Garlic Butter and Cheese Sourdough Focaccia
If you love garlic bread, this garlic butter sourdough focaccia needs a place on your table. It has a soft, airy middle, a golden crust, and a cheesy top made with Parmesan and mozzarella. Fresh garlic, parsley, and dried Italian herbs give the butter plenty of flavor.
I used my standard sourdough focaccia dough for this one and dressed it up with garlic herb butter and cheese. The little detail I wouldn’t skip? Reserving some of that butter and brushing it over the bread as soon as it comes out of the oven. It settles into the dimples while everything is still warm.
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia
- Garlic butter in every dimple. Drizzle it on before adding the cheese and dimpling, with a little saved for the warm bread afterward.
- Two cheeses. Parmesan adds a savory bite, while mozzarella melts into a golden topping.
- A soft, bubbly center. The wet dough and a full proof give the focaccia its airy texture.
- A flexible schedule. Let the dough rise and bake it the same day, or use an overnight refrigerated rest.
What You’ll Need
The dough uses bread flour, water, active sourdough starter, salt, and olive oil. Use a starter that has risen well after feeding and is full of bubbles. This recipe relies on the starter for its rise, so unfed discard isn’t a direct substitute.
For the topping, I used ½ cup melted butter, 5 cloves of garlic, chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ½ cup mozzarella. The parsley and seasonings can be adjusted to taste. Go lightly with the salt, especially if your butter is salted.
Chop the garlic and fresh parsley, then stir them into the melted butter with salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. The mozzarella and half of the Parmesan go onto the dough before dimpling; the remaining Parmesan goes on top afterward.
How to Make Garlic Butter Sourdough Focaccia
1. Mix and fold the dough
Mix the dough until no dry flour remains, then cover and let it rest. Give it several sets of folds with wet hands, letting it relax between each set. It will feel sticky at first; resist adding extra flour.
2. Let it rise until bubbly
Keep the dough covered until it has noticeably expanded and looks aerated. Transfer it gently into a generously oiled metal pan, then let it proof until puffy and jiggly. If it pulls back when you stretch it, give it another rest before easing it toward the corners.
3. Make the garlic herb butter
Melt the butter, then add the chopped garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Stir everything together and reserve a little in a separate clean bowl for brushing over the finished bread.
4. Add the butter and cheese, dimple, then bake
Drizzle the garlic herb butter over the fully proofed dough, then sprinkle on the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Now dimple the dough with your fingertips, pressing the butter and cheese into those little pockets. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and bake at 425°F until the focaccia is baked through and golden.
5. Brush while warm
Brush the reserved garlic herb butter over the hot focaccia, then move it onto a cooling rack. Let it settle before slicing so the inside has a little time to set.
My Tips for a Golden Top and Bottom
- Check underneath. The cheese can look finished while the bottom is still pale. On my bake, the top was ready before the underside. Loosely cover the top with foil and keep baking if it needs more time. If the base still will not brown, use the direct-rack finish below.
- Use a well-oiled metal pan. The pan and the oil both help the bottom develop its crust. Glass or ceramic may bake differently.
- Wait for the jiggle. Give the dough time to become puffy before dimpling. Cold dough may need several hours at room temperature after refrigeration.
- Cool on a rack. Leaving focaccia in the hot pan traps steam underneath and softens the base.
If the Bottom Still Won’t Brown
Once the focaccia is baked through and firm enough to lift in one piece, carefully remove it from the pan using wide spatulas and place it directly on the center oven rack. Put a rimmed baking tray on the rack below to catch any oil that drips. This lets the underside get direct heat instead of staying in the pan.
Continue baking for a few minutes, checking underneath frequently until the base is golden. Loosely tent the top with foil if the cheese has already browned. Use this only to finish a firm, baked loaf; raw or soft dough needs to stay supported in its pan. Brush with the reserved garlic herb butter after this final baking step.
Same-Day or Overnight?
