Easy Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Focaccia
This apple cinnamon sourdough focaccia recipe is filled with a delicious cinnamon sugar and apple filling, baked to perfection and then drizzled with a sweet glaze. Apple pie and apple fritters are both some of my favorite fall flavors and it's all wrapped up one in this beautiful focaccia bread that is perfect for a cozy fall day, along with a cup of tea or coffee.
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Measuring cups
- 1 Danish whisk
- 1 Bench scraper
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 12” cast iron skillet or 9” x 13” glass pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter (discard)
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 ½ cups cups flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
Filling/Topping
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 Tbl cinnamon
Additional Ingredients
- ½ cup melted butter
- 4 cups chopped apples
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Mix Ingredients
- In a large bowl, add water, sourdough starter, maple syrup and flour. Mix until it comes together into a shaggy dough using a danish dough whisk. You can add the salt now, or when you do the first stretch and fold. It doesn’t really matter for focaccia. Leave it for 15-30 minutes to “autolyse”. This just means you’re giving the flour a chance to absorb the water and the starter. Do a set of stretch and folds or a coil fold just to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
Bulk Fermentation
- Cover bowl with a loose fitting lid like a plate and leave it in the bowl at room temperature for 3-8 hours to let the dough rise in a bulk ferment. It doesn’t matter if it over ferments, in fact that’s really what you want for focaccia.
Make The Filling
- Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter and grease the bottom of the pan, saving about half of the butter for the top of the dough.Transfer dough to a greased pan like a 12” cast iron skillet or a 9” x 13” pan.Cover the focaccia dough with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon filling. Fold one side towards the center, and the other side towards the center, fully enclosing the filling. Flip the whole batch of dough over and gently spread it back out.Allow to rise for an hour or two in a warm spot, or in the refrigerator overnight for the second proof (depending on the temperature of your house).Chop the apples into small pieces so they will turn soft while baking, or use home canned apples. Drizzle melted butter over the top of the dough and spread the remainder of the cinnamon sugar mixture and chopped apples over the top of the dough. Dimple the surface of the dough with wet fingers (see video). This will allow the rest of the filling to be fully incorporated into the dough.Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bake
- Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl to make a thick glaze and drizzle over the top of the warm focaccia.
Slice and Enjoy
- For best results, wait until the focaccia is cool to slice. Sometimes I can’t wait that long, and slice it sooner. You’ll never eat anything more delicious!Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.If you make this recipe, be sure to come back and give a 5-star rating so others will know to try it too. Happy baking friends!
Notes
Anytime you add a fermented element like sourdough to a recipe, it becomes more nutritious because it contains live probiotics and good bacteria that help with gut health and digestion. Gluten and phytic acid are naturally present in wheat, and are usually what is to blame for people not being able to digest gluten well. When the grain is fermented through the sourdough process, the gluten and phytic acid are broken down, making it easier to digest. A lot of people that struggle with gluten intolerance (not people with celiac), can digest food made with sourdough without any issue, especially if the recipe is allowed to sit out for a few hours and “long ferment”.
