Focaccia with Garlic Confit

For the Focaccia

• Your favorite focaccia recipe (I used Claire Saffitz’s)
• 12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 10 oz pitted castelvetrano olives, halved
• 3 thyme sprigs
• Flaky salt
• Brightland Alive Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Minced herbs to garnish (parsley or basil work)
  

For the Garlic Confit
(highly recommend 2 or 3x for leftovers)

• 2 heads of garlic, peeled
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1.5 cups of Brightland Alive Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or enough to just submerge the garlic)

For the Focaccia

1. Make your focaccia according to instructions. After dimpling the dough, drizzle ¼ cup of the garlic confit oil across the surface, along with all of the garlic cloves. Scatter the thyme, flaky salt and half of the olives evenly on top. Bake 5-8 minutes shy of doneness.
2. Remove the focaccia from the oven and top with the mozzarella cheese and other half of the olives. Place back in the oven and continue cooking until the cheese is fully melted, bubbly and golden. Finish with the fresh herbs, and try not to eat the entire tray in one sitting!
   

For the Garlic Confit

1. Garlic peeling hack: Add all of your garlic cloves to a lidded container/mason jar and shake vigorously for a few minutes. Some of the garlic cloves will be fully unpeeled, while others will be “loosened” and much easier to peel.
2. Preheat oven to 250 F. Place the garlic cloves and thyme in an oven safe dish. Fully submerge everything in olive oil so it doesn’t burn. Cover and bake for about 2 hours until the garlic is golden brown and completely soft.
3. Let cool completely then store in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.