For a same-day bake, let the dough finish its first rise, transfer it to the pan, and allow a full final proof before topping and baking. For an overnight schedule, refrigerate the covered pan after transferring the dough, then let it finish proofing at room temperature the next day. Don’t add the butter or cheese until you’re ready to bake.
Starter strength and kitchen temperature make a big difference. The clock is a guide; expanded, bubbly dough and a puffy final proof tell you more.
What to Serve With Garlic Cheese Focaccia
Serve it warm with pasta, soup, grilled chicken, or a fresh salad. My Mediterranean Pasta Salad is a nice way to add something fresh alongside the garlic butter and cheese. You can also browse my bread recipes for your next bake.
Storing and Reheating
Let the focaccia cool, then refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days, or freeze individual portions. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through and the edges crisp again. Loosely cover with foil if the cheese starts browning too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use sourdough discard?
Use active starter for this recipe. Unfed discard won’t reliably raise the dough on the same schedule without changing the recipe.
When does the garlic butter go on?
Drizzle most of it onto the fully proofed dough before adding the mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, and dimpling. Reserve a little separately and brush it over the bread immediately after it finishes baking.
Why is my focaccia golden on top but pale underneath?
The cheese can brown before the base is ready. Loosely tent the top with foil and keep baking. If the base still stays pale, see the direct-rack browning tip above.
Garlic Butter and Cheese Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
Garlic Butter and Cheese Sourdough Focaccia
Bubbly sourdough focaccia topped with garlic herb butter, Parmesan, and mozzarella, then brushed with reserved butter while warm.
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- Sourdough focaccia dough
500 g bread flour
375 g water
150 g active sourdough starter, bubbly and risen
10 g salt
30 g olive oil
Additional olive oil, for the pan and your hands
- Garlic herb butter and cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
5 cloves garlic, chopped
Chopped fresh parsley, to taste
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Dried Italian seasoning, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Directions
- Mix the water and active sourdough starter in a large bowl. Add the bread flour, 10 g salt, and 30 g olive oil. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- With wet hands, give the dough a set of stretch-and-folds or coil folds. Repeat for 3–4 sets in total, about 30 minutes apart. Keep covered between sets.
- Let the dough continue rising at room temperature until noticeably expanded, bubbly, and aerated. This can take several more hours depending on your starter and kitchen temperature; follow the dough rather than a fixed clock.
- Generously oil a 9 × 13-inch metal baking pan. Gently transfer the dough to the pan. Let it relax, then ease it toward the corners without forcing it. Cover and let it proof until puffy and jiggly. For an overnight option, refrigerate the covered pan after transferring the dough, then let it finish proofing at room temperature before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Melt the butter, then stir in the chopped garlic, chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. Set a little of the garlic herb butter aside in a separate clean bowl for brushing after baking.
- Drizzle the garlic herb butter over the fully proofed dough. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan, then use your fingertips to dimple the dough, pressing the butter and cheese into the dimples. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top before baking.
- Bake at 425°F until the focaccia is baked through, the cheese is golden, and the underside is browned. Begin checking around 25 minutes; allow roughly 30–40 minutes, with extra time if needed. If the cheese is ready before the bottom, loosely tent the top with foil and continue baking.
- Once the focaccia is finished baking, remove it from the oven and brush it with the reserved garlic herb butter while hot. Transfer to a cooling rack so steam can escape underneath. Let it settle for 10–15 minutes before cutting into 12 pieces.
Recipe Notes
- Makes one 9 × 13-inch pan, cut into 12 pieces.
- Active prep and baking times are approximate; fermentation and final proofing add several hours. An overnight refrigerated rest adds more time.
- Adjust parsley, dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper to taste.
- If you use salted butter, reduce the added salt in the topping. The 10 g salt in the dough stays the same.
- Reserve part of the ½ cup garlic herb butter before topping the raw dough; the finishing butter is not an additional ½ cup.
If you make this garlic butter and cheese sourdough focaccia, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Tag @flavoredbyfatima when you share your bake—I’d love to see it!
