Apple Fritter Focaccia
developed & tested by:
Fluffy no-knead apple fritter focaccia is made with cinnamon sugar apples cooked on the stove & apple cider glaze for a donut-style crackle. It's great for brunch, an afternoon snack, and dessert!
Equipment
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1¾ cups warm apple cider (between 105-115°F or 40-46°C)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use fine sea salt or table salt)
- 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided (for greasing and topping)
Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pound apples, diced (2 large or 3 medium apples; no need to peel them)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Apple Cider Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
Instructions
Mix, Stretch-and-Fold, and Rise
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, brown sugar, and warm apple cider. 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, cinnamon, and salt, and mix for a minute with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula until it forms a soft, sticky dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 1: Use your hand to scoop a handful of dough from underneath, up one side, up out of the bowl as far as you can stretch it without tearing, then fold it over itself on top. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat another stretching of the dough up and folding over itself. Repeat rotating the bowl and stretching & folding the dough twice more, until you've completed four stretch-and-folds.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 2: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 3: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and Fold 4: Repeat the process for four stretch-and-folds. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 1 hour, until it doubles in size and looks bubbly on top. While the dough is rising, prep the apple filling.
Mix the Apple Filling
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, optional nutmeg, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes, until the apples soften and release a lot of their juice.
- Bring to a boil and stir in the cornstarch. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute, to activate the cornstarch. Set aside to cool.
Shape, Fill with Apples, and Proof
- Spread 4 tablespoons of melted butter 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 three quarters of the cooled apple filling evenly over the dough.
- From a short edge, lift up the dough and roll it up like a giant burrito. Then pick up the dough from the long edges, lift it out of the dish, rotate it 90 degrees, and place it back down in the baking dish. Press it back out (it might not fully reach the edges of the baking dish, but it’ll expand as it proofs).
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has really puffed up and jiggles when you shake the baking dish.
Top with Apples, Bake, and Glaze
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (230°C).
- Brush 2 tablespoons of melted butter evenly over the dough. Spread the remaining apple filling evenly on top.
- Use your fingers to press dimples into the dough, pressing all the way to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the focaccia is puffed up and golden.
- While the focaccia bakes, prepare the glaze. In a mixing bowl, mix the powdered sugar, salt, melted butter, and apple cider. Mix with a spoon or fork until it’s smooth.
- Let the focaccia cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle the glaze all over the top in an even layer, all the way to the edges and corners. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes more before slicing and serving.
Aim to have the dimples spread apart by 1-inch. If you dimple the dough too much & too close together, you’ll knock too much air out.
If your glaze is too thick to drizzle, mix in another teaspoon of apple cider at a time. And if it's too thin, mix in an additional tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time. You want it opaque and thin enough to slowly drizzle off a spoon or whisk.
Notes
- Apples: Stick to a firm apple variety, such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Braeburn, Fuji, or Gala, which all turn tender without going mushy.
- Equipment: Bake this in a ceramic dish if you have one, since metal runs hotter and scorched the sugar-coated edges of this sweet focaccia in my recipe testing.
- Storing: The glaze starts to dissolve after the first day, so this is really best served fresh. For a make-ahead holiday option, bake the bread, cool it completely, and store at room temperature for up to a day. Warm it in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, then add the glaze before serving.
- Overnight Rise: For the overnight method, skip the stretch and folds. Let the dough sit covered at room temperature for 1-2 hours right after mixing, then move it to the fridge for 8-12 hours. The next day, add 1-2 extra hours to the proofing time to let the dough warm back up before baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice (of 16)Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 295mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 0.4mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!