Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia
I have had many requests to share this Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia recipe—mostly from my roommate’s coworkers. The concept for this recipe was born last fall when I experimented with the addition of apples and cinnamon to my sourdough focaccia. As you can imagine, the result was delicious, and, to my surprise, it really reminded me of an apple fritter (my favourite donut). The dough gets this beautiful crispness on the outside from the hot pan, which lends the illusion of a fried dough without the act of frying.
Table of Contents
- Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia Ingredients
- Equipment
- Suggested Baking Schedule
- Step 1—Feed Your Sourdough Starter
- Step 2—Mix the Dough
- Step 3—Complete a Series of Stretch and Folds
- Step 4—Incorporate the Cinnamon Apples
- Step 5—First Proof
- Step 6—Second Proof
- Step 7—Top with Cinnamon Sugar Glaze, Dimple, & Bake
- Step 8—Cool, Ice & Enjoy!
- More Cozy Fall Treats!
Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia Ingredients
To make Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia, you will need the following ingredients:
Sourdough Focaccia Dough
- 375 grams warm water
- 150 grams active sourdough starter
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 20 grams honey
- 10 grams salt
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 200 grams cored and chopped apples (I like to use Granny Smith)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 50 grams melted butter
- 40 grams brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Icing
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 4 teaspoons water
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- 9½ x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet
Suggested Baking Schedule
The Night Before
8pm: Feed the sourdough starter.
The Day of
8am: Mix the dough.
8:30am: Add the honey and salt to the dough and mix to combine.
8:30am – 12pm: Complete a series of envelope folds, incorporating the cinnamon apple filling on the second fold.
12pm – 2pm: Rest the dough until it has doubled in size. Transfer to the fridge.
The Next Day
8am: Take the dough out and transfer it to the sheet pan.
8am – 12pm: Let the dough rise at room temp for 3-4 hours.
12pm – 12:30pm: Dimple, top with the brown sugar glaze, and bake.
12:30pm – 1pm: Cool and glaze.
Step 1—Feed Your Sourdough Starter
The night before, feed your sourdough starter with 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of warm water. Let it rise overnight.
In the morning, complete a float test to determine if your starter is active enough to be baked with. To complete a float test, add a spoonful of sourdough starter to a small bowl or cup of warm water. If it floats, as seen in the pictures below, your starter is ready to be baked with. If the starter sinks, it will need to ferment longer.
Step 2—Mix the Dough
Measure 375 grams of warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 150 grams of your active starter and use your hand to stir gently to disperse.
Add 500 grams of all-purpose flour, then using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, mix until the ingredients come together into a shaggy and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
After the 30-minute resting period, add 10 grams of salt and 20 grams of honey. Mix with the dough hook until combined.
Step 3—Complete a Series of Stretch and Folds
Envelope folds are a critical element to making sourdough bread. During this process, the dough is stretched and folded over itself (like an envelope) repeatedly over a period of several hours. The folds encourage the dough to build tension and structure and to develop the gluten in the dough.
Transfer the dough from the bowl of your mixer to a large mixing bowl. Grab one edge of the dough and stretch it up, folding it back down over itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the stretch and fold, doing a fold on all four sides. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Complete a series of stretch and folds, as described above, every 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Over this period the dough will become less sticky and more smooth and elastic.
Step 4—Incorporate the Cinnamon Apples
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cored and chopped apples with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour. I like to use Granny Smith apples in this recipe because their natural tartness pairs nicely with the sweetness of the rest of the recipe.
On the second set of stretches and folds, add the apples into the dough. Don’t worry if they are not very well incorporated after the fold. The apples will continue to incorporate as you complete more stretches and folds.
Step 5—First Proof
After the last stretch and fold is done, let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This will take about 2 hours.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.
Step 6—Second Proof
The next morning, grease a 9½ x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Make sure to grease the bottom and sides of the pan!
Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to the greased baking sheet, lifting it from the bottom and gently spreading it out on the pan with an up-and-down motion. Repeat this motion a few times. It’s ok if the dough doesn’t spread right to the edges; it will continue to spread during the second proof.
Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and let it rise for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size.
Step 7—Top with Cinnamon Sugar Glaze, Dimple, & Bake
Once the dough has doubled in size and jiggles when you shake the pan, it is ready to be baked. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together 50 grams melted butter, 40 grams brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour the brown sugar glaze over the focaccia dough, using your fingers to dimple the dough and spread the glaze out evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, until the focaccia is golden brown.
Step 8—Cool, Ice & Enjoy!
Remove the sourdough apple fritter focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together 100 grams of icing sugar and 4 teaspoons of water until smooth. Spoon the icing over the warm apple fritter focaccia, using the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Make sure there is icing across the entire surface of the focaccia. Let the icing set for another 10 minutes.
Remove the focaccia from its pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice, serve, and enjoy! Sourdough apple fritter focaccia is best the day it’s baked—just like donuts—but it can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
More Cozy Fall Treats!
If you loved this Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia recipe, make sure to try these other cozy fall treats:
Marbled Miso Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Cozy Oatmeal + Cranberry Cookies
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia
Equipment
- 9½ x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Sourdough Focaccia Dough
- 375 grams warm water
- 150 grams active sourdough starter
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 20 grams honey
- 10 grams sea salt
- 1 tablespoons melted butter
Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 200 grams cored and chopped apples (Granny Smith is what I use)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 50 grams melted butter
- 40 grams brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 4 teaspoons water
Instructions
Feed the Sourdough Starter
- The night before, feed your sourdough starter with 100 grams of flour and 100 grams of warm water. Let it rise overnight.
- In the morning, complete a float test to determine if your starter is active enough to be baked with. To complete a float test, add a spoonful of sourdough starter to a small bowl or cup of warm water. If it floats, as seen in the pictures below, your starter is ready to be baked with. If the starter sinks, it will need to ferment longer.
Mix the Dough
- Measure 375 grams of warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 150 grams of your active starter and use your hand to stir gently to disperse.
- Add 500 grams of all-purpose flour, then using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, mix until the ingredients come together into a shaggy and sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- After the 30-minute resting period, add 10 grams of salt and 20 grams of honey. Mix with the dough hook until combined.
Complete a Series of Stretch and Folds
- Transfer the dough from the bowl of your mixer to a large mixing bowl. Grab one edge of the dough and stretch it up, folding it back down over itself. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the stretch and fold, doing a fold on all four sides. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Complete a series of stretch and folds, as described above, every 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Over this period the dough will become less sticky and more smooth and elastic.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the cored and chopped apples with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour.
- On the second set of stretches and folds, add the apples into the dough. Don't worry if they are not very well incorporated after the fold. The apples will continue to incorporate as you complete more stretches and folds.
Proof the Dough
- After the last stretch and fold is done, let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This will take about 2 hours. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.
- The next morning, grease a 9½ x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Make sure to grease the bottom and sides of the pan! Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer it to the greased baking sheet, lifting it from the bottom and gently spreading it out on the pan with an up-and-down motion. Repeat this motion a few times.
- Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and let it rise for 3 to 4 hours, or until doubled in size.
Top, Dimple, and Bake
- Once the dough has doubled in size and jiggles when you shake the pan, it is ready to be baked. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 50 grams melted butter, 40 grams brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Pour the brown sugar glaze over the focaccia dough, using your fingers to dimple the dough and spread the glaze out evenly.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, until the focaccia is golden brown.
- Remove the sourdough apple fritter focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together 100 grams of icing sugar and 4 teaspoons of water until smooth. Spoon the icing over the warm apple fritter focaccia, using the back of the spoon to spread it evenly. Make sure there is icing across the entire surface of the focaccia. Let the icing set for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the focaccia from its pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice, serve, and enjoy! Sourdough apple fritter focaccia is best the day it's baked—just like donuts—but it can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
