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Garlic Butter No-Knead Focaccia Recipe

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4.3 from 9 reviews

This Garlic Butter No-Knead Focaccia is a wonderfully soft and flavorful Italian bread made with a no-knead dough technique that requires minimal effort but long resting times. Roasted garlic blended with butter, chives, and parmesan adds a deliciously rich topping that complements the focaccia’s golden, crispy crust. Perfect served warm as a side or snack, it is an impressive homemade bread that fills your kitchen with mouthwatering aromas.

Ingredients

Roasted Garlic Butter

  • 2 bulbs garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1/4 cup chives (finely sliced)
  • 1/2 cup parmesan (grated)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

No-Knead Focaccia Dough

  • 700 g bread flour
  • 680 g lukewarm water (100°F / 34°C, 95% hydration)
  • 7 g dry yeast
  • 12 g fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp honey (optional, for yeast activation)
  • 60 g extra virgin olive oil (divided: 20 g for proofing bowl, 20 g for greasing tin, 20 g for drizzling)
  • 4 tbsp prepared garlic butter (for topping)
  • Flakey sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Roast Garlic: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Slice the top 2-3 cm off the garlic bulbs to expose cloves. Place bulbs in an ovenproof dish, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 hour until soft.
  2. Prepare Garlic Butter: Let roasted garlic cool slightly, then squeeze cloves out of their skins. In a food processor, blend the roasted garlic cloves, butter, chives, parmesan, and pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Alternatively, mash all ingredients together with a fork in a bowl.
  3. Activate Yeast: In a medium bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, dry yeast, and honey (optional). Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy, indicating active yeast.
  4. Mix Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together bread flour and sea salt. Add the activated yeast water and mix with a wooden spoon or hands until combined into a wet, sticky dough with no dry flour.
  5. Initial Rest and Stretch & Fold: Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and rest 10 minutes. Wet hands, then perform four stretch-and-folds around the dough by stretching a section up and folding it over the opposite side, rotating the bowl between each fold. Repeat this rest and stretch-and-fold cycle until the dough forms a neat ball.
  6. First Proof: Drizzle 20 g olive oil around a clean bowl’s sides and bottom. Transfer dough to the oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 18 to 72 hours to ferment slowly.
  7. Second Proof: Grease a 34 cm x 23 cm x 5 cm baking tin with 20 g olive oil. Transfer the cold proofed dough to the tin, gently stretching it into a rough rectangle. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours until puffy.
  8. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
  9. Melt Garlic Butter: Warm 4 tbsp of the prepared garlic butter gently in the microwave or on low heat on the stovetop.
  10. Dimple Dough and Bake: Use fingers to dimple the dough’s surface. Drizzle with melted garlic butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Bake for 30 minutes or until a golden crust forms.
  11. Cool and Serve: Remove focaccia from oven and allow to cool slightly in the tin. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • The long refrigeration proof allows for deeper flavor development and improved texture.
  • Using room temperature butter ensures easy blending with roasted garlic for a smooth garlic butter spread.
  • Honey is optional but helps activate the yeast more effectively.
  • Dimpling the dough before baking helps trap olive oil and creates the focaccia’s classic texture.
  • Allow the bread to cool before slicing to maintain structure and avoid gummy crumb.
  • Flakey sea salt on top adds a delightful crunch and flavor contrast.

Find it online: https://glowcooks.com/garlic-butter-no-knead-focaccia-recipe/