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Golden roasted garlic and rosemary focaccia in a metal pan, dimples filled with garlic cloves, on a wooden board

Roasted Garlic Focaccia with Rosemary and Flaky Salt

No-knead olive oil focaccia topped with mashed and whole roasted garlic and fresh rosemary, baked in a 23 x 33 cm pan until crisp underneath and tender inside.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 pieces
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 208
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 500 g bread flour
  • 7 g instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
  • 10 g fine sea salt (2 tsp)
  • 400 ml warm water about 35 C / 95 F
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for the dough
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for the pan
Garlic and rosemary topping
  • 2 garlic heads large; about 20 cloves total
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for roasting the garlic, divided between the two heads
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for the garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped, from about 4 sprigs
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling before baking
  • 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Method
 

Mix the dough and roast the garlic
  1. Whisk 500 g bread flour, 7 g instant yeast, and 10 g fine salt in a 4-quart / 3.8 L bowl. Add 400 ml warm water (35 C / 95 F) and 1 tbsp olive oil, then stir with a wet silicone spatula for about 2 minutes until no dry flour remains. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover and set a 30-minute timer.
  2. While the dough rests, heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Slice 1 cm off the top of each garlic head to expose the cloves, set each on a square of foil, drizzle with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, and wrap tightly. Roast for 40 minutes, until the cloves are golden and squish easily.
  3. When the timer goes off, wet your hand and fold the dough: lift one edge, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you've made 4 folds. Cover and rest another 30 minutes, until puffy and about 1.5 times its original size.
  4. Unwrap the garlic and cool it for about 10 minutes, until you can handle it. Squeeze the cloves into a bowl. Mash half of them with 2 tbsp olive oil and half of the chopped rosemary into a rough paste, and leave the rest whole.
Pan, dimple, and bake
  1. Pour 3 tbsp olive oil into a 23 x 33 cm / 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Scrape the dough in, flip it once to coat both sides in oil, and gently stretch it toward the corners. It won't reach them yet and doesn't need to. Cover and proof for 30 minutes until puffy and jiggly. Heat the oven to 230 C / 450 F during the last 15 minutes, with a rack in the center.
  2. Oil your fingertips and press dimples straight down until you touch the pan, stretching the dough into the corners as you go. Spoon the garlic paste over the surface, tuck the whole cloves into the dimples, scatter the remaining rosemary, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and sprinkle on 1/2 tsp flaky salt.
  3. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a spatula lifts a corner to show a crisp, browned base. A thermometer in the center should read 205 F / 96 C. The cloves should look golden, not dark brown.
  4. Slide the focaccia onto a wire rack right away so steam doesn't soften the base. Cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 12 squares (3 by 4).

Notes

  • Start roasting the garlic right after mixing so it's ready when the dough is.
  • Use a metal pan, not glass, for the crispest base.
  • Weigh the flour and water, since cup measures can shift the hydration noticeably.
  • Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting so the crumb sets.