Pan-Fried Garlic Focaccia (No Oven Needed)

5 from 8 reviews

Pan-Fried Garlic Focaccia (No Oven Needed)

Soft and airy focaccia cooked entirely in a pan with olive oil, finished with a rich garlic butter topping made from garlic confit, vegan butter, and vegan Parmesan. No oven, no kneading, and perfect for everyday cooking.

Course bread, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian-Inspired, Plant-Based

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Rise Time: 1

Total Time 1 1

Servings pieces

Calories 669kcal

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough:

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
480 ml lukewarm water
625 g All-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For Pan Cooking:

Extra-virgin olive oil for the pan

Garlic Butter Topping:

240 ml olive oil for gently cooking the garlic; only a little is mixed into the topping
8-10 garlic cloves peeled
60 g vegan butter softened
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Chili flakes (optional)
50 g vegan Parmesan finely grated
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the lukewarm water and active dry yeast in a large bowl and leave for about 5 minutes, until lightly foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix until no dry flour remains. Mix in the 4 tbsp olive oil. The dough will be soft and sticky; do not add extra flour just to make it easier to handle.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Refrigerate for 8–24 hours, until doubled and bubbly. Alternatively, let rise at room temperature for about 3–4 hours, using the same visual cue. A cool room can take longer.
Shortly before cooking the bread, place the peeled garlic cloves and 240 ml olive oil in a small saucepan. Cook over very low heat for about 20–25 minutes, or until the cloves are soft enough to mash; larger cloves can take longer. Do not let them brown deeply. Lift the garlic out of the oil, mash and mix with the softened vegan butter, vegan parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and optional chili flakes. Add only a little of the garlic oil, as needed, to make the topping spreadable.
With oiled hands, divide the risen dough into two equal portions and gently shape into loose rounds without kneading. Avoid pressing out all the air.
Heat two pans over medium-low heat and generously coat their bases with olive oil. Carefully place one dough portion in each pan and gently ease it into a round. Cover and cook for about 6–8 minutes, until golden underneath. Carefully flip with a wide spatula, add a little oil if needed, cover and cook the other side for about 5–7 minutes. These are starting estimates: lower the heat and continue cooking if the crust browns before the center is cooked. Check that the center is set, without wet or gummy dough.
Brush the hot focaccia with the garlic butter topping. Let it settle briefly before cutting each round into four pieces, giving eight pieces in total. Serve warm.

Notes

Plan ahead: Allow about 20 minutes preparation and 40 minutes cooking for the garlic and bread, plus the rise. The displayed total uses a 24-hour rise; the fridge option is 8–24 hours, while the room-temperature option is about 3–4 hours. Let the dough become doubled and bubbly rather than relying on the clock alone.

Yield: Two rounds, cut into four pieces each. The pan times assume two pans cooking together; using one pan in batches takes longer. Pan diameter, dough thickness and burner strength affect how quickly the center cooks.

Garlic oil: The 240 ml oil is the cooking medium for the garlic, not an instruction to pour it all over the bread. Add only enough to make the topping spreadable.

Storage: Refrigerate leftover garlic, garlic oil, herb butter and topped bread promptly at 4°C (40°F) or below. Use within three days or freeze. Do not keep homemade garlic in oil at room temperature.

Nutrition: The amount of garlic oil and pan oil actually eaten varies, so the displayed figures are approximate.

Nutrition