I am very pleased to report that the focaccia hyper-fixation is still in full force and I’m absolutely obsessed. Today I’m back with a recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia that tastes every bit as good and it sounds. Fluffy, golden focaccia, with melted garlic butter, fresh parsley, mozzarella cheese through the middle and a shower of parmesan on top. Honestly what could be better?! I took it over to my cousin’s place for pizza night a few weeks back and it was a hit! 

It’s been so much fun playing with this base focaccia recipe (originally from Bon Appétit) and trying new flavours and toppings. For Father’s Day I even turned it into a pizza, and I’m not sure my Dad has ever praised anything I’ve made more highly! My Notes app now has a running list of focaccia flavour ideas. It’s lucky I really, really like carbs and olive oil. 

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is a golden, olive-oil rich bread traditionally baked in a pan rather than shaped into a loaf. This makes it absolutely perfect for tearing, dipping, piling with toppings or slicing for sandwiches. It’s originally from Italy, but in recent years it’s been popping up everywhere from trendy sandwich shops to home kitchens.

When I first started making focaccia, I was surprised at how easy (and forgiving) it is. This recipe has turned out perfectly for me every single time. With a no-knead method you really don’t need to be a bread expert. I’m not quite ready to commit to keeping a sourdough starter alive just yet, so focaccia is an easy and delicious first step into homemade bread.

A quick mix and a slow rise overnight in the fridge does most of the work. I only do one quick round of stretch-and-folds and a few dimples before baking. Then you’re rewarded with the most fluffy, pillowy bread. I was gifted a Danish Dough Whisk for my birthday this year (my cousin knows me so well!) and it makes mixing the dough a total breeze! 

This Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia starts with the same no-knead dough amped up with butter, garlic, parsley, mozzarella and parmesan. If you’re new to focaccia, hop over to my Peach Crumble Focaccia post for a deep dive into the ingredients.

During the shaping process I added softened garlic butter and shredded mozzarella over the dough and then folded like a letter to enclose it, before letting it rise for another 90 minutes. Next comes my favourite part: melted garlic butter drizzled over the top (in place of olive oil) and dimpled in. I couldn’t resist adding a little more cheese over the top before baking until golden.

Brush the focaccia with extra melted garlic butter and cheese straight from the oven. It should look glossy and beautiful. The smell alone will make your kitchen feel like heaven. It’s the perfect side for pizza or pasta night, but it would also equally comforting with a bowl of soup. 

I think garlic, cheese and vanilla are ingredients you should measure with your heart, so use as much as you like. I would recommend using fresh or minced garlic and parsley here over dried or powdered though. It just has so much more flavour that way. Roasted garlic would also be delicious and give a slightly sweet caramelised taste. Feel free to adapt the toppings to your liking as well. Different herbs combined with parsley would be lovely, maybe rosemary and chives, or even some slices of chilli. Gruyere would be a great swap for mozzarella too! 

Store leftover focaccia (if you have any!) in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to eat, pop a slice into the oven or air-fryer for a few minutes. It crisps back up beautifully. Freeze for up to a month – perfect for those nights when you need garlic bread immediately! Trust me, once you try this cheesy garlic bread focaccia, you’ll want to make it for every pizza night, pasta dinner or even just on its own – it’s that good!

Related Post: Mushroom Meatball Subs

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Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia

Fluffy, pull-apart Cheesy Garlic Bread Focaccia loaded with garlic, mozzarella, parmesan and fresh herbs. Easy no-knead recipe perfect for pizza nights, pasta or soup.

Course Bread, Side Dish

Keyword Bread & Yeast, Side Dish

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Rising Time 12 hours

Total Time 13 hours 15 minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active or instant dried yeast
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 625 g (5 cups) plain (all purpose) flour
• 1/2 tablespoon cooking salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Butter, for greasing pan

Softened Garlic Butter and Cheese Layer

• 25 g butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped or minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• Salt and pepper

Melted Garlic Butter

• 80 g butter, melted
• 2-3 teaspoon garlicm finely chopped or minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan, grated

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the water, yeast and honey. If you are using active dry yeast, let it sit for a few minutes to activate, until it starts to look foamy on top. If you are using instant dry yeast, you can skip the wait and move on to the next step.

2. Add the flour and salt and mix together with a spatula, wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk until flour is incorporated and you have a shaggy dough.

3. In another large bowl, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl around the bowl to coat. Transfer the dough into this bowl and over with plastic wrap. Now you have two options – for a quick rise, leave at room temperature for 3-4 hours depending on the temperature. Or, place the bowl into the fridge to chill and rise for 8 hours, overnight, or up to 1 day. Either way the dough should be doubled in size and look very bubbly.
4. Butter your pan generously. I use a 23 x 32cm metal pan with straight sides.
5. Stretch and fold your dough either using wet hands or two forks. You want to pick up the dough from the edge and lift it towards the centre. Rotate your bowl and repeat 3 more times. I usually just do this once, however you can continue doing this 2 more times if you like. Transfer the dough to the buttered pan and press out with your hands until it mostly covers the bottom.
6. To make the softened garlic butter, mix the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
7. Place dollops of the softened garlic butter all over and scatter with the mozzarella. Fold the edges of the dough in towards the centre to enclose the cheese. Rotate the dough in the pan so it fits
8. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size again (this usually takes about 90 mins-2 hours for me).
9. When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F).
10. To make the melted garlic butter, mix the melted butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
11. Drizzle half of the melted butter over the top of the focaccia dough. With damp hands, dimple the dough. By this, I mean get your fingers into the dough, all the way to the bottom of the pan, to form deep holes. The dough may bubble up around the hole. Repeat until there are dimples and bubbles of dough evenly all over the dough. Grate over the parmesan cheese in an even layer. Measure with your heart!
12. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden. When cooked, remove from the oven and cool in the pan for at least about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the pan carefully and place onto a wire rack or wooden board.
13. Drizzle or brush the remaining melted garlic butter over the top of the focaccia and top with more grated parmesan. Cut into pieces with a bread knife and serve.