Banana Bread Pull-Apart Focaccia
Pillowy sourdough dough packed with real banana flavor, dipped in vanilla butter, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and finished with a dreamy cream cheese icing. This pull-apart focaccia tastes like home. Sourdough or yeast option.
Servings: 20 focaccia balls
Calories: 256kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- kitchen scale
- 9x13 inch aluminum baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Small bowl for vanilla butter
- Shallow bowl for cinnamon sugar coating
- Plastic wrap or damp towel
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 500 grams bread flour 4 cups
- 2 large frozen bananas fully defrosted to room temperature
- (water as needed to reach 375 grams total liquid) (banana weight plus water combined)
- 75 grams active sourdough starter fed and bubbly 1/3 cup
- 15 grams brown sugar 1 tablespoon
- 10 grams vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
- 10 grams salt 2 teaspoons
For the Vanilla Butter Dip
- 85 grams butter melted 6 tablespoons
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 150 grams brown sugar packed 3/4 cup
- 12 grams ground cinnamon 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
- 1 to 2 grams ground nutmeg 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Optional
- 100 grams walnuts or pecans coarsely crushed 3/4 cup
For the Classic Vanilla Glaze
- 180 grams powdered sugar 1 and 1/2 cups
- 45 grams whole milk or heavy cream 3 tablespoons
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- pinch of salt
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 113 grams full-fat cream cheese softened 1/2 cup
- 120 grams powdered sugar sifted 1 cup
- 45 to 60 grams heavy cream 3 to 4 tablespoons
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Day 1 Evening: Mix the Dough
- Weigh your defrosted bananas directly in your large mixing bowl, then add enough room temperature water to bring the total liquid weight to 375 grams. The exact amount of water will depend on how much your bananas weigh.
- Add the sourdough starter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the bread flour and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and shaggy. This is normal.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, perform one set of stretch and folds to build strength in the dough. With wet hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you have worked all the way around the dough.
- Cover the bowl again and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours overnight, until it has at least doubled in size and looks bubbly and puffy.
Day 2 Morning: Shape, Proof, and Bake
- Line your 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the 85 grams of butter for the vanilla butter dip and let it cool slightly before stirring in the 5 grams of vanilla extract. Pour into a small bowl and set aside.
- Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a shallow bowl for the coating.
- Lightly oil your work surface and turn the dough out. The dough should look bubbly and feel soft and airy.
- Working with oiled or wet hands, pull off a golf ball-sized piece of dough. Dip it into the vanilla butter, let the excess drip off, then roll it generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully coated.
- Place the coated ball in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving a small gap between each ball. They will expand and connect during the second proof.
- Cover the pan and let the dough balls proof at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, until poofy, almost doubled, and jiggling when you shake the pan gently.
- During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Press one dimple into the top of each ball with your finger just before baking.
- If adding nuts, sprinkle the crushed walnuts or pecans evenly over the top of the pan now. They will caramelize from the oven heat and sit beautifully on top of each ball.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).
- Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before adding icing.
Make the Vanilla Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk or cream, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Add more milk a little at a time if needed to reach a drizzleable consistency.
- Drizzle generously over the warm focaccia and serve immediately.
OR Make the Cream Cheese Icing
- Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time and mix until the icing is smooth and pourable but still thick enough to coat the tops of the balls.
- Drizzle or spread over the warm focaccia and serve immediately.
Notes
Optional: Adding Nuts
For a banana nut version, crush about 100 grams (3/4 cup) of walnuts or pecans and sprinkle them over the pan right after dimpling, just before baking. The nuts sit on top of the dough and caramelize from the oven heat. Drizzle the icing over as usual once the focaccia comes out. Walnuts give a more classic banana bread flavor while pecans are slightly sweeter and more buttery.
Banana Note: Frozen vs. Fresh
Frozen and fully defrosted bananas are strongly recommended for this recipe. Freezing breaks down the cell walls and releases significantly more liquid as the bananas thaw, which is what keeps this dough tender and soft. If you do not have frozen bananas, the next best option is the oven method. Place unpeeled bananas on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 20 to 40 minutes until the skins are completely black and the bananas feel soft to the touch. Let them cool completely before using. This forces moisture release and softening in a similar way to freezing and gives much better results than using a standard ripe banana. Start with yellow bananas rather than green ones for the best flavor. Do not use a raw banana that is not fully black and mushy, it will not release enough liquid and the dough will be noticeably denser.
How to Hit Your Liquid Target
Weigh your defrosted bananas directly in your mixing bowl. Add water until the combined weight reaches 375 grams total. EXAMPLE If your bananas weigh 200 grams, add 175 grams of water. If they weigh 220 grams, add 155 grams of water. This approach works regardless of banana size and ensures consistent results every time.
Make Ahead
After the overnight bulk fermentation, shape and coat the dough balls and arrange them in the prepared pan. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. The next morning, pull the pan out and let it come to room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before baking.
Storage
Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat individual pieces in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or warm the whole pan in a 300 degree F oven until heated through. To freeze, bake without icing, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature, warm in the oven, and add fresh icing before serving.
Tips for Success
Use oiled hands and an oiled work surface when shaping. Do not add extra flour as it will tighten the dough and affect the soft texture. Watch the dough, not the clock, during the second proof. The balls should look poofy, be touching or nearly touching, and jiggle when you shake the pan. Check the bottom of the pan around the 22-minute mark to avoid the cinnamon sugar burning.
Yeast Version: No Sourdough Starter Needed
Replace the 75 grams of sourdough starter with the following:
37 grams all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup) 37 grams water (about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons)
7 grams instant yeast (2 and 1/4 teaspoons) OR 9 grams active dry yeast (2 and 3/4 teaspoons)
Using instant yeast: Mix everything together at once with all other dough ingredients. Let bulk ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until doubled and puffy, then proceed with shaping, second proof, and baking exactly as written.
Using active dry yeast: Combine the 37 grams warm water (100 to 110 degrees F) with the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. Add the activated yeast mixture along with the 37 grams flour and all other dough ingredients. Bulk ferment for 2 to 3 hours until doubled, then proceed as written.
See the blog post for more thorough instruction.
