Who wouldn’t want a slice of this?
Herb-flecked and golden, this airy Italian bread is flavored with roasted garlic-infused olive oil. Its dimpled, burnished surface dotted with nubs of caramelized garlic. Each bite of my Roasted Garlic Focaccia with Rosemary is pure heaven for garlic-lovers.
For me, focaccia is one of the simplest breads to make. I actually prepared my first focaccia ever when I was in high school! In its most basic form, focaccia is made with olive oil, water, yeast, flour and salt. The dough is then stretched into a wide, flat shape, and dimpled across the surface. These dimples allow olive oil to reach the center of the bread, creating a moist texture. After baking, the surface of the bread gets hard and golden, while the interior remains soft and light.
This focaccia recipe is made with olive oil that’s been infused with an entire head of roasted garlic. The aromatic oil is added directly to the dough, and is also used to brush across the top once the dough has been formed. Nuggets of caramelized garlic are scattered across the surface of the bread, reinforcing flavor, and adding a satisfying textural element. A sprinkling of fresh rosemary and crunchy sea salt to finish. Continue reading for the recipe.
Be sure to use fresh rosemary here. Dried just won’t do. Also, if your not a fan of garlic, we can no longer be friends. Juuuuust kidding 😉 If your not a fan of garlic, you can simply make this recipe with regular olive oil.
I am always amazed at the whole rising process. That moment when you pull back the kitchen towel and you see the dough has double in size!
Don’t be stingy with the olive oil here. You want to see some of it pooling up in the little dimples around this surface.
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 large head of garlic, cut in half widthwise
- 1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast (not rapid rising)
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 4 cups white flour
- 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- Just under 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped, fresh rosemary (from 3 – 4 sprigs)
- Flakey sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Place olive oil in a small baking dish or oven-safe bowl. Add garlic halves cut side down, cover tightly with foil, then transfer to the oven. Cook until the garlic is tender and golden (45 minutes to 1 hour). Pour roasted garlic oil through a mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Carefully remove the roasted garlic cloves from the skin and reserve. Discard other solids. Let roasted garlic oil cool completely before using.
- Rinse the bowl of a stand mixer with warm water, dry, then add yeast. Cover with 1 3/4 cups warm water, gently stirring to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 3 – 5 minutes until the mixture starts to foam. Using the dough hook attachment, start the mixer on low, then add flour, salt and 2 tablespoons roasted garlic oil. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the mixer periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough is smooth and just a little sticky (8 – 10 minutes).
- Add 2 teaspoons of roasted garlic oil to a large bowl, then add the ball of dough. Turn the dough in the bowl to completely coat it in oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, and place in a warm spot to double in size (about 1 hour 45 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon of roasted garlic oil to a rimmed baking sheet, spreading it around over the bottom and sides. Uncover and punch down the dough, and place on the baking sheet. Carefully stretch the dough out to the sides of the pan. Cover with a tea towel, and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Uncover the dough, and dimple with roasted garlic oil-greased fingertips. Brush the surface with more roasted garlic oil, then dot with reserved roasted garlic cloves. Sprinkle surface with fresh rosemary and a few pinches of flakey sea salt. Place in the oven, and immediately turn down the heat to 375°F. Bake until golden brown (20 – 25 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before eating.
Check out the original article in Pacific Magazine here.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Gorgeous, Brandon! I made some focaccia about 2 weeks ago and realized I need to make more of it. Maybe your recipe 🙂 pinned
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Averie! Yeah, isn’t it so easy?
andrew says
why active dry yeast over instant?? is there a difference in the end product?
Brandon Matzek says
I just happened to have active dry yeast in my cupboard. From what I’ve read, the more you rush yeast, the less flavor the end product will have. However, I have not tested this recipe with different yeasts, so I can’t say that’s 100% true here.
Fiona Matthews says
“Who wouldn’t want a slice of this?”.. well the title says it all… Yummy
Looks like its a reasonably easy recipe for the baking challenged amongst us 🙂
Fiona
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Fiona! Yes, this is totally doable 🙂
Fiona Matthews says
I did give it a go.. and well more practice is required. owever the big thing was that it was all eaten with the kids coming back for more..
So a win in my book..!
Martin Phillips says
Brandon, you have really outdone yourself this time! I LOVE this recipe and your photos are incredible. I especially like your quip about not being friends if you do not like garlic. Great humor! Can’t wait to make this!!!
Brandon Matzek says
Haha, thanks Martin!! Let me know if you try it out 🙂
Nicola @ Eat Well NZ says
Yum this looks amazing. I’ve never really nailed making bread, but this looks totally doable. Going on my “to make” list 🙂
Brandon Matzek says
Give this recipe a try. I’ve never been that skilled at bread-making, and this turned out really well. Thanks :)!
Louisa says
Really love this recipe. Thank you so much for your clear instructions. Very empowering to be able to bake delicious bread!
Brandon Matzek says
Thank you Louisa!
Trista says
This recipe is fantastic!! I just made in a cast iron skillet. It was PERFECT! It was light on the inside and the outter edge had a bit of a “buttery” crunch. I will be making this a lot in the future. Thank You Brandon!
Kim says
Can i use a regular mixer? I do not own that big type
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Kim! I don’t believe a hand mixer will work here, but I’ve never tried before. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you could try kneading the dough by hand.
Definitely let me know if the hand mixer works!!
Kim says
Well im making this right now, im at the dough rising stage! Here’s hoping it goes well. The house smells delicious garlicky
Brandon Matzek says
Please share results! Yes, the aroma while cooking is divine here.
Nixxy says
Hi there, This looks so yummy! Is there a way i can use fresh yeast?
Can’t wait to make this!
Brandon Matzek says
Hi! I’ve not tested this recipe with fresh yeast, so I’m not sure :/ But I did just look up conversions and it seems like you would just multiple the dry yeast amount by 3 to get the amount of fresh yeast needed.