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Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia

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This Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia has a cheesy, crispy crust with a soft and chewy texture on the inside. Loaded with mozzarella, colby jack and cheddar cheese, this cheesy garlic bread is the perfect snack or addition to pizza or pasta night.

slices of cheesy sourdough focaccia in a bowl

This recipe is easy to make and can be made in just one day. With the addition of minced garlic and garlic oil, this Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia is similar to cheesy garlic bread or sourdough garlic knots and is delicious dipped in marinara sauce. It is the perfect side dish, appetizer, or snack! 

cheesy sourdough focaccia slices in a basket

Reasons you will love this Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia recipe

  • This sourdough focaccia is naturally leavened with a sourdough starter so no commercial yeast is required. 
  • This is a no-knead recipe and is a beginner-friendly sourdough recipe. 
  • Cheesy sourdough focaccia makes an excellent side dish or addition to pizza night. Serve it with marinara for dipping for an appetizer or for a party. 
  • This recipe can be made in the same day, making it a quicker option for sourdough baking. 
cheesy sourdough focaccia next to a brown and white cloth napkin

What is Focaccia?

Focaccia is a flatbread that is made similarly to pizza dough. The bread is usually made in a 9×13 baking dish or round cast iron pan. The bread is fluffy and chewy with a thin crispy crust. It has signature dimples in the dough and has a drizzle of olive oil, in the case of this recipe garlic oil, to help create the crispy, golden brown crust. You can make focaccia plain, or add sweet or savory toppings such as herbs, onions, olives, or tomatoes. It is delicious as served by itself, as a side for soups, pastas, and more, or used to make a delicious sandwich. 

Focaccia inclusions

My favorite thing about focaccia is how versatile it can be! I started experimenting with swapping the water in the sourdough focaccia dough for other ingredients such as salsamarinara sauceapple saucepumpkin, and even ranch. The results have been insanely delicious! Or, you can include ingredients like cheese, sun-dried tomato and pesto, or cheeseburger toppings. The possibilities are truly endless! You can find all of my sourdough focaccia creations here.

view of the inside of cheesy sourdough focaccia

Tools to make this recipe

12″ cast iron skillet – I use a cast iron skillet to cook the focaccia in for a round shape, but if you do not have one, you can also use a 9×13 pan

Kitchen Scale –When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.  

Cooling Rack – Using a wire rack helps the bread cool quicker by allowing air under the bread. After it bakes, transfer to pan on top of the cooling rack.  

2 quart proofing container– I like to use a container with straight edges rather than a bowl when letting my dough rise. This is the easiest way to tell when the dough has risen 50% for the first rise.

close up view of cheesy sourdough focaccia

Ingredients for Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia 

  • Water – Either filtered or tap water will work. Despite what some people say, I use tap water when baking sourdough bread with no problem. 
  • Active Sourdough starter – Use an active and bubbly sourdough starter that has doubled in size. 
  • Bread flour – I prefer bread flour, but in a pinch, you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour but I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 25-50 grams as all-purpose flour does not absorb as much water. 
  • Salt – Any type of salt will work. 
  • Garlic oil – Using oil creates the signature crunchy outside of the focaccia. Traditional recipes use olive oil, which will still work if you do not have garlic oil. However, using garlic oil adds a delicious garlic flavor the the bread. 
  • Cheese – I use a mix of mozzarella, colby jack and cheddar cheese, but you can use whatever type of cheese you’d like. This will be added to the dough and on top. 
  • Minced garlic- This is optional, but it adds a delicious savory flavor to the dough. 
round cheesy sourdough focaccia on a wire rack

Instructions to make Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia 

In a large mixing bowl or straight edge container, mix together the water, active and bubbly sourdough starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed.  Let sit in a warm spot covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.

Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set. During the first stretch and fold add 150 grams of freshly shredded cheeses to the dough along with minced garlic. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time. 

Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise (including stretch and folds) will take about 5 hours total. 

Spray a 12″ cast iron pan with non-stick spray and then coat with 2 Tablespoons of garlic oil. Dump the dough into the pan. Flip once to coat both sides with oil. Cover and let sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size and is puffy for the second proof. With the dough staying in the mid 70’s Fahrenheit, this will take another 2 hours. 

