Strawberry Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia

Important Ingredients & Subsitutions

• Strawberry Lemonade– Instead of water, this focaccia uses strawberry lemonade to infuse the dough. I use Simply Lemonade with Strawberry because it has minimal ingredients but you could also make it homemade or use a different brand. You could also substitute for any lemonade flavor.
• Active sourdough starter- Use your sourdough starter at peak, when it has doubled in size and has lots of bubbles.
• Strawberries- Diced, fresh strawberries are added to the dough during the stretch and fold process. If you want to substitute for a wetter fruit like raspberries I recommend reducing your liquid in the recipe by 25-50 grams.
• Strawberry jam – A thin layer of strawberry jam adds even more sweet strawberry flavor. Homemade or store-bought jams or preserves will work and can be replaced with different flavors.
• Bread flour- Flour with a higher protein content, like bread flour, is ideal for sourdough bread. In a pinch, you can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour but I recommend cutting the amount of liquid by 50 grams as all-purpose flour does not absorb as much liquid.

See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.

Flavor Variations

This strawberry lemonade sourdough focaccia could easily be made into a different flavor. From lemon, blueberry, or raspberry there are lots of ways to make this recipe customized to your preferences.

If you love making sourdough focaccia recipes you’ve got to try some of my other flavored focaccias! From Cranberry Orange Sourdough Focaccia made with orange juice, Hot Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia made with hot cocoa, and Cheeseburger Sourdough Focaccia made with pickle juice there are so many to try.

Helpful tools 

• 9×13 pan– I recommend using a metal 9×13 baking pan for this recipe. 
• Kitchen Scale– When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.  
• Cooling Rack– Using a wire rack helps the bread cool quicker by allowing air under the bread. 
• 2 quart proofing container– This is the easiest way to tell when the dough has risen 50% for the first rise.

Instructions to make Strawberry Lemonade Sourdough Focaccia

In a bowl or straight edge container, mix together the Strawberry lemonade, lemon zest, active starter, and salt until the starter is dissolved with a dough whisk. Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough is formed. Let sit in a warm spot covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 4-5 hours total time.

Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the gluten in the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set.  Add the diced strawberries during the first set of stretch and folds. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.

Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl.

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a 9×13 pan and add the focaccia dough. Coat both sides with butter. Spread out the dough and then spread the jam on top of the dough and then fold the dough in half. 

Let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy. Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and add on top of the dough. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake in the oven at 425F degrees for 27-30 minutes.

While the focaccia is baking, whisk together powdered sugar and strawberry lemonade to make the glaze. 

After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool. Drizzle the glaze on top of the baked focaccia while it is still warm and serve.

Sample Schedule 

This is based on the dough temperature being in the mid 70s. There are many factors that can impact how slowly or quickly dough rises so use this as a guideline but look for the visual cues the dough is ready to move on.

Storage Instructions 

Store in an airtight container or cover in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. To reheat, you can warm it in the microwave, or to get a crispy crust again spray it lightly with water and add it back to a 400-degree oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.

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