Soft focaccia topped with fresh strawberry and apple slices is a wonderful summer snacking bread. A super simple yeast bread recipe flavored with lemon thyme and goat cheese. Serve with a drizzle of honey or dip in olive oil while you enjoy a sunny afternoon outdoors.
This Recipe is Sponsored by Starr Ranch Growers and JUICI Apples. All thoughts and text are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make Two Cups Flour possible.
For this recipe I partnered with Starr Ranch Growers to create a spring and summer bread that showcases the JUICI apple. A softer skin apple that still maintains a great crunch that makes it versatile for all types of baking or cooking.
JUICI apples are a gorgeous marbled red color and offer a flavor note similar to the honey crisp apple. No need to peel these beauties, the skin not only tastes great, but breaks down just enough to make them easy to chew. Plus, the red skin looks so beautiful next to the sliced strawberries!
What is Focaccia bread?
Focaccia is a flat Italian bread that resembles soft pizza dough. Soft and slightly chewy with an endless array of possible toppings.
Ingredients You Will Need
Making yeast bread in the summer, means you have warm weather on your side. You can let your dough proof in a sunny window, on the counter, or in a cool oven with the light on. Just wait until it has doubled in size before stretching and fitting it to your baking dish.
Focaccia Dough
Focaccia can be made with stronger bread flour, although I enjoy using all purpose flour occasionally for a tender crumb. This results in a nice fluffy texture without being overly chewy.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is imperative for a great focaccia bread. Pick a high quality oil with a light fruity or herb essence to pair with the fruit in this recipe.
JUICI Apples
JUICI apples don’t need to be peeled for this recipe. Just remove the stem and core, then cut into ⅛ inch thin slices. Dip the slices in fresh lemon juice before arranging onto your dough.
Fresh Strawberries
Ripe strawberries with the tops removed, sliced into thin pieces will add a lovely sweetness.
Goat Cheese
Grab some local plain goat cheese from the farmer’s market to contrast with some tart earthiness flavor notes.
Fresh Lemon Thyme
I prefer to use fresh herbs over dried as much as possible. Lemon thyme has a wonderful fragrance and soft lemon flavor. It’s a little bit sweet and little bit sour, just what our fruity focaccia needs.
Tips for Making Fruit Focaccia
- Make sure to use warm water at 110 F, nothing hotter or it will kill the yeast.
- Yeast loves sugar, so I like to add a little honey.
- Place your dough in a cold oven with the light on for proving.
- Once dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl and place on rimmed baking sheet. (baking sheet can either be sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.)
- Stretch the dough with your hands into a long rectangle across the baking tray. About 1-1.5 inches thick.
- Then, take your fingers and press down into the dough, creating small dimples or wells across the surface. I press completely down, but not so hard to tear a hole.
- Sprinkle the thyme and goat cheese across the dough.
- Arrange the sliced apples and strawberries across the dough and gently press into some of the dimples.
- Drizzle entire surface of dough with olive oil. Then add you more lemon thyme leaves to stick to the oil.
- Let the prepared dough rest for 20-30 minutes for a final puff before baking.
Storing Focaccia
Focaccia is best eaten the day it’s made, but can be stored in the freezer. Slice the bread into pieces and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. To reheat place slices on a baking sheet in 300 F (148 C) oven for 10-15 minutes.
Apple Strawberry Focaccia
Ingredients
- 2.5 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 3 Cups (375 grams) All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 large JUICI apple core removed and sliced
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- fresh lemon thyme
Instructions
- In bowl of stand mixer gently stir together yeast, honey, and warm water (110 F). (I use a hand whisk) Let yeast mixture sit for 10-15 minutes until frothy.
- Meanwhile in a separate bowl whisk together flour and sea salt.
- Once the yeast mixture is frothy, fit mixer with dough hook, pour in olive oil and slowly spoon in flour mixture on medium low speed. When all flour is incorporated turn up to medium and work until it resembles a soft slightly sticky dough. Beat for about 4-5 minutes. Also try a windowpane test.
- Place dough ball onto counter top or working station with a very small amount of oil. The surface should still have some dry spots to “grip” the dough. Cup the dough with your hands and roll it in a tight circle to smooth the shape.
- Place dough ball into a lightly oiled large bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil at the bottom.
- Then, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft free location for 1-2 hrs.
- Once dough has doubled in size, remove from bowl and place on rimmed baking sheet. (baking sheet can either be sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.)
- Stretch the dough with your hands into a long rectangle across the baking tray about 9×13 inches.
- Then take your fingers and press down into the dough, creating small dimples or wells across the surface. (don’t tear holes)
- Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and thyme leaves on the dough. Place sliced apples and strawberries evenly across the dough into some of the wells.
- Drizzle entire surface of dough with olive oil.
- Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes for a final puff before baking.
- Preheat Oven to 400 F (204 C) while dough is resting.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden around edges.
- Once baked, let pan cool on rack. Remove bread and slice, serve with honey!
- Wrap bread in aluminum foil or place in air tight container for up to a week of freshness.