You need to try this delicious apple fritter focaccia bread, it is the ultimate fall sweet treat! Soft and fluffy focaccia dough loaded with warm, spiced apples and then topped with drizzled with a sweet sugar glaze.
Check out my delicious apple turnovers or apple crisp for the ultimate fall dessert!
APPLE FRITTER FOCACCIA BREAD
What better way to enjoy the crisp fall weather and apple season than with this apple fritter focaccia bread! The base of this recipe is my soft and fluffy homemade focaccia dough that is filled with warm, spiced cinnamon apples. This focaccia recipe gives you all the delicious apple fritter flavors, minus all the deep-frying.
WHAT YOU NEED-
- Focaccia Dough– The base of this recipe uses my simple focaccia dough recipe! You can swap my classic dough for sourdough if you prefer. I just like to sweeten the dough a little with granulated sugar or honey.
- Apples– Any type of apple will work, I like doing a mix of sweet and tart apples. Apples like Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Gala, Fuji, Pink Lady, Jonathan, Braeburn or any other apples will work great.
- Butter– Either salted or unsalted butter for the apple filling and baking pan coating. The butter helps create a gooey caramelized sauce for the apple filling.
- Sugar– To sweeten the apple filling, you can use either granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, agave sweetener or even honey. I like using regular granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Vanilla– Adding vanilla extract adds so much more flavor to the apple turnover filling. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for this recipe.
- Cinnamon– You can’t have cinnamon apples without the cinnamon! Either ground cinnamon, apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice can be used.
- Cornstarch– The cinnamon apple filling calls for cornstarch to thicken up the juices that gives you a gooey, thick caramelized sauce.
- Sugar Glaze– All you need for the sugar icing glaze is powdered sugar and a splash of whole milk or half and half creamer.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE FRITTER FOCACCIA BREAD
Skip the deep-frying and make this apple fritter focaccia bread instead of fritters themselves!
- Add all the ingredients for the apple mixture to a saucepan and cook on medium heat, until the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened. (If it seems like there is no sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.)
- Mix the focaccia dough ingredients in a large bowl until a wet, sticky dough forms. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
- With wet hands, stretch and fold the dough 4-5 times. Rest for 15 minutes, then repeat twice more for a total of 3 rounds.
- Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 45 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the pan, add half of the cinnamon apple mixture, then fold and stretch the dough toward the edges. Cover and let rise for about 2 hours, until fluffy and bubbly.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Top the dough with the remaining cinnamon apple mixture and gently dimple the dough. Gently press your fingertips into the dough to create dimples.
- Bake until the edges are crisp and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- While it bakes, prepare the sugar glaze.
- Let the focaccia cool slightly, then drizzle with icing and serve warm.
FRITTER VARIATIONS
You can totally swap out the apples for different fruit to make other flavors of fritter focaccia! You can skip the cinnamon if you make berries!
- Pears
- Peaches
- Cherry
- Strawberries
- Berries
GLAZED OPTIONS
Switch up the glaze options for this focaccia bread recipe!
- Simple Glaze– Keep is simple with the classic icing that calls for just powdered sugar and milk.
- Maple Glaze– For a sweet maple syrup glaze, just swap the liquid (milk) for maple syrup! If you still need to thin the glaze out, add a splash of milk!
- Brown Sugar Glaze– This is one of my favorite glaze flavors! You just want to add light or dark brown sugar and cinnamon to the classic mixture.
QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE:
Can I make a large batch of this focaccia?
Yes! You can use the measurements from my classic focaccia recipe for a full 9×13 size pan! Just be sure to double the apple mixture and icing also!
Can I make the focaccia dough overnight?
For my overnight focaccia ingredients, use my guide from my classic focaccia dough recipe.
Can I quicken the rise time?
No, the most vital step in getting the perfect batch of focaccia is to be patient during the rise time!
Can I make the apple mixture ahead of time?
Yes, you can totally make the apple filling up to 2-3 days ahead of time! No matter when you make the mixture, be sure NOT to add hot filling onto the dough.
