Sourdough Caramel Apple Focaccia

Slices of Caramel Apple Sourdough Focaccia on a wooden board next to a white and red towel.

4.45 from 34 votes

This Sourdough Caramel Apple Focaccia sweet bread is infused with apples and soft caramels and then topped with a caramel drizzle.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Proofing Time6

Total Time6 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

300 grams unsweetened applesauce, warm 2 ½ cup
100 grams water, warm scant ½ cup
150 grams sourdough starter heaping ⅓ cup
10 grams salt 1 ⅓ teaspoon
500 grams bread flour 3 ⅔ cups
150 grams peeled and diced apples 1 ½ cups
170 grams soft caramel squares, chopped 1 cup
114 grams butter, divided ½ cup
¼-½ cup caramel topping

Instructions

Whisk together applesauce, warm water, and active sourdough starter in a straight edge container or large bowl.
300 grams unsweetened applesauce, warm, 100 grams water, warm, 150 grams sourdough starter
Add in the salt and bread flour and mix until combined in a shaggy dough. Cover and let it rest in a warm spot. For a similar timeline as listed below, keep the dough temperature at 75℉.
10 grams salt, 500 grams bread flour
Peel and chop the apples. Dice the caramel squares.
150 grams peeled and diced apples, 170 grams soft caramel squares, chopped
Add the apples and caramels to the dough. Perform a set of stretches and folds to incorporate into the dough. 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. Repeat the stretch and folds 2 more times about 30 minutes apart.
Set the dough in a warm place and let it rise for bulk fermentation until the dough has risen about 50% and is jiggly. At 75°F, this took my dough about 5 hours from the time it was mixed.
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted melted butter, and then dump the focaccia dough into the pan. Flip the dough once to coat both sides of the dough with butter and then cover.
114 grams butter, divided
Let the dough rise for another 2-3 hours in a warm spot. The dough should feel airy and be visibly puffy when ready to bake.
Add the remaining butter to the top of the dough. Using your fingertips, press down into the dough, stretching it to fill the pan and dimpling it, creating indentations in the dough.
Bake in the oven for 27-30 minutes at 425°F. Remove from the pan and let cool on a cooling rack. Add a drizzle of the caramel sauce, and slice and enjoy!
¼-½ cup caramel topping

Notes

The dough should feel aerated when dimpling the dough. If it does not, find a warm spot for it to continue to rise. If it dense when you bake it, it will result in a dense focaccia.
For best results use the gram measurements.

Recipe changes updated 9/26/25

Soft caramels added during stretch and folds.
Applesauce amount reduced to 300 grams and water bumped from 50 grams to 100 grams.
Cinnamon sugar removed from the top of the dough.
Caramel topping drizzled on top.

Nutrition