This simple cheesy focaccia has a super crispy crust with a soft, pillowy center and is topped with garlic butter and mozzarella cheese! It's kind of like cheesy garlic bread but even better!
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What is Focaccia?
Focaccia is a rustic Italian flatbread with a light, airy texture and crispy edges! It's similar to pizza dough but much thicker. Focaccia is known for its distinct dimpled top that can be stuffed with a variety of toppings.
It's super easy to customize by switching up the toppings for whatever you happen to be craving.
Focaccia has a simple yeasted dough that can be made the same day or left to rise overnight. I personally love letting the flavor develop in the fridge overnight, but if you're just really craving focaccia you can make it in about 3 hours total.
You might also like this cast iron focaccia or this garlic rosemary focaccia!
Ingredient Notes
You only need a few ingredients to make this cheesy garlic focaccia!
Flour - Regular all purpose flour works great for focaccia! However, if you can find it I like to use bread flour to help the focaccia have the best structure and texture. If using bread flour, reduce the total amount by 3 tablespoons of flour.
Instant Yeast - The yeast is what helps the dough rise! I like using instant yeast (as opposed to active dry yeast) because you don't need to bloom it first.
Honey - You need a small amount of honey to activate the yeast and help the focaccia rise. However, you can also substitute the same amount of granulated sugar.
Olive Oil - You want to use good, high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor! For even more flavor, you can use an infused olive oil (like basil oil, garlic oil, etc.)!
Cheese - I like to use a combination of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese for this focaccia. But you can switch it up with other kinds of shredded cheese depending on what you prefer!
Garlic Butter - Instead of garlic butter on top, you can just drizzle with more olive oil.
Flaky Sea Salt - I always add flaky sea salt to the top of focaccia for both flavor and looks! I love using Maldon Flaky Sea Salt because it has the best flavor and texture.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cheesy Focaccia
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all of the ingredients for the dough and mix on low until fully combined.
Knead on low for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours). The dough should roughly double in size.
The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a 9x9 inch square pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
Same day option: Instead of placing the dough in the fridge overnight, let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Then proceed with the remaining steps.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Melt the butter and mix together with the minced garlic.
Then drizzle the garlic butter over the top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
Then top with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is designed for a 9x9 inch square pan but you can also use a 10 inch cast iron skillet! If you want to make focaccia for a crowd, just double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch cake pan.
This cheesy focaccia is delicious to enjoy on its own or in place of bread in any meal!
Recipe FAQ's
Focaccia is best eaten the same day but will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, bake at 350˚F for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Yes! Wrap tightly then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then reheat in the oven 350˚F for for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Cheesy Focaccia
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 teaspoons honey, or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Top With
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all of the ingredients for the dough and mix on low until fully combined.
- Knead on low for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (8-24 hours). The dough should roughly double in size.
- The next day, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a 9x9 inch square pan. Place the dough on top of the oil and use your hands to gently stretch the dough to the edges of the pan. Cover the dough again and let rest at room temperature for 2-4 hours or until the dough is super light and airy.
- Same day option: Instead of placing the dough in the fridge overnight, let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size. Then proceed with the remaining steps.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Melt the butter and mix together with the minced garlic.
- Then drizzle the garlic butter over the top of the dough. Using your fingers, gently press straight down to create small dimples in the top of the focaccia dough.
- Then top with the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Bake at 425°F for 20-30 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown and the edges are crisp.
- Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Gina says
Very good bread! Will be making this often.
Josh says
I was curious if you can use instant dry yeast?
Kyleigh Sage says
Yes that's what I usually use!