Garlic & Three Cheese Focaccia
developed & tested by:
This garlic and cheese focaccia is fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and packed with cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and freshly minced garlic. No knead, no stand mixer, no obscure ingredients, just delicious bread with minimal hands-on effort.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
Topping
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Day One: Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it’s foamy on top. If it’s not foamy, your yeast might be expired.
- Add the olive oil and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Sprinkle the flour, nutritional yeast, and salt on top, and mix everything with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a wet, sticky dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap (to retain moisture so it doesn’t dry out) and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours (to jump start fermentation).
- Transfer the bowl to the fridge for 12-16 hours (for slow, cold fermentation).
Day Two: Shape, Proof, and Bake the Bread
- Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or olive oil.
- Dump the dough into the greased baking dish and press it into all the edges.
- Sprinkle half of each of the three cheeses and half of the minced garlic evenly over the dough.
- Fold the dough into thirds from the short ends, like a letter. Then press it flat again into the edges of the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese and minced garlic on top, then drizzle three tablespoons of olive oil over all the dough.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, until it’s puffed up and jiggly on top when you shake the baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 450F (230°C).
- Coat your fingers in olive oil (don’t skip this, or else the dough will stick all over your fingers!) Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish, like you’re playing the piano. Aim to have the dimples spread about 1 inch apart from each other, all over the surface of the dough.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes on the center rack, until the focaccia is golden brown on top. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
I usually use around 3 tablespoons of melted butter or olive oil, so I mean it when I say generous! Pour it in the bottom of the dish then use your fingers to spread it into all the corners and up the sides. This helps focaccia not stick & come out easily once it's baked.
Notes
- Rise: Be sure to cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap, to avoid it drying out in the fridge overnight, which can inhibit how well it rises.
- Proof: Don’t skip the second rise (also called the proofing) which allows the dough to rise again after we knock out air from shaping it and adding the cheese filling.
- Storing: Store fully cooled bread at room temperature for a few days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Or pop it in the fridge if your kitchen is pretty warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice (of 12)Calories: 271kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 421mgPotassium: 104mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 112IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2mg
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