Once the dough is puffy and ready, preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

Drizzle an additional 2 Tablespoons of garlic oil on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake at 425 F for 28 minutes. Pull the focaccia out of the oven at 20 minutes and sprinkle an additional 2 cups of cheese on top. Bake for a total of the remainder 8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Let cool on a cooling rack and serve warm! 

close up of cheesy sourdough focaccia

How to store the Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia

Store the focaccia in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the microwave, or to get a crispy crust again, add it back to a 400-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.

Sample baking schedule

This is based on the dough temperature being in the mid 70s. There are many factors that can impact how slowly or quickly dough rises so use this as a guideline but look for the visual cues the dough is ready to move on.

StepTime
Feed sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio (15 grams starter: 70 grams flour: 70 grams water)10 pm
Mix dough together8 am
Stretch & Folds8:30-9:30 am
Add dough to 9×13 pan1 pm
Bake3 pm
cheesy sourdough focaccia on a wire rack

Tips for success when making Sourdough Focaccia Bread

  • Make sure to let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia. 
  • Mix the dough in a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50% to prevent it from overproofing. 
  • To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise. Using warm water in the dough will help with this as well. If your house runs cool and the room temperature is not warm enough, use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) or proofing box to keep the dough warm.
  • Use freshly shredded cheese to the dough and on top so the focaccia melts properly. 
  • If you want to bake the next day, place the dough in the fridge after the first rise. Remove the dough from the fridge in the morning. Place in an oiled cast iron skillet or 9×13 pan and let rise it until puffy and doubled in size.

More Sourdough Focaccia Recipes

Slices of cheesy sourdough focaccia in a basket lined with a linen napkin.

Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia

Emily Christensen
This Cheesy Sourdough Focaccia has a cheesy, crispy crust with a soft and chewy texture on the inside. Extra cheesy garlicy flavor in every bite.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Rise Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 43 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 servings
Calories 325 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams water 1 ¾ cups
  • 10 grams salt 1 ½ teaspoon
  • 150 grams active sourdough starter ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons
  • 500 grams bread flour 3 ⅔ cups
  • 60 grams garlic oil, divided 4 tablespoons
  • 150 grams shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack) 1 ⅓ cup
  • 10 grams minced garlic 1 Tablespoon

Topping:

  • 225 grams shredded cheese 2 cups

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl or straight edge container, mix together the water, active and bubbly sourdough starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed.  Let sit in a warm spot covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.
    400 grams water, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 10 grams salt, 500 grams bread flour
  • Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set. During the first stretch and fold add 150 grams of freshly shredded cheeses to the dough along with minced garlic. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time. 
    150 grams shredded cheese (I used mozzarella, cheddar, and colby jack), 10 grams minced garlic
  • Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise (including stretch and folds) will take about 5 hours total. 
  • Spray a 12″ cast iron pan with non-stick spray and then coat with 2 Tablespoons of garlic oil. Dump dough into the pan. Flip once to coat both sides with oil. Cover and let sit in a warm spot until it doubles in size and is puffy. With the dough staying in the mid 70's Fahrenheit this will take another 2 hours. 
    60 grams garlic oil, divided
  • Once the dough is puffy and ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Spread 2 Tablespoons of garlic oil on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers bake at 425 F for 28 minutes. Pull the focaccia out of the oven at 20 minutes and sprinkle an additional 2 cups of cheese on top, depending on how cheesy you want it. Bake for a total of the remainder 8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. The temperature of the dough should read between 195F-210F.
    225 grams shredded cheese
  • Let cool on a cooling rack and serve warm! 

Notes

  • You can substitute garlic oil for olive oil.
  • See sample schedule included in the post above.
  • Make sure to let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia. 
  • To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise. Using warm ingredients in the dough will help with this as well. 
  • If you want to bake the next day, place the dough in the fridge after the first rise. Remove the dough from the fridge in the morning. Place in a oiled 9×13″ or cast iron pan and let rise until puffy and doubled in size.
  • Add dough to a straight edge container so you can easily see when the dough has risen 50%.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 12gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 472mgFiber: 1g
Keyword active starter, cheesy, cheesy sourdough focaccia, one day, same day
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