Do I have to add apple mixture on the inside of the dough?
Yes, just like a classic fritter, you want to have the apple cinnamon filling throughout the dough.
How do I store leftover apple fritter focaccia?
Once this focaccia bread is completely cool, store it covered at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for 4-5 days!
OTHER FOCACCIA RECIPES-
Check out these other delicious variations of focaccia!
Check out this my socials for my video focaccia series!
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Best Apple Fritter Focaccia
If you love apple fritters, then you need to try this delicious apple fritter focaccia recipe! Soft fluffy focaccia loaded with warm cinnamon apples and drizzled with a sweet sugar glaze.
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Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
Focaccia Dough-
- 240 grams all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 204 grams warm water 105-110°F
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Apple Filling-
- 2 medium apples
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp water
Icing-
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp whole milk**
Instructions
Cinnamon Apple Filling-
- Wash, pit and peel the apples. Finely dice the apples into ⅓” small cubes, all even in size.2 medium apples
- Add all the ingredients to a sauce pan or pot and mix to combine.3 Tbsp unsalted butter , 1/4 cup brown sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3 Tbsp water, 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
- Bring the apples to a simmer cooking on medium high heat. Once simmering, cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the apples are soft and the sauce has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and allow the apple mixture to cool. (You can make the apple filling 2-3 days ahead of time, store in the fridge until ready to make focaccia.)
Apple Fritter Focaccia-
- Add all the ingredients for the focaccia dough to a large bowl. Using a dough whisk or your hands, mix until everything is well combined and a wet, sticky dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest at room temp for 15 minutes.240 grams all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp salt, 2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp active dry yeast, , 204 grams warm water, 105-110°F, 1 Tbsp olive oil
- After 15 minutes, stretch and fold the dough. With wet hands, grab one edge of the dough, gently pull it upward, and fold it toward the center. Turn the bowl slightly and repeat with another section of dough. Continue this process until you have stretched and folded the dough 4-5 times.
- Cover the dough and let rest another 15 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process. Rest the dough for another 15 minutes, then repeat the stretch-and-fold process one final time, for a total of 3 rounds of stretching and folding.
- After the third and final stretch and fold, cover the dough and let rise at room temp, or in a warm, draft-free spot, for 45 minutes.
- Drizzle a 9×9 inch baking pan with 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Using lightly oiled or wet hands, gently stretch the dough toward the edges of the pan.2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Spread half of the cinnamon apple mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Starting with one side of the dough, gently stretch it upward and fold it toward the center. Repeat with the opposite side, folding it over the first fold.
- Carefully flip the dough over so the folded side is underneath. Using wet or lightly oiled hands, gently stretch the dough toward the edges of the pan. (If the dough does not reach all the way to the edges, that’s okay! It will continue to spread as it rises.)
- Cover the baking pan and allow the dough to rise for another 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size and looks fluffy and bubbly. (Do NOT rush this step! The dough needs enough time to rise properly for the best texture and flavor.)
- About 20–30 minutes before the dough is finished rising, preheat the oven to 450°F. This ensures the oven is fully heated when the focaccia is ready to bake.
- Once the dough has finished rising, uncover it and drizzle the remaining cinnamon apple mixture evenly over the top. Wet your hands, then gently press your fingertips straight down into the dough to create deep dimples. Continue until the entire surface of the dough is covered with dimples.
- Bake at 450°F for 20-25 minutes, until the focaccia is deep golden brown and crisp around the edges.
- While the focaccia is baking, whisk together all of the sugar icing ingredients until smooth. Set aside.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp whole milk**
- Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then, carefully transfer it to a wire cooling rack and let it cool slightly.
- Drizzle the warm apple fritter focaccia with the icing, then slice and serve. For the best flavor and texture, serve warm.
Notes
**If you want to make the focaccia dough overnight, check out my classic focaccia bread recipe.
***The flour and water are measured in grams instead of cups for greater accuracy, helping ensure your dough comes out perfect every time!
***The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, add more liquid. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
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