Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia
One morning I woke up to dough that had completely over fermented… like, way past the point of saving for a decent loaf. I’d heard people say you can turn over fermented dough into focaccia, but it was breakfast time, and I was craving something fun—something like an apple fritter. And then it hit me: why not make a sourdough apple fritter focaccia?

So, I grabbed my phone, hit record, and just went for it. I posted the video, and it instantly blew up. We’re talking millions of views. Since then, it’s become one of the most popular recipes on my entire website, all because of one “oops” moment in my kitchen.
The good news is you don’t have to over ferment your dough to make this. It’s super flexible and easy to pull together. Let me show you how I made it!
This website has affiliate links that earn commission from purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for using them and supporting my content!
Here’s How I Made It-
Prepare the Focaccia 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 and let rest for about 30 minutes.
- Perform a couple of sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart to strengthen the dough. Cover and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature overnight (8–12 hours).

Baking the Apple Fritter 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 or 12 inch cast iron skillet. Mix the remaining melted butter with 1–2 tbsp cinnamon and ¼–½ cup brown sugar depending on how sweet you want it.
- 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 fermented dough, don’t throw it away—turn it into something amazing!

If You Like This Recipe, Try These:
- Sourdough Lemon Blueberry Focaccia– A sweet focaccia 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 Medium/ Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 9×13 Baking Pan or 12" Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 Foil for covering while baking
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 and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Perform a couple of sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart to build strength in the dough. 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 or 12" cast iron skillet. 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!



6 responses to “Sourdough Apple Fritter Focaccia Recipe”
Can I use strawberry pie filling instead of the cinnamon and apples
I haven’t tried this before, but I don’t see why not! However, I would make sure to still drizzle some butter on it so it gets nice and crisp!
Will be wonderful
I made this with an adaptation , I gently folded in about 1/2 cup of finely diced apples and a handful of plump tricolor raisins, with a sprinkle of cinnamon to the dough in the morning before putting the dough in the pan , I added few more raisins to the top with the rest of the apples.
This is delicious recipe!
Does it have to be bread flour or will all purpose work also?
All purpose flour will work, but it will be a wetter and stickier dough.