Confit Garlic Focaccia
🌿 Hello, lovely bakers and welcome to my kitchen!
I’m so excited to share my very first online recipe with you, and trust me, it’s a good one to kick things off! This dreamy rosemary & confit garlic focaccia is a total winner. I first made it one cosy evening for my sister and her boyfriend, and we all completely fell in love with it. It’s fluffy, golden, garlicky goodness with crispy edges and a soft, chewy middle. Pure magic. ✨
✨It has undergone a little makeover since then, for that one I used all strong white bread flour, but when I ran out the next time I made it, I did a mixture of strong white and wholewheat and my husband couldn't get enough of it - so this is the new staple focaccia in our home!
The best part about this, is that it’s super easy to make, even if you’re new to bread-making. All you need are a few simple ingredients, a bit of patience (bread loves a little time), and maybe a good playlist to keep you company while it rises. 😉
🌾 A Little Flour Power
This focaccia gets its gorgeous flavour and texture from a blend of strong white bread flour and wholewheat flour.
Strong white bread flour is high in gluten, which helps give the bread that lovely stretch and chew.
Wholewheat flour, on the other hand, adds a bit of nuttiness, fibre, and depth to the flavour, plus, it makes the focaccia feel just a little bit more hearty.
Using both flours gives you the best of both worlds: a fluffy texture with a wholesome twist. 🌾💪
🍞 Ingredients
1/4 handful of fresh rosemary, soaked in olive oil (this helps it crisp beautifully without burning!)
1 bulb of garlic
14g fresh yeast or 7g dried yeast
20g agave syrup (or honey if you prefer)
40g good quality olive oil (the fruity kind is great here)
300g strong white bread flour
200g wholewheat bread flour
10g fine sea salt
A pinch of flaky salt for finishing (I love Maldon for that perfect crunch!)
🧄 First Things First: Confit Your Garlic & Prep the Rosemary
Let’s get your toppings ready before we dive into dough-making.
🧄 How to Make Confit Garlic:
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F).
Slice the top off a whole garlic bulb (just enough to expose the tops of the cloves), drizzle generously with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 30–40 minutes until the cloves are soft, golden, and jammy.
Once cool, squeeze out the cloves like little golden nuggets of flavour. Set aside.
🌿 Rosemary Tip:
Strip the rosemary leaves from the woody stems and soak them in olive oil for at least 15–20 minutes while your dough rises. This keeps them from burning and adds a lovely infused flavour.
🥖 Let’s Make Some Magic Dough
Step 1: Mix
In a stand mixer bowl (with the dough hook attached), add:
460g warm water (add slowly, we want a slightly sticky dough!)
300g strong white bread flour
200g wholewheat bread flour
14g fresh yeast / 7g dried yeast
20g agave syrup
40g olive oil
Mix on low for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through.
💡 No mixer? No worries! You can absolutely knead this by hand. It might take a bit longer (around 15 minutes), but it’s a great arm workout!
After mixing, add in the 10g of fine sea salt, and knead again for 1 more minute until incorporated.
Step 2: First Rise & Stretch
Pop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Now, time for a little stretch & fold!
This is a gentle way of building strength in your dough without aggressive kneading.
Here’s how:
Wet your hand.
Gently grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, then fold it over to the opposite side.
Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat.
Do this 20 times total (you’ll see the dough start to feel more elastic and puffy).
Cover again, rest for another 30 minutes, then repeat the stretch and fold process once more.
After that second round, let the dough rest for 1–3 hours, until it's doubled in size. (Time depends on your kitchen temperature, remember if the room is warmer the rise will be faster.)
Step 3: Shape & Final Rise
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, drizzle with a little olive oil.
Gently turn out the dough, being careful not to knock out those lovely air bubbles.
Using your fingertips, gently tease the dough toward the edges of the tray, just make sure not to force it if it resists; it’ll relax as it rests.
Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rise again for 1–2 hours, until puffed and jiggly.
Step 4: Toppings & Bake!
Preheat your oven to 200°C
Now for the fun part:
Press the confit garlic cloves into the dough
Sprinkle on the rosemary, along with a pinch of flaky salt.
Drizzle a final swirl of olive oil over the top.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and your kitchen smells like heaven. 😍
Let cool slightly on a wire rack, if you can resist diving in immediately!
🥗 Serving Ideas
This focaccia is a total superstar on any table. Try it with:
A fresh tomato and burrata salad
A warm bowl of creamy pumpkin or tomato soup
Sliced and filled with grilled veggies & hummus for a killer sandwich
Toasted with avocado, lemon & chilli flakes for the best avo-toast ever!
Thanks for baking with me, I hope this focaccia brings as much joy to your table as it did to mine.
Happy baking!
Emily x 🍞✨