Name: Garlic Butter Focaccia: The Ultimate Comfort Bread That Will Fill Your Kitchen with Pure Magic 🏠
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: PT-485898H34M56S
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 bulbs garlic; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 30g chives, finely sliced; 50g parmesan, grated; Salt and pepper; 700g bread flour; 680g lukewarm water (100°F/34°C); 7g dry yeast; 12g fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon honey (optional); 60g extra virgin olive oil; 4 tablespoons garlic butter; Flaky sea salt for finishing

Jump to Recipe

There’s something magical about the aroma of freshly baked garlic butter focaccia wafting through your home. It’s that warm, golden bread that makes everyone stop what they’re doing and follow their nose straight to the kitchen! 😊

If you’ve been searching for the perfect garlic butter focaccia recipe that combines simplicity with incredible flavor, you’ve just found your new favorite bread. This isn’t just any ordinary focaccia – it’s a pillowy, dimpled masterpiece infused with roasted garlic butter that’ll have your family and friends begging for the recipe.

What Makes This Garlic Butter Focaccia So Special?

The secret to this extraordinary garlic butter focaccia lies in the roasted garlic butter that we lovingly fold into every bite. Unlike regular focaccia, this version takes the flavor game to a whole new level by incorporating slowly roasted garlic bulbs that become sweet, caramelized, and irresistible.

The beauty of this recipe is that it requires minimal hands-on time, but the results are restaurant-quality. The long, slow fermentation process (18-72 hours in the fridge) develops those incredible flavors and creates that perfect chewy-yet-tender texture we all crave in a great garlic butter focaccia.

The Perfect Garlic Butter Blend

Before we dive into the focaccia itself, let’s talk about that show-stopping garlic butter! This isn’t your average compound butter – we’re roasting two whole bulbs of garlic until they’re golden and sweet, then blending them with:

2 bulbs of roasted garlic (the star of our show!)
100g unsalted butter at room temperature
30g finely sliced chives for that fresh pop
50g grated parmesan for extra richness
1 tablespoon olive oil for roasting
A pinch of salt and pepper to taste

The roasting process transforms harsh raw garlic into something sublime – sweet, nutty, and absolutely perfect for our garlic butter focaccia.

Creating Your Focaccia Masterpiece

Now for the bread itself! This garlic butter focaccia uses a high-hydration dough that might seem intimidating at first, but trust me – it’s incredibly forgiving. Here’s what you’ll need:

700g bread flour (the foundation of great focaccia)
680g lukewarm water (that’s 95% hydration for ultimate softness!)
7g dry yeast
12g fine sea salt
1 tablespoon honey (optional, but it helps with fermentation)
60g extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons of our homemade garlic butter

The Magic of Time and Technique

What sets this garlic butter focaccia apart is the gentle stretch-and-fold technique combined with that long, cold fermentation. Instead of aggressive kneading, we’re coaxing the gluten development through patience and gentle handling.

The process starts with mixing your yeast with lukewarm water and honey – you’ll know it’s ready when it becomes beautifully foamy after about 5 minutes. This is your yeast saying “hello” and confirming it’s alive and ready to work its magic! ✨

Once you combine your flour and salt with the yeast mixture, you’ll have what looks like a shaggy, wet mess. Don’t worry – this is exactly what we want! That high hydration is what gives garlic butter focaccia its incredible texture.

The Art of Stretch and Fold

Here’s where the magic happens. Instead of kneading, we’re using the stretch-and-fold method. With wet hands, you’ll gently stretch one section of the dough up and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate your bowl and repeat three more times. It’s like giving your dough a gentle massage!

This process, repeated every 10 minutes until you have a neat ball, develops the gluten structure while keeping the dough incredibly gentle and airy.

The Long, Slow Rise

The real secret to exceptional garlic butter focaccia is patience. After your initial shaping, the dough goes into an oiled bowl and straight into the fridge for anywhere from 18 to 72 hours. This cold fermentation is where the flavor develops and the texture becomes absolutely perfect.

Don’t skip this step – it’s what transforms good garlic butter focaccia into something truly extraordinary!

Shaping and Final Proof

When you’re ready to bake, your garlic butter focaccia dough gets transferred to a well-oiled baking tin. The beauty of focaccia is in its rustic nature – you don’t need perfect shaping! Just gently stretch it into a rough rectangle and let it do its thing.

The final rise takes 2-3 hours at room temperature, covered with a damp tea towel. You’ll know it’s ready when the dough looks puffy and feels light and airy.

The Finishing Touch

This is where our garlic butter focaccia gets its signature look and flavor! Before baking, you’ll dimple the surface with your fingertips (the most satisfying part of the whole process, honestly! 😄), then drizzle with melted garlic butter and a touch of olive oil.

That final sprinkle of flaky sea salt isn’t just for looks – it creates the perfect contrast to the rich, garlicky interior of your garlic butter focaccia.

Baking to Golden Perfection

Into a 200°C (390°F) oven your garlic butter focaccia goes for about 30 minutes, until it develops that gorgeous golden crust. The smell that fills your kitchen during this time is absolutely incredible – pure comfort food heaven!

The Hardest Part: Waiting to Slice

Once your garlic butter focaccia emerges golden and beautiful from the oven, the hardest part begins – waiting! Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. I know it’s torture, but this resting time allows the interior to set properly.

Why This Recipe Works Every Time

This garlic butter focaccia recipe is foolproof because it relies on time rather than technique. The long fermentation does most of the work for you, developing flavor and texture while you go about your day. Even beginners can achieve bakery-quality results!

The roasted garlic butter elevates this focaccia from simple bread to something truly special. It’s perfect for dinner parties, casual gatherings, or just because you deserve something wonderful in your life! 🌟

Storage and Serving Tips

Your freshly baked garlic butter focaccia is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but it’ll keep beautifully for 2-3 days wrapped in a clean kitchen towel. To refresh day-old focaccia, just pop it in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes.

This bread is incredibly versatile – serve it alongside soup, use it for sandwiches, or simply enjoy it warm with a drizzle of good olive oil. However you choose to enjoy your garlic butter focaccia, I guarantee it’ll become a regular in your baking rotation.

So go ahead, gather your ingredients, and prepare to fill your home with the most incredible aromas. Your kitchen (and your taste buds) will thank you! Happy baking! 🍞✨

Garlic Butter Focaccia