recipes

Apple Fritter Focaccia

If an apple fritter and focaccia had a baby, this would be it. This soft and airy sweet focaccia is stuffed with buttery cinnamon apples and raisins, folded over so every slice is packed with filling, then topped with even more caramelized apples before baking until golden brown. Finished with a simple vanilla glaze, it has all the flavours of a classic apple fritter with a crisp exterior, a fluffy interior, and no deep fryer required. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

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Dough

  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Apple Fritter Filing

  • ⅔ cup salted butter
  • 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 heaping tbsp ground cinnamon
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup raisins

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup icing (powdered) sugar
  • 2½–3 tbsp whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
Servings 12
Prep Time 5 hours
Cook Time 35-40 minutes
Total Time About 5 hours and 40 minutes
How To Make It
  1. In a measuring cup, combine the warm water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the centre, then add the yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir until a rough, shaggy dough forms. Finish mixing with your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky—don't knead it.
  3. Cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
  4. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, every 30 minutes. Wet or lightly oil your hands, stretch one side of the dough upward, fold it over the centre, rotate the bowl, and repeat on all four sides. Cover between each set.
  5. After the final fold, transfer the dough to a lightly oiled rectangular container. Flip once to coat with oil, cover, and let rise until relaxed and slightly puffy, about 45–60 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften.
  7. Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the sugar has melted and coats the apples.
  8. Remove half of the apple mixture and reserve it for the topping. Stir the raisins into the remaining apple mixture. Let both cool completely.
  9. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and drizzle generously with olive oil.
  10. Transfer the dough to the pan and gently stretch it into a rectangle. Spread the apple-raisin mixture over half of the dough.
  11. Fold the dough over like a letter to completely enclose the filling, then gently stretch it back out to fill the pan evenly.
  12. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy, about 1½–2 hours.
  13. Spread the reserved apple mixture over the top. Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples across the dough.
  14. Let rest another 30–45 minutes while the oven preheats to 400°F.
  15. Bake for 35–40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until deep golden brown and the centre reaches 200–205°F.
  16. Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
  17. Whisk together the icing sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Drizzle over the warm focaccia before serving.
Notes
  1. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples all work well.
  2. Allow the apple filling to cool before assembling.
  3. Best enjoyed the day it's baked but will keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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