Cheesy Leek & Herb Focaccia
Golden, fluffy focaccia topped with tender leeks, fresh herbs, garlic, and plenty of cheese.
There are few things better than pulling a pan of homemade focaccia out of the oven. The golden edges, the crispy bottom, those big airy pockets—and, of course, the little pools of olive oil hiding in all those dimples.
This focaccia gets a little extra love with tender sautéed leeks, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and plenty of your favorite cheese.
The leeks caramelize slightly in the oven, the cheese gets golden and bubbly, and the focaccia underneath stays soft, fluffy, and just chewy enough. Basically, there’s a lot going on here in the best possible way.
Serve it with pasta, dunk it into olive oil and balsamic, turn it into a sandwich—or just keep tearing off pieces straight from the pan. Focaccia has never really been a “just one piece” situation.
What do you need to make it?
Flour: All-purpose (AP) flour, bread flour, or a combination of the two works here. Bread flour will give you a little more chew and structure, while AP flour keeps things soft and tender. If I have both on hand, I like using a mix.
Yeast: Rapid-rise yeast gives the dough its lift and creates that fluffy, airy interior we're after. Make sure your water is warm—not hot—to give the yeast a happy place to get started. You want it frothy and bubbly before you use.
Bloomed yeast picture
Leeks: Mild, slightly sweet, and one of my favorite savory ingredients. Cooking them before adding them to the focaccia softens them and brings out their flavor without letting them get too dark in the oven.
Fresh herbs + garlic: Thyme, rosemary, and garlic add plenty of savory flavor to the leeks. You can easily swap in whatever herbs you have on hand, but this combination is especially good with leeks & cheese.
Your favorite cheese: A mix of a softer melting cheese like cheddar or gouda with Parmesan gives you the best of both worlds—melty pockets of cheese plus those crispy, golden bits on top. But any of your favorites could work here.
Olive oil: This is focaccia, so now is not the time to be shy with the olive oil. If you have a bottle of the good stuff tucked away, consider this your excuse to break it out. It keeps the dough tender, creates that beautifully crisp, golden bottom, and settles into all those dimples before baking.
Tips from Court's Kitchen to yours:
Embrace the sticky dough: Focaccia dough is supposed to be soft and sticky, so resist the urge to keep adding flour until it's easy to handle. That extra hydration is part of what gives you those beautiful air pockets and a soft, pillowy center. Make sure to add oil to your fingers to keep the dough from sticking when you're handling it.
Add the stretch + folds: They technically add another hour and a half to the process, but most of that time is hands-off. Three quick sets of stretch and folds strengthen the dough without kneading and help create a taller, airier focaccia. They're worth it.
Give the dough time to relax: If you're trying to stretch the dough toward the edges of the pan and it keeps springing back, don't fight it. Let it rest for another 10–15 minutes, then come back and try again. It'll be much more cooperative.
Clean those leeks: Leeks are delicious, but they are also suspiciously good at smuggling dirt between every single layer. Give them a thorough rinse before cooking. Crunchy focaccia? Yes. Gritty focaccia? Absolutely not.
Don't overcook the topping: Cook the leeks just until they're tender but still holding their shape. They'll continue cooking once the focaccia goes into the oven, so you don't want them deeply browned before they ever make it onto the dough.
Don't skimp on the olive oil: A generous layer in the pan is what helps create that crisp, deeply golden bottom. If it feels like you're using a lot, you're probably doing it right.
Cheesy Leek & Herb Focaccia Recipe
PREP TIME: 35 MIN
COOK TIME: 25 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 4 HR 30 MIN
SERVINGS: 15
INGREDIENTS
For the Focaccia
4 cups all-purpose flour, bread flour, or a combination
2 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
2 cups warm water (105–115°F)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2–3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sourdough starter, active or discard (optional)
For the Topping
1 leek, thoroughly cleaned
3–4 cloves garlic, diced
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup cheddar, gouda or gruyère
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
For the Pan
3–5 tablespoons olive oil
9x13-inch baking pan
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Start the Dough
Add the warm water and sugar to a large bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit for 10–20 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy.
If your kitchen is running a little chilly, it may take a few extra minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture along with the sourdough starter, if using. Mix until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
The dough will be soft and a little sticky at this point. Resist the urge to add more flour. As long as everything has come together, you're exactly where you want to be.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it's about 1½ times its original size.
Step 2: Stretch + Fold
For an extra airy focaccia, give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds over the next 1½ hours, spacing each set about 30 minutes apart. Think of it as a very low-effort workout for your focaccia. Each round builds strength and structure without traditional kneading, helping create those beautiful air pockets later. You can absolutely skip this step if you're in a time crunch or just don't feel like dealing with the dough, however, it will lose a little of that height and structure you associate with focaccia.
To do a stretch and fold, lightly wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl and repeat around the dough.
Step 3: Add to the Pan
After the final stretch and fold, generously coat a 9x13-inch baking pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once or twice so both sides get a little olive oil love.
Let the dough rise again until it's relaxed, puffy, and beginning to naturally spread toward the edges of the pan. Note: if you skipped the stretch and folds, your dough will likely spread to the edge of the pan a lot faster as it's had more time to rest.
If it keeps springing back when you try to stretch it, give it 10–15 minutes to rest before trying again. Sometimes the dough just needs a minute.
Step 4: Make the Leek Topping
While the dough rises, prepare the topping. Slice the thoroughly cleaned leek into approximately ½-inch rounds.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook for 1–2 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are tender but still hold their shape. Try not to brown them too much here—they still have a trip through a hot oven ahead of them.
Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly before folding in the cheese.
Step 5: Dimple + Top
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Spread the leek and cheese mixture evenly over the dough.
Now for arguably the most satisfying part of making focaccia. Lightly coat your fingertips with olive oil and press them firmly into the dough to create deep dimples across the surface. As you dimple, gently encourage the dough toward the edges of the pan and press some of the leek and cheese mixture into those little pockets.
Don't be shy here. We want plenty of nooks and crannies for the olive oil, cheese, herbs, and all that leeky goodness to settle into.
Step 6: Bake
Bake the focaccia at 425°F for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F and continue baking for another 15 minutes, or until the focaccia is deeply golden, the cheese is bubbling, and the edges are crisp.
If the cheese or leeks begin browning faster than you'd like, loosely tent the pan with foil for the remainder of the bake.
Step 7: Cool + Enjoy
Let the focaccia cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before slicing.
This gives the inside a chance to set while keeping everything warm enough for those melty pockets of cheese—which is really where you want to be.
Slice it, tear into it, or pull off a corner "just to taste."
Just don't be surprised when that taste somehow turns into three pieces before dinner.
There’s just something about a pan of homemade focaccia that’s hard to beat—especially when there’s cheese involved. Whether you’re serving it with dinner, dipping it into olive oil and balsamic, or sneaking pieces straight from the pan, it’s meant to be enjoyed. I hope this one becomes a repeat bake in your kitchen, because it definitely is in mine.
Comments