Focaccia Bread with Roasted Garlic and Olives

Garlic Focaccia Bread Recipe – Tender, yet rustic focaccia recipe with a rich olive oil flavor. This Focaccia Bread with Roasted Garlic and Olives makes a wonderful addition to any meal.

Remember that roasted garlic we made last week? Well, now it’s time to put it to good use!

The other day I realized that it has been a long time since I’ve made focaccia bread.

What a travesty. Especially since focaccia bread is one of my favorite breads to make at home.

It’s so….. free-spirited.

There is no need to form perfect loaves, or brush a perfect glossy glaze over the top.

Forget perfection.

In fact, once your dough is ready, you can shape it any way you please, and add additional flavors ’til your heart’s content.

Focaccia Bread with Garlic and Olives

The last time I posted a focaccia recipe, I made a lemon-herb variety and decorated the top with red onions. Today’s focaccia recipe involves roasted garlic and olive “buttons.”

I love this particular Focaccia Bread with Roasted Garlic and Olives because it’s lighter and more tender than most of the focaccia recipes I’ve played with.

It has a rich olive oil flavor, but texturally, it’s more like soft country bread.

I’ve loaded it up with sweet roasted garlic and pressed kalamata olives deep into the surface to add briny contrast.

What Ingredients You Will Need

• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for the bowl and pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic cloves smashed
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• Salt and pepper

Some people add cherry tomatoes or fresh rosemary, which would also make great toppings in a focaccia bread recipe.

How to Make This Focaccia Bread Recipe

Instructions…

Pour the hot water and honey into the bowl of your electric mixer. Swirl the bowl around until the honey has dissolved and the water is just lukewarm. Add one package of dry active yeast and swirl around. Allow the yeast to foam for 10 minutes or so. Then add the cold water, 3 tablespoons oil, salt, and smashed roasted garlic. Using the bread hook attachment, turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour. “Knead” on low for about 10 minutes.

Pull the dough away from the sides and rub the bowl down with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the plastic wrap and turn the mixer back on for 30 seconds.

Thoroughly oil a 9×13 or 11×15 rimmed baking dish. Press to the dough to the edges, and don’t be afraid to let your fingers puncture the dough—this will create the bumpy, rustic texture of traditional focaccia bread.

Once the dough is spread out, poke deep cavities in the top of the dough (like dimples) and place an olive in each hole. Push the olives down far, otherwise, they might pop out when the dough rises. Drizzle the top with more olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Cover the dough with a clean damp towel. Allow the dough to rise again for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden-brown. (If you used a 11×15 dish, it might be more like 30-35 minutes.)

You can leave the focaccia in the baking dish or turn it out for easy cutting.

Get the Complete (Printable) Olive and Garlic Focaccia Bread Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Focaccia Bread with Roasted Garlic and Olives is heavenly.

You can make a huge flat loaf in an 11 X 15 inch baking dish, a slightly taller than average 9 X 13 loaf, or press it out free-form on a baking sheet.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

• Parmesan Bacon Knots
• Jamaican Johnny Cakes
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter Yeast Rolls
• Homemade Crescent Rolls ~ Home Cooking Adventures
• Focaccia with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes ~ Cookin’ Canuck
• Poppy Seed Loaves ~ Bright Eyed Baker

Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, total time, and nutrition facts information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, sodium, and fiber percentages.

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