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Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 65 reviews

This sourdough apple fritter focaccia is a delightful twist on traditional focaccia, featuring a sweet, cinnamon-sugar apple filling swirled throughout and piled on top. Made exclusively with an active sourdough starter and no instant yeast, it offers a rich, buttery flavor reminiscent of your favorite apple fritter donut. Soft, bubbly, and golden-baked, finished with a vanilla glaze, this bread combines the tang of sourdough with the sweet warmth of apples and cinnamon for a truly indulgent treat perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Ingredients

Scale

Focaccia Dough

  • 200 g active sourdough starter (about 1 cup)
  • 400 g warm water (about 1 ⅔ cups; temperature between 110ºF – 115ºF)
  • 10 g salt (1 ½ teaspoons)
  • 510 g unbleached flour (about 3 ½ cups)
  • Avocado cooking spray or cooking spray of choice (for spraying mixing bowl)
  • 30 g salted butter, melted (about 2 Tablespoons; reserved for baking dish)

Apple Fritter Topping

  • 115 g salted butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
  • 100 g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 2 g vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
  • 12 g ground cinnamon (2 Tablespoons)
  • 3 medium apples (cored, peeled, and finely diced)

Vanilla Glaze Icing

  • 120 g powdered sugar (about 1 cup)
  • 30 g milk (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • 2 g vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)

Instructions

  1. Mix Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter and warm water, whisking until the starter is evenly dissolved.
  2. Add Salt and Flour: Add salt and unbleached flour to the mixture and whisk to combine into a wet, sticky dough. Do not expect it to come together immediately; this is normal. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Stretch and Fold: After the rest, perform one set of stretch and folds: with slightly wet fingers, pull one side of the dough upward and fold it into the center, rotating the bowl to repeat 8-10 times until all sides have been folded. This helps develop gluten in the wet dough.
  4. Bulk Fermentation (First Proof): Spray a second mixing bowl with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough into this greased bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and place inside an oven with the light on (oven off) to provide gentle warmth. Let ferment covered for about 4 hours or until the dough increases in size by 50%-75%, becomes bubbly, jiggly, and passes the poke test (slowly springs back, leaving a slight indentation).
  5. Prepare Baking Dish: Line a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper. Pour 30 grams (2 tablespoons) melted butter over the paper and spread to coat the bottom. Transfer the proofed dough to the dish and gently stretch it to the edges. Let it rest while preparing the apple topping.
  6. Mix Apple Fritter Topping: Peel and finely dice the apples. In a medium saucepan, melt 115 grams butter on low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Fold in diced apples carefully, ensuring they are coated but not cooking the apples further.
  7. Incorporate Filling: Scoop about one-third of the cinnamon sugar apple mixture onto the dough in the baking pan. Fold the dough by pulling the sides into the center to incorporate the filling messily. Flip the dough seam side down and gently stretch it back out to evenly cover the pan.
  8. Second Proof: Cover the pan with a damp kitchen towel and place back into the oven with the light on for 1 hour or until the dough nearly doubles in size and fills the pan, becoming bubbly and expanded.
  9. Add Remaining Topping & Dimple Dough: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Warm the remaining apple topping on low heat to make it pourable, then spread it evenly over the top of the dough. Use your fingers to poke dimples all over the dough surface, pushing the topping down and expanding the dough gently to the edges again.
  10. Bake Focaccia: Place the baking dish on the lowest oven rack and bake for 25-30 minutes until the focaccia is golden brown and bubbling.
  11. Prepare Vanilla Glaze: Allow the focaccia to cool fully in the pan. Remove carefully with the parchment paper and place on a wire rack over a baking tray. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Brush the glaze generously on top and sides of the cooled focaccia. Let the glaze harden before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • The dough is very wet and sticky; this is typical for sourdough focaccia and necessary for its texture.
  • The poke test is essential to gauge fermentation; if the dough springs back too quickly, it needs more proofing time.
  • Using the oven light on provides gentle warmth that speeds fermentation without cooking the dough.
  • For an overnight method, prepare the dough and complete the first stretch and fold, then refrigerate covered overnight. Allow the dough to come to room temperature before continuing with the second proof and baking.
  • Be careful when adding the apple topping to avoid burning the sugar mixture; always remove from heat before adding sugar.
  • This recipe does not use instant yeast; the rise depends solely on the active sourdough starter.

Keywords: sourdough focaccia, apple fritter bread, cinnamon sugar apple focaccia, sourdough bread recipe, sweet focaccia, apple bread

Find it online: https://cheflenacooks.com/sourdough-apple-fritter-focaccia-recipe/