Herb-and-garlic-oil pan focaccia
Garlic and Herb Focaccia
Mellow roasted-garlic oil brushed into every dimple with a mix of fresh herbs — fragrant and savory without the acrid bite of scorched raw garlic.
- Total
- 4.6 hr
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Hydration
- 78%
- Skill
- beginner
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Warm sliced garlic in olive oil over low heat until pale gold, cool it, brush the infused oil and mixed fresh herbs over a dimpled focaccia, and bake at 225°C/435°F for 20–24 minutes — do not scatter raw garlic on top, which burns bitter.
Why this works
Infusing the garlic into oil over low heat turns its raw sulfur compounds sweet and mellow, so it flavors the bread without scorching; brushing the oil into the dimples spreads garlic flavor evenly; keeping any solid garlic gently cooked (not raw and exposed) avoids the acrid, burnt taste raw garlic develops at focaccia baking temperatures.
The schedule
~35m hands-on of 4.8h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 35m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 1.5h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 20m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Infuse the garlic oil
Warm the 40 g oil with the sliced garlic over low heat 3–5 minutes just until the garlic turns pale gold and smells sweet, then take it off the heat and cool. Stir in the thyme and rosemary (keep the parsley aside for finishing).
Look for: Garlic goes from white to the faintest gold with no browning; the oil is fragrant, not sizzling hard.
Avoid: Pull the pan the moment the garlic is pale gold. Browned garlic turns bitter, and it will darken further on the bread.
- 2
Mix the dough
Whisk flour and yeast, add water and the dough oil, then the fine salt. Mix to a wet, shaggy dough with no dry flour.
Look for: Sticky and loose, clinging to the bowl.
- 3
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 3 stretch-and-folds over the first 90 minutes, then rest until bubbly and nearly doubled.
Look for: Domed and blistered; airy and slack.
- 4
Pan, proof, dimple
Oil the pan, transfer the dough, coax it to the edges, and proof until pillowy (60–90 min). Oil your fingers and press deep dimples, then brush the cooled garlic-herb oil (with its soft garlic) into the dimples.
Look for: Dimples pool with golden, garlicky oil; the soft garlic slices settle into the holes rather than sitting proud on top.
- 5
Bake
Bake at 225°C/435°F for 20–24 minutes until deep gold.
Look for: Even golden crust; garlic in the dimples is soft and toasty, not blackened.
- 6
Finish and cool
Straight from the oven, scatter the reserved fresh parsley and the flaky salt over the hot crust, then cool on a rack 15–20 minutes.
Look for: The fresh herbs wilt and turn glossy on the hot surface, staying green instead of scorching.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Open and tender, carrying garlic flavor from the oil.
- Crust: Crisp base; glossy, herb-flecked top.
- Height: About 2.5–3.5 cm tall.
- Color: Even deep gold with soft golden garlic in the dimples.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, acrid garlic taste | Raw or over-browned garlic scorched in the oven | Infuse the garlic in oil to pale gold first and tuck it into the dimples; never scatter raw garlic on a bare top. |
| Herbs blackened | Delicate fresh herbs baked the whole time | Keep tender herbs like parsley for after the bake; only sturdy thyme/rosemary go in before. |
| Faint garlic flavor | Oil barely infused | Give the garlic a few minutes in warm oil and let it steep as it cools before brushing on. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best fresh; keep loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days.
Freezing: Freeze cooled pieces wrapped up to 1 month.
Reheating: Re-crisp in a 190°C/375°F oven for 5–7 minutes.
Contains wheat/gluten. Naturally vegan as written.
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
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Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Extra-virgin olive oil (opens Amazon) ↗ — Use a good EVOO you like the taste of.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
Fresh — buy local
- Garlic (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh heads; infuse in oil rather than scattering raw.
- Fresh herbs (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fresh is best; a windowsill pot works well.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- Why not just put fresh garlic on top?
- Raw garlic exposed on the surface scorches at focaccia baking temperatures and turns harsh and bitter. Infusing it in oil first makes it sweet and keeps the flavor mellow.
- Can I make the garlic oil ahead?
- It is best used the same day. Homemade garlic-in-oil should be refrigerated and used quickly rather than stored at room temperature.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/garlic-herb-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.