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One morning, I woke up to a dough disaster—the dough I put together the night before had over-fermented and was completely sticky and unmanageable. I stared at the sticky mess, debating whether to toss it, but then I had a thought: what if I made this into a sweet focaccia!? I love apple fritters, so why not combine that flavor with focaccia? And just like that, my apple fritter focaccia was born.
Little did I know that when I shared the recipe online, it would explode in popularity. Millions of views poured in, and people from all over the world were salvaging their unmanageable dough—some even over-fermenting on purpose just to try it! The best part? You don’t need over-proofed dough to make this recipe; it works either way. But just goes to show—never throw away dough- Always bake it anyway!
Here’s How I Made It-
Prepare the Dough (Night Before Baking):
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 100g active sourdough starter, 375g filtered water, 30g honey and mix until milky. Then, add 500g unbleached bread flour, and 10g salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Perform a couple of sets of stretch and folds. Cover and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours).
Baking the Focaccia (Next Morning):
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Peel and chop 1 apple, then set it aside.
- In a small bowl, melt 1 stick of unsalted butter. Use a portion to grease a 9×13” baking pan. Mix the remaining melted butter with 1–2 tbsp cinnamon and ¼–½ cup brown sugar.
- Transfer the dough into the greased baking pan, gently stretching it to cover the bottom.
- Pour the cinnamon sugar butter over the dough. Evenly distribute the sliced apples on top. Use your fingers to dimple the dough, pressing the toppings into it.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Prepare the Glaze:
- While the focaccia bakes, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp. milk, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Finish & Serve:
- Remove the focaccia from the oven, check internal temp (205°F), and let it cool for a few minutes, and drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
This recipe is proof that mistakes can lead to something truly special. If you ever find yourself with over-proofed dough, don’t throw it away—turn it into something amazing!
Storage Tips:
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. I like this 9×13 baking pan because it comes with a lid you can pop on once it cools! To reheat I would put in the oven (with the lid off) at 350 for 5-10 min until heated thoroughly.
If You Like This Recipe, Try These:
- Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia– A sweet focaccia bursting with fresh lemon and blueberry muffin flavors!
- Easy Overnight Focaccia – A simple, foolproof savory focaccia that requires minimal effort and delivers incredible flavor.
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread – Light, fluffy, and perfect for sandwiches or toast—your go-to everyday sourdough loaf!
Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For Dough – Prepare The night before
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- 375 g Filtered water
- 30 g Honey
- 500 g Unbleached bread flour
- 10 g Salt
Cinnamon Sugar Butter
- 113 g Unsalted Butter Melted (1 Stick)
- 1-2 tbsp Cinnamon
- 60g or ¼–½ cup Brown sugar
For the Glaze
- 120g or 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Milk
- Pinch of Salt
Additional Topping
- 1 apple peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough (Night Before Baking): In a large mixing bowl, combine the 100g active sourdough starter, 375g filtered water, 30g honey, until milky. Then add 500g unbleached bread flour, and 10g salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Perform a couple of sets of stretch and folds. Cover and let the dough Bulk ferment at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours). This step is flexible, and even over fermented dough will work!
- The next morning: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Peel and chop 1 apple then set aside. In a small bowl, melt the 1 stick of unsalted butter and use a portion to grease a 9×13” baking pan. Mix the remaining melted butter with 1- 2 tbsp. of cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar.
- Transfer the dough into the greased baking pan, gently stretch it to the sides of the pan so its covering the bottom. Pour the cinnamon sugar butter over the dough. Evenly distribute the sliced apples on top. Use your fingers to dimple the dough, pressing the toppings into it.
- Bake: Cover the pan with foil and bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Prepare the Glaze: While the focaccia bakes, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp. milk, and a pinch of salt until a smooth icing forms.
- Finish & Serve: Remove the focaccia from the oven, check internal temp (205°F), and let it cool a few minutes, and drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
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