This chocolate peanut butter sweet focaccia is made with cocoa powder and hot coffee mixed into the no-knead dough, which can be made overnight or same-day. Then peanut butter and chocolate chips are loaded in both the filling and topping for a crave-able brunch or dessert.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Focaccia That's Totally Worth Obsessing Over
This pb chocolate focaccia started the way all my best baking projects do, with an obsessive craving for something that fit snuggly between bread and dessert. With chocolate chips in both the filling & topping, this sweet focaccia feels deeply indulgent. Then peanut butter gets spread in the middle of the dough before baking and drizzled on top while it's still warm, for the perfect sweet + salty combo in every bite.
Cocoa powder can be a bit tricky in dough, since it absorbs moisture and inhibits gluten development. To counteract this, I add a little more sugar, which keeps this dessert focaccia leaning sweet while providing extra food for the yeast. And in testing, I found that adding hot, freshly brewed coffee in place of almost half the water in the dough enhances the cocoa powder in a way most other recipes miss.
I also tested this recipe with both of my focaccia methods, and while the flavor remains delicious, the overnight version turned out more dense, giving brownie-bread vibes, while the same-day version with stretch-and-folds was more light and airy. Either way works, so pick which method fits into your schedule.
If you've fallen in love with sweet focaccia (welcome to my world), my almond croissant focaccia should be next on your baking list, since it also has that same-day ease for a slow weekend brunch or an elevated dessert spread. And if you're craving more cocoa + coffee, you'll want to save my double chocolate cinnamon rolls, with an espresso glaze that will make you reconsider every other cinnamon roll you've ever eaten.
Let's Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Focaccia!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card.
Baking Tips for Flavorful Sweet Focaccia
- Make sure your coffee is hot when mixed with the cocoa powder, which helps the flavor bloom and dissolve evenly. Then let it sit for just a minute or two, so it's not too hot when you add the yeast.
- If you're caffeine-sensitive, you can replace the coffee with warm water. This still resulted in a delicious focaccia in testing, with just a slightly less intense flavor.
- Don't skip the 10 minute activation of the yeast at the very beginning, which will confirm if your yeast is alive. If it doesn't get foamy on top, throw it out and start with a fresh packet because it's probably expired and would make your focaccia turn out dense & flat.
Sweet Focaccia with Chocolate and Peanut Butter
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
FOCACCIA DOUGH
- ¾ cup hot, strong coffee
- ¼ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup warm water (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
FILLING & TOPPING
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter, plus more for drizzling on top
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coffee and cocoa powder until it's dissolved to bloom it. Set aside for one minute so the coffee can cool a bit before adding the yeast.
- Add the sugar, yeast, and warm water & whisk to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. (If it's not foamy, check your yeast packet, as it might be expired.)
- Add the olive oil and vanilla extract, and stir it into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the flour and salt, and mix for a minute with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a soft, wet dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap (to retain moisture so it doesn't dry out) and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour. (The dough should begin to rise & grow in size, but it probably won't double by the time it goes into the fridge.)
- Transfer the bowl to the fridge for 12-16 hours (for slow, cold fermentation).
Shape, Fill, and Proof the Dough
- Spread three tablespoons of the olive oil on the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Dump the dough from your mixing bowl onto the center of the baking dish and press it down into all the edges and corners. Spread ½ cup of peanut butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle 1 cup of the chocolate chips on top.
- Fold the dough in thirds from the short ends, like a letter. Lift up the dough, rotate it 90 degrees, and place it back in the baking dish. Spread it out again by pressing it to all the edges with your fingers.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for about 4 hours, until the dough has really puffed up and jiggles when you shake the baking dish.
Bake the Focaccia
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Spread the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips over the dough, then drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil evenly on top.
- Generously coat your fingers in olive oil (don't skip this, or else the dough will stick all over your fingers.) Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish. Each indentation should be about 1-inch apart, so you can hold your hands as if you were playing the piano.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the focaccia is puffed up and golden brown. Drizzle with additional peanut butter, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
- Peanut Butter: I recommend using natural pb without added oils, which is thinner and easier to drizzle and spread. If your peanut butter is too thick, warm it in the microwave on 5-10 second intervals, stirring each time until it softens.
- Baking Pan: I like baking this sweet focaccia in a glass or light ceramic baking dish, which has less aggressive heat than metal or dark-colored dish.
- Greasing: You can also grease your baking dish with four tablespoons of melted butter, which tastes great, but can solidify when the cold dough hits it in the pan.
- Same-Day: If you want to make this focaccia all in one day, use the method I share with four series of stretch-and-folds in my almond croissant focaccia recipe.
Nutrition
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