Caramel Apple Pie Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Soft sourdough focaccia balls dipped in warm spiced apple pie filling, rolled in cinnamon sugar, baked until deep golden, and finished with a salted caramel glaze that sets into a crackly shell. Each piece pulls apart like a little slice of caramel apple pie, and the overnight rise does most of the work for you.
Calories: 257kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Digital Kitchen Scale
- Danish dough whisk or large spoon
- Instant read thermometer
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Medium saucepan with lid
- Two shallow bowls or plates (for dipping and coating)
- Microwave safe bowl (for the caramel)
- bench scraper
- Plastic wrap or a lid
Ingredients
Sourdough Focaccia Dough
- 500 g bread flour (4 cups plus 2 tablespoons, spooned and leveled)
- 400 g water room temperature (1⅔ cups)
- 75 g active sourdough starter fed and bubbly (⅓ cup)
- 10 g salt (1¾ teaspoons)
- 15 g sugar (1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon)
- 2.5 g ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- 1 g ground nutmeg optional, 1/4 teaspoon
Apple Pie Filling
- 450 g apples peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 3 medium apples)
- 75 g brown sugar packed (⅓ cup)
- 15 g fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- 3 g vanilla extract (¾ teaspoon)
- 5 g ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons)
- 1 g ground nutmeg (½ teaspoon)
- 0.5 g ground ginger (¼ teaspoon)
- 1.5 g salt (¼ teaspoon)
- 15 g unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
- 8 g cornstarch for the slurry (1 tablespoon)
- 30 g water for the cornstarch slurry (2 tablespoons)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 30 g cornstarch (¼ cup)
- 8 g ground cinnamon 1 Tablespoon
Caramel Glaze
- 67 g granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
- 20 g water (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
- 30 g heavy cream warmed, (2 tablespoons)
- 15 g unsalted butter (1 tablespoon)
- 2.5 g vanilla extract (½ teaspoon)
- Pinch of salt
- 40 g powdered sugar (⅓ cup)
Instructions
Day 1: Make the Sourdough Dough
- Mix the dough
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the 400 g water, 75 g active sourdough starter, 10 g salt, 15 g sugar, 5 g cinnamon, and nutmeg if using, and stir until combined. Add the 500 g bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and shaggy, which is exactly right.
- Rest
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Stretch and fold
- With a wet hand, take the edge of the dough, pull it up, and fold it into the middle, working your way around the bowl about six times. Then place your fingers on the seam and your thumb against the side of the bowl, pull the dough up, and flip it over onto itself so the seam ends up on the bottom. Run your hand along the edge, pushing away and tucking under at the same time, and repeat that push and tuck a few times until the dough is taut. One set is all this dough needs.
- Bulk fermentation
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, until it has at least doubled and has a domed top, visible bubbles throughout, and a puffy, jiggly texture. Timing depends on your kitchen temperature and the strength of your starter, so watch the dough rather than the clock.
Day 2: Make Filling, Shape, Rise, and Bake
- Make the apple pie filling
- In the morning, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk the 8 g cornstarch with the 30 g water until completely smooth, pour it into the apples, and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and keep the filling warm and pourable while you shape.
- Prepare your pan
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan generously with butter or cooking spray.
- Prepare cinnamon sugar coating
- In a shallow bowl or plate, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Set aside for dipping.
- Ball, Dip and Coat
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly oiled surface. With oiled hands, pinch off a golf ball size piece of dough, dip it into the warm apple pie filling so all sides are coated and a few apple chunks come along with it, then immediately roll it in the cinnamon sugar until completely covered. Place it in the prepared pan and repeat with the remaining dough, arranging the balls so they touch.
- Second rise
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or until puffy and the balls have grown together. They should jiggle slightly when you shake the pan.
- Add remaining filling
- After the second rise, pour or spoon any remaining apple pie filling over the top of the proofed focaccia.
- Bake
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until deep golden brown on top. If the top is browning too quickly (check around 25 minutes), tent with foil. The internal temperature should reach about 200-205°F. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Make the Caramel Glaze (See notes section for alternative)
- Make caramel
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the 67 g granulated sugar and 20 g water and do not stir. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then continue in 30 second intervals while watching closely, until the syrup turns a medium amber color, about 2½ to 3 minutes total. The sugar is extremely hot, so handle the bowl carefully.
- Add cream and butter
- Carefully stir in warmed heavy cream (it will bubble up dramatically!), butter, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will seize up at first but keep stirring. Let cool for 5-10 minutes until just warm to the touch.
- Finish glaze
- Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. The glaze should be pourable but have some body to it.
- Glaze
- Drizzle the caramel glaze generously over the warm focaccia. Make sure every piece gets covered.
- Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve
- Pull apart and enjoy! Each piece is like a mini caramel apple pie.
Notes
Use an Active Starter
Your starter should be fed, bubbly, and at its peak, roughly doubled since its last feeding, when you mix the dough. A sluggish starter still works, but plan for a longer bulk rise of up to 14 to 16 hours.
Make Ahead, Night Before
In the evening, mix the dough and let it rise overnight at room temperature. In the morning, make the filling, shape, dip, and arrange the balls, let them rise 1 to 2 hours, then bake and glaze.
Make Ahead, Day Before
In the morning, mix the dough and let it rise all day. In the evening, shape, dip, and arrange the balls, cover the pan well, and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until puffy and jiggly, then bake and glaze. Whichever schedule you choose, follow the signs of a complete proof rather than just the timing.
Make the Filling Ahead
The apple pie filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, then rewarmed before using.
Handling the Sticky Dough
This is a high hydration dough, and sticky is completely normal. Work with damp or lightly oiled hands and quick, gentle movements, and resist the urge to add extra flour, which firms up the soft crumb you are working toward. If you are using all purpose flour, reduce the water to 360 g (1½ cups).
Watch the Caramel
Sugar goes from medium amber to burnt in seconds, so stay at the microwave and stop as soon as it reaches the color of maple syrup. To make it on the stovetop instead, cook the sugar and water in a light colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling rather than stirring, until medium amber, then continue with the cream and butter.
Simple Vanilla Glaze
If you would rather skip the caramel, whisk 120 g powdered sugar (1 cup), 30 to 45 g heavy cream or milk (2 to 3 tablespoons), and 5 g vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) until thick but pourable. Add 15 g melted butter (1 tablespoon) for extra richness if you like, then drizzle it over the warm focaccia.
Storage
This is best the day it is made. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and warm individual pieces in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. To freeze, cool the baked focaccia completely without the glaze and freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw, warm, and glaze fresh.
No Sourdough Starter?
Use the same day yeast version, which is the second recipe card on this post.
