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These Mini Parmesan and Basil Focaccias are the cutest side to any Italian style dinner. Think fluffy buns packed with flavour paired with your favourite lasagne or pasta al forno. The focaccia buns are a delight by themselves but are a gorgeous alternative to garlic bread.
Focaccia is the type of bread that is so impressive to others but actually isn’t too complex. It is super versatile so feel free to play with other toppings! This came about from a massive love of cheese and wanting a side to go with a tomato pasta dish. I highly recommend using fresh rosemary, but dried is fine if you can’t find away! Likewise with good quality extra virgin olive oil, it makes a difference but I recognise this can come at a cost.
Allow yourself a good amount of time for this, as there are two proofs. That said, they’re not too long and the actual hands on time isn’t too much. The kneading process is good fun, so a great one for the family. Likewise with the dimpling and topping with the cheese and herbs. Finding an easy focaccia recipe can be hard, but I hope this lays out the steps with ease!
Tips for the best Mini Parmesan and Basil Focaccias
- Yeast: If your yeast is old, you may want to make sure your yeast is active. Do this by combining with the warm water, then leave for 10 mins. If the mixture is bubbly, it is active. If not, throw it out and get new yeast!
- Kneading: You can use a dough hook attachment with a mixer for 8 minutes, or by hand for 10 minutes. This stretches the gluten helping to give that bubbly, fluffy texture!
- Olive Oil: As mentioned, a high quality olive oil is best but not totally necessary if this is out of your budget!
- Cheese/Herbs: This recipe uses parmesan and basil, but feel free to play around!
- Resting: The two proves are crucial to the structure. Try to let the dough double in size for the first prove. The second is more just to allow some rest.
I make these Mini Parmesan and Basil Focaccias in a muffin tin (I use a 6 hole muffin tin – like these ones)! I recommend a high speed mixer with a dough hook attachment to do lots of the kneading work (this is what I use and am in love with). For more savoury baking, check out these this Pesto Garlic Pull Apart Loaf or these Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Bread Swirls. For more baking inspiration and videos, head on over to my Instagram.
Mini Parmesan and Basil Focaccias
Ingredients
- 7 g Dried Fast Action Yeast
- 525 g Strong White Bread Flour
- 4 tsp Flaky Garlic Salt alt: 3 tsp salt and 2 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tsp Dried Basil
- 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 100 tsp Parmesan Finely Grated
- Fresh Basil Optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour and yeast and combine. Add in the salt and dried basil and combine again.
- Make a well, pour in 3 tbsp Olive Oil and about 350ml warm water (not hot). Combine to form a dough. It should come together but be pretty sticky. If not, add more water.
- Knead using the dough hook attachment or your hands on a lightly floured work surface for about 8 minutes (it should be soft, smooth but still a little sticky). Oil the bowl you used for the dough, place the dough back in it, cover with a tea towel and let rest for an hour – until doubled in size.
- Lightly oil 12 muffin holes. Add most of the grated parmesan to the dough, knead just to combine. Scoop out the dough in 12 even sized balls and place one per muffin hole. Let rest 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
- Press dimples into the dough balls using your fingertips. Combine 2 tbsp water with the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and brush this over the bread. Top with any remaining parmesan and fresh basil if desired!
- Bake 15-20 minutes until golden. Definitely best eaten warm!
