Jelly Donut Pull-Apart Focaccia
Transform your sourdough into glazed jelly donuts! This viral pull-apart focaccia features soft, fluffy pieces coated in crunchy sugar, filled with raspberry jam, and drizzled with a hardening vanilla glaze. Each piece pulls apart like a mini jelly donut, perfect for brunch or dessert!
Servings: 20
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
Sweet Sourdough Dough:
- 500 g bread flour
- 400 g water room temperature
- 75 g active sourdough starter fed and bubbly
- 8 g salt
- 20 g sugar
- 10 g vanilla extract
- 14 g melted butter
For the Pan:
- 28 g butter melted
Vanilla Butter Dip:
- 85 g butter melted
- 5 g vanilla extract
Sugar Coating:
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 15-20 g cornstarch
Jelly Filling:
- 340 g seedless raspberry jam or strawberry, grape, or mixed berry
Vanilla Glaze:
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 22-30 g milk
- 2.5 g vanilla extract
Instructions
Day 1: Make the Sweet Sourdough Dough
- Mix the dough: In a large bowl, combine water, active sourdough starter, sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Mix until combined. Add the flour and salt, then mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and shaggy.
- Rest: Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Stretch and fold: Perform one set of stretch and folds to build strength. Wet your hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4-6 times total until you’ve worked around the entire dough ball.
- Bulk fermentation: Cover the bowl and let the dough proof at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until at least doubled in size. Look for a domed top, visible bubbles throughout, and a puffy, jiggly texture. The exact time will depend on your kitchen temperature and starter strength.
Day 2: Shape, Rise, and Bake
- Prepare your pan: Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour 28g (2 tablespoons) of melted butter into the bottom of the pan and spread it around evenly.
- Prepare vanilla butter: Melt 85g butter and stir in 5g vanilla extract. Set aside in a bowl for dipping.
- Prepare sugar coating: In a shallow bowl or plate, whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch prevents clumping and keeps the coating dry during the rise.
- Shape into balls: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into approximately 20 equal-sized balls. You can pick whatever size you'd like. Use a bench scraper for ease.
- Dip and coat: Dip each ball into the vanilla butter, allowing excess to drip off, then roll in the granulated sugar mixture.
- Arrange in pan: Place the sugar-coated dough balls in the prepared pan, arranging them directly next to each other. They should fill the entire 9x13 inch pan snugly.
- Second rise: Cover and let rise for 2 hours at room temperature, or until puffy and the balls have grown together into one cohesive pull-apart bread.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with the rack positioned in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. The internal temperature should reach about 190-200°F. The lower rack helps the bottom get golden while preventing the sugar from over-browning on top.
- Cool slightly: Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. You want it warm but not scorching hot for the next steps.
Fill and Glaze
- Prepare jam: Transfer raspberry jam into a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
- Poke holes: Using a thick straw, chopstick, or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes into each piece of warm focaccia, going about 3/4 of the way down. The warmth of the bread makes this step much easier! Or give your piping tip a good shove in there.
- Fill with jam: Pipe approximately 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam into each hole (about 20 teaspoons total). The warmth of the bread helps the jelly spread into every nook and cranny, creating better distribution throughout each piece.
- Make glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk (starting with 22g), and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk if needed to reach a drizzling consistency, you want it thick but pourable.
- Glaze: Generously drizzle the vanilla glaze over the entire focaccia while it’s still warm. Make sure every piece gets covered. The glaze will start to harden as it cools, creating that iconic crackly donut shell.
- Set: Try to let the glaze set for 20 minutes before serving. This allows it to harden into that perfect glossy, crackly donut shell.
Serve:
- Pull apart and enjoy! Each piece is like a mini glazed jelly donut with jam oozing from the center.
Notes
OPTION 1: Night Before Evening: mix dough → proof overnight at room temp → morning: shape balls, dip & arrange → proof 1-2 hours → bake & ice
OPTION 2: Day Before Morning: mix dough → proof all day → evening: shape balls, dip & arrange → cover well & refrigerate overnight → next morning: bring to room temp 1-2 hours → bake & ice
Both ways = same delicious result! Pick what works for YOUR schedule
Follow the timing AND signs of complete proofing in the recipe - Use seedless jam for easier piping and a smoother texture - Poke holes while warm - it’s much easier than when cool, and the warmth helps the jam spread throughout - Fill with jam while warm - this helps the jelly get into every nook and cranny for better distribution - The glaze will be messy - embrace it! That’s part of the jelly donut experience - Don’t skip the cornstarch in the sugar coating - it prevents clumping during the rise - Watch your baking time - the sugar can brown quickly, so check at 25 minutes - Use a piping bag for the jam - it makes filling so much easier and neater - Best eaten the day of making while fresh and warm - Leftovers can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day, but the glaze may soften
Follow the timing AND signs of complete proofing in the recipe - Use seedless jam for easier piping and a smoother texture - Poke holes while warm - it’s much easier than when cool, and the warmth helps the jam spread throughout - Fill with jam while warm - this helps the jelly get into every nook and cranny for better distribution - The glaze will be messy - embrace it! That’s part of the jelly donut experience - Don’t skip the cornstarch in the sugar coating - it prevents clumping during the rise - Watch your baking time - the sugar can brown quickly, so check at 25 minutes - Use a piping bag for the jam - it makes filling so much easier and neater - Best eaten the day of making while fresh and warm - Leftovers can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day, but the glaze may soften
No Sourdough Starter? Use Yeast Instead!
Don’t have sourdough starter? You can use instant yeast or active dry yeast instead! Here’s what to do:Replace This:
- 75g active sourdough starter
With This:
- 37g (about ¼ cup) all-purpose flour
- 37g (about 2½ tablespoons) water
- 7g (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast OR 9g (2¾ teaspoons) active dry yeast
Instructions Based on Yeast Type:
Using INSTANT YEAST (also called Rapid Rise):
This is the easiest option!- Mix everything together at once: Add the flour, water, and instant yeast along with ALL the other recipe ingredients (salt, sugar, vanilla, butter) right from the start. Mix until combined.
- Bulk fermentation: Let the complete dough rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it doubles in size and becomes puffy and jiggly. (This replaces the 8-12 hour overnight fermentation you’d do with sourdough starter.)
- Continue as normal: Once your dough has doubled, proceed with the recipe exactly as written - same shaping, same coating in vanilla butter and sugar, same second rise, and same baking!
Using ACTIVE DRY YEAST:
This requires one extra step to activate the yeast first.- Activate the yeast: Mix the 37g warm water (100-110°F/38-43°C) with the 9g active dry yeast in a small bowl and a ¼ teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it becomes foamy and bubbly. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is dead - start over with fresh yeast.
- Mix everything together: Once your yeast is foamy, add it along with the 37g flour and ALL the other recipe ingredients (salt, sugar, vanilla, butter). Mix until combined.
- Bulk fermentation: Let the complete dough rise for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it doubles in size and becomes puffy and jiggly. (This replaces the 8-12 hour overnight fermentation you’d do with sourdough starter.)
- Continue as normal: Once your dough has doubled, proceed with the recipe exactly as written - same shaping, same coating, same second rise, and same baking!
Important Notes:
Water Adjustment:
- Worried about wet dough? Start by decreasing the water in the main recipe to 360g (1.5 cups). Experienced bakers can stick with the full 400g.
- Use room temperature water for instant yeast
- Use warm water (100-110°F) for active dry yeast
