Apple Fritter Focaccia with Brown Butter Glaze
- Serves
- 1 9x13 focaccia
- Prep Time
- 3 hours
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
This apple fritter focaccia takes the best parts of an apple fritter and lets you skip the frying. You add chopped apples to a focaccia base, cover it in a cinnamon butter and bake until golden brown. To get that similar fritter vibe that you'd get at a bakery, I paired it with a brown butter glaze that hardens as it cools.
If you don't like apples, no problem! Replace the filling with your favorite ingredients. This focaccia also works great on its own if you just want to have a base recipe as well!
Ingredients
For the focaccia
- 4 1/2 ( cups 540g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 cups (473mL) warm water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the apple fritter filling
- 5 medium apples, varying types, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinammon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
For the cinnamon butter
- 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the brown butter glaze
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, browned
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Directions
Prepare the focaccia
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Whisk to combine. Pour in the warm water and olive oil and mix with a whisk or spoon until the flour disappears and you have a shaggy, uneven dough. Set aside for 25 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel.
- Step 2
Remove kitchen towel and with a wet hand, perform your folds. Grab the edge of the dough and place it in the center. Rotate the bowl and complete 10 folds. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 15 minutes. Repeat this step 4 times every 15 minutes.
- Step 3
Let the dough rise covered for 1.5 hours.
- Step 4
Add in three tablespoons of olive oil to the base of a 9x13 baking pan and brush throughout to cover all areas. Carefully pour in focaccia dough and flip over to ensure all sides are covered in oil.
- Step 5
Let the dough continue sitting, covered for 45 minutes.
Prepare the apple fritter filling and the cinnamon butter
- Step 1
For the apple fritter filling, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together and set aside.
- Step 2
For the cinnamon butter, in a medium bowl whip the butter until it lightens and has the same tone and consistency of mayonnaise, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Add cinnamon and brown sugar to the butter and combine. Set aside.
Prepare to bake
- Step 1
You’ll notice the dough has expanded, so at this point add 1/2 of the apple fritter filling to the dough on top. Dollop the cinnamon butter on top as well.
- Step 2
Fold the focaccia dough in half and shape to fill out the baking pan. Add another 1/2 of the apple fritter filling and cinnamon butter. At this stage, you can use your fingertips to create dimples throughout the dough.
- Step 3
Continue letting the dough sit for another 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 475 in the meantime.
- Step 4
Bake focaccia for 25 minutes in the pan, ensuring that the top has fully cooked through and is golden brown. Let cool slightly and begin working on the glaze.
To make the Apple Fritter Focaccia
- Step 1
Once you've browned your butter, add to a medium bowl. Combine with the remaining glaze ingredients and stir until combined.
- Step 2
Using a brush, paint the glaze on to the warm focaccia. Let cool for a few minutes to harden.