle the head of garlic with some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.drizzle olive oil, kosher salt and pepper
Proof #1
- In a large mixing bowl, add the warm water and sprinkle over the yeast. Stir lightly. Add the sugar and let side until bubbly for about five minutes.1 ¾ cup warm water, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Layer the flour, olive oil and salt in that order. [see note below]4 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- Mix by hand with a wooden spoon or by machine (with a paddle attachment) until all the flour is mixed together. The dough will come away from the sides of the bowl in the mixer.
- Turn the dough out to a floured surface. The dough will be very wet which is fine. Knead it together for about 4-5 minutes until the dough is fairly smooth. Flour the dough as needed with the extra 1/4 cup of flour.
- Pour the dough into a mixing bowl wiped with a little drizzle of olive oil turning over to coat the underside.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and place into an unheated oven or warm place to rise for up to 3 hours until doubled in size. [see note below]
Proof #2
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil into a large sheet pan that measures approximately 12" x 17". Tilt the pan to evenly distribute the oil.
- Mix the water and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.⅓ cup water, 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- After the first proofing, pour the dough into the oil-lined pan and using your fingers spread out to the sides of the pan. This might take a little effort. If it keeps springing back, let it rest for a bit and get comfy. It'll eventually go where it's supposed to with your encouragement!
- Angle your fingers like you're typing on keyboard into the dough making small holes through to the pan. Don't worry – this will create the classic focaccia dimples and as the bread proofs the second time.
- Pour the salt water brine over the dough filling the holes. Let the dough sit for 45 minutes with the brine on it.
- Place the cloves of roasted garlic in the "holes" of the focaccia.
- Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the unexpected cheddar on the bread followed by the fontina. Finish baking until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top about 15 minutes more until the bread is fluffy and crisp.1 cup unexpected cheddar with caramelized onion, ½ cup fontina cheese
- Cool for a few minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with additional flaky salt if desired. Serve at room temperature.flaked sea salt
Notes
Serving idea
I can’t wait to make this garlic cheese focaccia into a sandwich. Layer up some roasted turkey, Genoa salami (no peppercorns) with sharp provolone, shredded lettuce, red onion and a big drizzle of homemade Italian dressing.
Can’t find cheddar with caramelized onions?
Use the sharpest cheddar cheese you can find. Or saute up some caramelized onions and layer them first under the fontina and cheddar.
