Cinnamon Apple Focaccia with Vanilla Glaze
This sweet cinnamon apple focaccia has the best taste and texture. It’s fluffy and light, with moist pockets of sweet apple, swirled with cinnamon and topped with glaze. It also happens to be super easy to make!
About this apple focaccia
A focaccia like this is made from a high-hydration dough, spread into a pan with fillings and baked. It’s important to coat the dough in oil so it doesn’t stick to the pan and also the oil ‘fries’ the outside of the bread to give it the golden crust. I tested this recipe a few times. In my first test I used butter to coat the pan, but the water in the butter caused the bread to steam instead of crisp up. So I went back to coating it generously in olive oil like I do for my other focaccia recipes.
I give the apple cubes a quick sauté before they go on the dough. This step brings out some of their moisture and starts the caramelization process. I then hold off this liquid when add them to the dough so they don’t leach liquid into the bread.
Here’s a peek at some of the ingredients
Use a well-oiled baking pan or parchment to prevent sticking. I love using the 9×13 inch pan from the brand USA pan. You can find the ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Method
- Begin with the dough and mix everything into a shaggy dough.
- Perform sets of stretch and folds.
- The dough will gather strength over time as you do the folds.
Note: To perform stretch and folds, start by wetting your hands to prevent sticking. Gently lift one side of the dough and stretch it upward, then fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat with the next side. Continue this process until all four sides are folded. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes before repeating, if needed. This technique strengthens the gluten structure wand helps the dough develop elasticity and structure.
- Chop the apples.
- Cook them for only a few minutes to start drawing out the moisture.
- Coat a pan in olive oil and add the dough and a layer of cinnamon sugar and apples.
- Fold the top third down, and the bottom third up, like folding a letter.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees and top with more cinnamon sugar and apples.
- Roll the dough up into a thick spiral log.
- Turn it 90 degrees and press and stretch the dough out slightly to flatten it, and let it rise.
- It should be puffy and jiggly once risen. Top with the remaining apples and cinnamon sugar.
- Use oiled fingers to press dimples all the way down the dough.
- Bake until golden and pour over glaze. Use a pastry brush to spread it.
Easy variations
Switch up the flavors to make this focaccia your own.
- Add chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds over the apples for crunch.
- Swap plain cinnamon for a blend of cardamom, ginger, or pumpkin spice.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce once it comes out of the oven for an extra sweet and decadent finish.
More apple recipes
Cinnamon Apple Focaccia
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 420 g water
- 2 tsp instant yeast or active yeast
- 1.75 tsp salt
Apples
- 3 medium apples
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
Filling and coating
- 70 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
Glaze
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the water and yeast. If using active yeast, let this sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast the waiting part can be skipped. Add the flour and salt and mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will look very sticky and shaggy at this stage. 500 g all-purpose flour, 420 g water, 2 tsp instant yeast, 1.75 tsp salt
- Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes, then wet your hands and perform a set of stretch-and-folds: gently lift one side of the dough, stretch it upward and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat on the next side until all four sides are folded. Let the dough rest 15 minutes and stretch and fold. Repeat 2–3 more times. Each set will make the dough smoother and stronger.
- While the dough rises, peel and dice the apples into small cubes. Melt butter in a pan. Add the apples, brown sugar and vanilla. Cook for just 3 minutes until they begin to soften and release some moisture. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely. 3 medium apples, 1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon together. 70 g granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Generously coat a rectangular pan with olive oil. Turn the dough out into the pan and push into a rectangle. 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- Sprinkle a 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar over the dough and scatter 1/3 of the cooled apple cubes on top, holding back any liquid from the apples. Fold the top third of the dough down, then the bottom third up, like folding a letter, to enclose the filling.
- Turn the dough 90 degrees, sprinkle with another 1/3 cinnamon sugar and 1/3 of the apples, and roll it up into a thick spiral log. Place it lengthwise in the pan, then gently press and stretch it out to flatten it.
- Cover loosely and let the dough rise at room temperature until puffy and jiggly, around an hour depending on room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425° F.
- Once risen, scatter the remaining apples and cinnamon sugar evenly over the surface. With oiled fingers, press deep dimples all over the dough, pushing the toppings gently into place.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the focaccia is deeply golden and the edges pull slightly from the pan. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla for a glaze, drizzle over the warm focaccia or brush it on with a pastry brush, then slice and serve. 90 g powdered sugar,1-2 Tbsp milk,1/2 tsp vanilla paste
