Strawberry Shortcake Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Soft sourdough pieces dipped in jammy strawberry compote, rolled in lemon zest sugar, and finished with a crackly vanilla strawberry glaze. The ultimate spring pull-apart focaccia.
Servings: 20 focaccia balls
Calories: 215kcal
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 2/3 cups)
- 75 grams active sourdough starter fed and bubbly (1/3 cup)
- 15 grams granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
- 10 grams salt 1 3/4 teaspoons
- 10 grams vanilla extract 2 1/4 teaspoons
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped (optional)
- Note: You can use 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste in place of both the extract and vanilla bean or simply 2 teaspoons vanilla extract on its own.
STRAWBERRY COMPOTE
- 450 grams strawberries fresh or frozen, hulled and quartered (3 cups)
- 60 grams granulated white sugar 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
- 15 grams fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon
- 15 grams unsalted butter 1 tablespoon
- 1.5 grams salt 1/4 teaspoon
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Cornstarch Slurry, whisk together before adding to compote:
- 16 grams cornstarch 2 tablespoons
- 30 grams water 2 tablespoons
LEMON ZEST SUGAR CORNSTARCH COATING
- 150 grams granulated sugar 3/4 cup
- 30 grams cornstarch 1/4 cup
- zest of 1 lemon
VANILLA GLAZE
- 120 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
- 15 grams milk or heavy cream 1 tablespoon
- 5 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Instructions
DAY 1: MAKE THE DOUGH
- In a large bowl, combine the water, active sourdough starter, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds (if using). Mix until the starter has fully 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 for a high hydration focaccia dough.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 hour. This rest 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 as far as it will go without tearing, and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until you have worked all the way around, about 4 to 6 folds total. Finish with one final slap and fold, tucking the seam under on the bottom, to get a smooth surface on top.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, or until it has at least doubled or even tripled in size. You are looking for a domed top, visible bubbles throughout, and a puffy, jiggly texture when you gently shake the bowl.
MAKE THE COMPOTE (recommended night before)
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water until completely smooth. Set the slurry aside while the compote cooks.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, butter, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries break down and release their juices, about 6 to 8 minutes. If using frozen strawberries, 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 noticeably. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The compote must be fully cooled and thick before you begin 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.
- 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 (You can make the balls as large or as small as you desire) and, working one piece at a time, dip it into the cooled strawberry compote and coat generously on all sides. Immediately roll it in the lemon zest 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.
- You will not use all the compote. Save the leftover compote to apply after baking for 20 minutes. See baking instructions below.
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a bag 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 degrees F. Once the dough has completed its second rise, dimple the surface firmly with your fingers all over.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon any remaining strawberry compote generously over the top, spreading it into the crevices between the balls. Adding the compote to the top partway through rather than at the start protects the strawberry pockets from drying out during the full bake time.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200 to 205 degrees 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 vanilla glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the vanilla extract and cream one tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth and thick. The glaze should be thick and spreadable. Add more cream to make it thinner to when drizzles slowly off a spoon. A thick glaze is what gives you that crackly shell once it sets.
- Apply the glaze generously over the warm focaccia, making sure every piece gets covered. For a fun variation, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder into the glaze before drizzling, or crush freeze-dried strawberries and sprinkle them over the wet glaze before it sets. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving. It will harden into a crackly white finish as it cools.
- Pull apart and enjoy. Each piece is fluffy, jammy, and fully loaded with strawberry shortcake flavor.
Notes
Make Ahead:
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 in the pan, and let rise 1 to 2 hours before baking. For an even further ahead option, after arranging the dough balls in the pan cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 2+ hours until puffy and jiggly before baking.
No Sourdough Starter? Use Active Dry Yeast:
Remove the 75 grams of active sourdough starter.
Replace with 37 grams bread flour, 37 grams warm water, and 9 grams active dry yeast.
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water and yeast and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If nothing happens, your yeast is expired.
- Once foamy, add it along with the flour and all remaining dough ingredients and mix until combined.
- Let the dough rest 30 minutes, then perform one set of stretch and folds.
- Bulk ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until doubled, puffy, and jiggly.
- Then proceed with the recipe exactly as written.
