Lemon Blueberry Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia

Soft, fluffy sourdough pieces dipped in jammy blueberry compote, rolled in lemon sugar, and drizzled with a crackly lemon glaze. The ultimate spring pull-apart focaccia.

Cook Time30

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry compote, brunch bread, lemon glaze, naturally fermented, overnight sourdough, pull-apart bread, sourdough focaccia, spring baking, sweet focaccia, sweet sourdough

Servings: 20 focaccia balls

Author: Noelle Reed

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Medium saucepan
Small Bowl
Shallow bowl or plate
9x13 inch metal baking pan
Parchment paper
kitchen scale
Whisk
Rubber spatula
Wire cooling rack

Ingredients

SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA DOUGH

500 grams bread flour 4 cups
375 grams water room temperature (1 and 1/2 cups)
75 grams active sourdough starter fed and bubbly (1/3 cup)
15 grams granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
10 grams salt 1 and 3/4 teaspoons
5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

BLUEBERRY COMPOTE

450 grams blueberries fresh or frozen (3 cups)
60 grams granulated white sugar 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
15 grams fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
zest of 1 lemon
15 grams unsalted butter 1 tablespoon
1.5 grams salt 1/4 teaspoon
Cornstarch Slurry whisk together before adding to compote
12 grams cornstarch 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon
30 grams water 2 tablespoons
3 grams vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon

LEMON SUGAR CORNSTARCH COATING

100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
30 grams cornstarch 1/4 cup
zest of 1 lemon

LEMON GLAZE

120 g powdered sugar 1 cup
15 g fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
15 g heavy cream 1 tablespoon, optional, if not using you will need more lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

DAY 1: MAKE THE DOUGH

In a large bowl, combine the water, active sourdough starter, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until the starter has dissolved into the water.
Add the bread flour and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look sticky and shaggy at this point, which is completely normal.
Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This rest period allows the flour to fully hydrate before you develop the gluten.
After resting, 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 until you have worked all the way around the dough, about 4 to 6 folds total. Do one final slap and fold to get the seam on the top, on the bottom, so you have a smooth surface.
Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, or until it has at least doubled in size. You are looking for a domed top, visible bubbles throughout, and a puffy, jiggly texture. Timing will vary based on the temperature of your kitchen.

MAKE THE COMPOTE (recommended night before)

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set the slurry aside while the compote cooks.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries break down and release their juices, about 5 to 8 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, allow an extra minute or two as they release more liquid.
Pour in the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until the compote thickens. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The compote must be fully cooled and thick before dipping your dough balls.

DAY 2: SHAPE, RISE, AND BAKE

Remove the compote from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature while you prepare your pan and coating.
Line a 9x13 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper and grease generously with butter or cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl or plate, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest for the coating. Set aside.
Dump the proofed dough out onto a greased surface. Pinch off a golf ball sized chunk of dough and, working with one piece at a time, dip it into the cooled blueberry compote and coat generously on all sides. Immediately roll it in the lemon sugar cornstarch mixture until fully coated, then place it in the prepared pan. Repeat until all the dough has been used, arranging the pieces so they are touching each other in the pan.
Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a bag/lid and let rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until the pieces have puffed up, grown together, and jiggle gently when you shake the pan.
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Once the dough has completed its second rise, dimple the surface by pressing your fingers firmly into the dough all over.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon any remaining blueberry compote generously over the top, spreading it into the crevices between the pieces.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205°F and the edges are deep golden brown. If the top is browning too quickly at any point, tent loosely with foil. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
While the focaccia cools, make the lemon glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice one tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth and thick. Add the optional heavy cream and whisk to combine. The glaze should drizzle slowly off a spoon. A thick glaze is what gives you that satisfying crackly shell once it sets.
Drizzle the lemon glaze generously over the warm focaccia, making sure every piece gets covered. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving. It will harden into a crackly finish as it cools.
Pull apart and enjoy. Each piece is fluffy, jammy, and fully loaded with lemon blueberry flavor.

