Homemade Cheesy Garlic Focaccia Bread

Experience a new twist on garlic bread with this delectable Cheesy Garlic Focaccia! It features homemade focaccia bread, layered with mozzarella cheese, and topped with a rich garlic butter and additional cheese, all baked to perfection.

This revamped recipe brings out the best in cheesy garlic bread, starting with a base of homemade focaccia bread. With two types of cheese and a generous layer of garlic butter, it’s baked in a cast-iron skillet until the cheese is perfectly melted and bubbly.

Ingredients for Cheesy Garlic Focaccia Bread

Crust: The foundation is our homemade focaccia bread, offering a delicious crust similar to deep-dish pizza.

Garlic Butter: This homemade garlic butter, enriched with parmesan cheese, is spread over the top layer of bread for added flavor.

Cheese: We use a combination of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. A portion of mozzarella is sandwiched between the bread layers, with the rest combined with cheddar on top. Feel free to customize with your favorite cheese varieties.

Preparing Focaccia Bread Dough

To start, prepare the dough. In a large bowl, mix yeast, warm water, and sugar. Let it sit for five minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning.

Pour half of the olive oil mixture into the yeast mixture, saving the rest for later. Stir in the flour and transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Cover it with a tea towel and let it rise for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Making Cheesy Garlic Bread

Once the dough has risen, it’s time to assemble the bread. First, mix the melted butter, minced garlic, grated parmesan, chopped parsley, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Prepare a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet by brushing it with the remaining olive oil mixture.

Press half of the dough into the skillet, spreading it to the edges and creating dimples with your fingers. Top this layer with one cup (240 ml) of mozzarella cheese.

Roll out the other half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle. Invert the parchment over the cheese layer in the skillet and peel back the paper, leaving the dough in place. Dimple the dough again with your fingers.

Spread the garlic butter over the top, followed by the remaining mozzarella and all the cheddar cheese. Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 18-20 minutes, until the bread is golden and the cheese is bubbly.

Cutting the Bread into Strips

To make serving easier, you can cut the bread into strips. Remove the bread from the oven after 16 minutes, cut it into strips, and return it to the oven for another 2 minutes.

Serve hot, with marinara sauce for dipping, or enjoy it as-is. This bread pairs wonderfully with spaghetti and meat sauce or any favorite pasta dish.

Using Alternatives to Cast-Iron Skillet

If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, a baking dish will work. Use a 9×11-inch (23×28 cm) or 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) dish, noting that the crust will be thinner and cooking time may vary.

Ingredients

Bread:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour

Garlic Butter:

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅛ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Toppings:

• 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Bread:

1. In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let it rest for 5 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, and sea salt.
3. Pour half of the oil mixture into the yeast mixture. Set the remaining oil mixture aside.
4. Add flour to the oil and yeast mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let it rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
2. Pour the remaining oil mixture into a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet. Use a pastry brush to coat the skillet.
3. Press half the dough into the skillet, working it to the edges. Create dimples in the dough with your fingers.
4. Top the dough with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
5. Roll out the other half of the dough on a sheet of parchment paper into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle. Invert the parchment over the cheese and carefully peel back the paper, leaving the top layer of dough in the skillet.
6. In a small bowl, mix butter, garlic, parmesan, parsley, and salt to make the garlic butter.
7. Dimple the top of the dough with your fingers and brush with garlic butter.
8. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. If cutting into pieces, remove after 16 minutes, cut, then bake for an additional 2 minutes.
10. Serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.