This is my own delicious play on an oversized garlic knot. I’m calling these “muffins” because they are baked in a muffin tin. But what they really are is fluffy, crispy, focaccia dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with a classic garlic butter. By baking them individually in a muffin tin, you get this fun play on a traditional garlic knot.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Muffins
We all love mini versions of our favorite foods; this is all the fun of focaccia bread but made into little flavor bombs that resemble that of a garlic knot. This recipe is easy to throw together, easy to share at any gathering and a perfect side for any meal.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Starter – Previously fed sourdough starter that is bubbly and active.
Water – Room temperature filtered water.
Flour – I use Kirkland’s organic, unbleached all-purpose flour for all of my recipes because it’s easy, sold in a large quantity, and affordable. But use whatever you have on hand as long as it is unbleached.
Salt – We love pink Himalayan salt.
Garlic – Minced garlic, and fresh is best.
Butter – Melted butter.
Parm – Grated parmesan cheese.
👩🍳 How to Make Garlic Parm Focaccia Muffins
- In the morning, feed your sourdough starter.
- In the evening when your starter is bubbly and has doubled in size, assemble your dough.
Dough Assembly
- In a large mixing bowl on top of a food scale, mix together your bubbly starter, water, and olive oil until your starter has dissolved and turned into a milky liquid.
- Add your flour and salt to the bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover with a damp bowl cover/ tea towel and set aside for one hour.
- After one hour stretch and fold your dough by pulling one side up and towards the middle, rotating each time until you get a semi – smooth ball (about 30 – 60 seconds).
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, perform 2-3 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After all the stretch and folds are done, cover your dough and leave it on the counter to bulk ferment overnight for 12 hours.
- In the morning, turn your dough over onto a lightly floured surface.
- Use your bench scraper (or large knife) to separate your dough into 12 equal pieces. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but if you’re using a scale, they would be about bout 80 grams each.
- Press 1-2 mozzarella balls into the middle of the dough and pinch the seams together so it is fully covered.
- Oil each well of the muffin tin and place your Focaccia dough into each well.
- Cover and let rest for one hour, until the dough is risen and puffy.
- While the dough is rising, melt your butter, grated parm, and minced garlic together on the stove until slightly fragrant.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Brush about half of your garlic butter mixture on top of the focaccia muffins, dimple the top of the dough with your fingers in the classic focaccia fashion. Careful not to press the cheese down to far, or it will melt out of the bottom.
- Bake at 450 for 30-35 minutes.
- When your muffins are done baking, brush the remainer of the garlic butter on top of the muffins.
- Enjoy warm on the side of any dinner! 🙂
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Every oven is different – my oven is a warm oven, so this takes me closer to 30 minutes to bake. But if your oven runs a little colder, bake until the tops of the focaccia muffins are golden brown!
- If you want to skip the stretch and folds, mix everything in a stand mixer and knead for 3-5 minutes. This is both easier, and less messy but not everyone has a stand mixer, so I wanted to give the option.
- This is a wetter dough, which is normal! Use your bench scraper to work the dough so it doesn’t stick to your hands.
🗒 Variations
Focaccia bread is a beautiful vessel for an array of different flavors, here are a few of your favorite recipes!
🗒 Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – bread flour
- Mozzarella cheese – Brie cheese
🗒 Best served with
- Italian Dinner
- Neighborhood Gathering
- Afternoon Treat 😋
👝 How to Store Leftovers
To store, place in an airtight container on the counter, in a bread box or the pantry for up to three days. If you’re eating leftover bread a couple days after you made it, I recommend warming it up in a 350-degree oven with a drizzle of olive oil on top to bring it back to life. To freeze, place the muffins into a Ziplock bag and into the freezer for up to three months.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! You can make the focaccia dough in a 9×13 pan with the same ingredients. Follow Sourdough Focaccia Pizza for baking times and dough prep!
Yes! Double the ingredients and bake each batch separately. To freeze, place the muffins into a Ziplock bag and into the freezer for up to three months.
Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Muffin
Equipment
- Bowl cover
Ingredients
- 100 grams bubbly, active starter
- 360 grams filtered water
- 25 grams olive oil
- 500 grams all purpose flour
- 10 grams salt
- 12 mozzarella pearls or cut pieces
Garlic Butter
- 4 tbs melted butter
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- ¼ cup grated parm
Instructions
- In the morning, feed your sourdough starter.
- In the evening when your starter is bubbly and has doubled in size, assemble your dough.
Dough Assembly
- In a large mixing bowl on top of a food scale, mix together your bubbly starter, water, and olive oil until your starter has dissolved and turned into a milky liquid.
- Add your flour and salt to the bowl and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover with a damp bowl cover/ tea towel and let aside for one hour.
- After one hour stretch and fold your dough by pulling one side up and towards the middle, rotating each time until you get a semi – smooth ball (about 30 – 60 seconds).
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- After resting, perform 2-3 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes. After all the stretch and folds are done, cover your dough and leave it on the counter to bulk ferment overnight for 12 hours.
- In the morning, turn your dough over onto a lightly floured surface.
- Use your bench scraper (or large knife) to separate your dough into 12 equal pieces. This doesn't have to be perfect, but if you're using a scale, they would be about bout 80 grams each.
- Press 1-2 mozzarella balls into the middle of the dough and pinch the seams together so it is fully covered.
- Oil each well of the muffin tin and place your Focaccia dough into each well.
- Cover and let rest for one hour, until the dough is risen and puffy.
- While the dough is rising, melt your butter, grated parm, and minced garlic together on the stove until your slightly fragrant.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Brush about half of your garlic butter mixture on top of the focaccia muffins, dimple the top of the dough with your fingers in the classic focaccia fashion. Careful not to press the cheese down to far, or it will melt out of the bottom.
- Bake at 450 for 30-35 minutes.
- When your muffins are done baking, brush the remainer of the garlic butter on top of the muffins.
- Enjoy warm on the side of any dinner! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe out and then throw a party for friends and family to enjoy! Thanks for posting this amazing recipe with the different variations and tips for storing! I’m forever grateful! 🫶🏻🥰
Question: if I need to pause somewhere in this recipe – can I just throw the dough in the fridge?
Yep! I would throw the dough in the fridge after separating, and before dimpling.