Notes

For a more detailed walkthrough of this recipe, including technique tips, ingredient explanations, and timing guidance, visit the full blog post. Storage:

This focaccia is best served warm on the day it is made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To reheat, place individual pieces in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warmed through. The oven preserves the lemon sugar crust better than the microwave.

Freezing:

Wrap individual pieces tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 350°F oven. The crackly glaze will soften after thawing but the bread itself holds up beautifully.

Make Ahead Options:

Option 1 (Recommended): The evening before, mix your dough and make your compote. Let the dough proof on the counter overnight. Let the compote cool slightly, then refrigerate overnight. In the morning, pull the compote out to come to room temperature, then dip, coat, arrange, and let rise 1 to 2 hours before baking.

Option 2: Mix the dough in the morning and let it proof all day. In the evening, make the compote and refrigerate it. Dip, coat, and arrange the dough balls in the pan, then cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until the dough is puffy and jiggly before baking.

Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries:

Both work beautifully in this recipe. Frozen blueberries release more juice during cooking, creating a richer and more deeply colored compote. Add them straight from frozen with no thawing needed. Fresh blueberries produce a slightly lighter and brighter compote. Either way, the cornstarch slurry will thicken it to the right consistency.

Compote Consistency:

The compote must be fully cooled and thick before you dip your dough balls. Warm compote will not coat the dough properly and the lemon sugar coating will not adhere. If your compote seems too thin after cooking, add a small cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch whisked into 1 tablespoon cold water) and cook for another minute until thickened.

The Crackly Glaze:

The key to a hard, crackly glaze is keeping it thick and drizzling it over the focaccia while it is still warm but not straight out of the oven. If the glaze is too thin, it will absorb into the bread rather than sitting on top and hardening. Err on the side of thicker. You can always thin it slightly with a few extra drops of lemon juice, but you cannot thicken it once it is on the bread.

Substitutions:

This recipe can be made dairy free by swapping the butter in the blueberry compote for coconut oil or another solid plant based fat, and omitting the optional heavy cream in the glaze. The rest of the recipe is naturally dairy free.

You can use all purpose flour instead of bread flour. If you make the swap, reduce the water to 350 grams since all purpose flour absorbs less liquid. The texture will be slightly softer and less chewy.

Troubleshooting:

If your dough has not doubled after 12 hours, your kitchen may be too cold or your starter may not have been at its peak when you mixed the dough. Move the bowl to a warmer spot and give it more time. Look for visual cues rather than watching the clock.

If your compote is too runny, cook it a little longer over medium heat before adding the cornstarch slurry, or add a small additional slurry and stir for another minute until it thickens properly.

If the pieces are not pulling apart cleanly after baking, they may have been slightly underproofed during the second rise. Make sure the pieces are fully puffy and jiggling before you put them in the oven.

No Sourdough Starter? Use Yeast Instead:

Replace the 75 grams of active sourdough starter with the following:

37 grams all purpose or bread flour

37 grams water

7 grams instant yeast (or 9 grams active dry yeast).

Using instant yeast (Rapid Rise): Mix the flour, water, and instant yeast in with all the other dough ingredients at the start. No activation needed. Bulk fermentation will take 2 to 3 hours at room temperature until the dough has doubled and looks puffy and jiggly.

Using active dry yeast: Combine the 37 grams of warm water (100 to 110°F) with the 9 grams of active dry yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is expired and you should start fresh. Once activated, add it along with the 37 grams of flour and all other dough ingredients and proceed as written. Bulk fermentation will take 2 to 3 hours.

Water note: If you are new to wetter doughs, reduce the water to 360 grams for easier handling. The finished focaccia will still have a beautiful open crumb.

Everything else in the recipe stays exactly the same: the stretch and fold, the dipping and coating process, the second rise, the baking method, and the lemon glaze.