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Anybody who knows me (or follows me on Instagram) knows that I love baking bread. I especially love baking bread when I can pack it full of lots of yummy things: nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, olives, raisins, and especially, cheese!
When it comes to mixing in lots of extras, focaccia (a.k.a. Italian olive oil bread) is one of the best and most versatile bread bases. It’s common to see olives, onions, sea salt, and fresh herbs included in focaccia recipes, but I’ve also made it with everything from grapes to walnuts to roasted red peppers.
An Autumn-Inspired Focaccia Recipe
This apple, cheddar, and rosemary focaccia combines all of the best flavors of early fall: crisp apples, sharp cheddar cheese, rich olive oil, ground cinnamon, and fresh rosemary. I served this bread as an accompaniment for soup, but it would also be lovely for breakfast or brunch, or piled with even more cheese for a tasty vegetarian sandwich.
Apple Focaccia Tips and Tricks
Feel free to experiment with your cheeses. Any kind of cheddar will work, but Stilton or Brie would be just as nice. You can use any variety of apples, replace the cinnamon with nutmeg, add a sprinkling of pecans or walnuts, and anything else you’d like.
To make this recipe extra special, I made it with La Tourangelle Herbs de Provence Oil. Basil oil would also be nice. If you don’t happen to have an infused oil on hand, a plain olive oil will work just as well.
Other bread recipes you might enjoy:
Date and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Rustic Cheese and Olive Bread
Blue Cheese Bread with Raisins and Walnuts
And if you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Apple, Cheddar and Rosemary Focaccia
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Description
Packed with apples, cheddar cheese, and fresh rosemary, this twist on a classic Italian olive oil bread is perfect for fall.
Ingredients
Focaccia dough:
300 grams bread flour
150 milliliters lukewarm water
30 grams olive oil
20 grams unsweetened applesauce
6 grams kosher salt
6 grams instant yeast
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Topping:
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
100 grams cheddar cheese, cubed
150 grams olive oil
2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary, separated into small pieces
Pink Celtic sea salt, for sprinkling
Ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
Instructions
In a large round bowl, combine flour, lukewarm water, salt, olive oil, applesauce, yeast, and chopped rosemary. Use a bench scraper to bring the ingredients together until a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead by hand until soft and elastic, about 8-10 minutes.
Form dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl, drizzling the top with even more oil.
Allow bowl to stand in a warm place, covered, for about 1.5 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
Punch dough down. Place on a rimmed, parchment-lined baking tray and press into desired shape–you can form the dough into a circle, square, or rectangle. It is supposed to be rustic, so don’t worry about achieving a perfect shape.
Cover the tray with clingfilm/plastic wrap and allow to prove for one hour more.
While dough is proving, prepare the toppings. Wash and slice the apple, cube the cheese, and chop the rosemary (or separate into small springs, if preferred).
Preheat oven to 180° C / 350° F.
Brush the dough with a generous amount of oil. Add the toppings, covering most of the surface. Use your fingers to push the toppings down and create deep dimples in the dough.
Drizzle more oil on top of the bread. Spritz lightly with water, then finish with a sprinkling of sea salt and a touch of cinnamon.
Bake focaccia in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Remove bread from the oven and brush with a generous helping of additional oil, then sprinkle with more sea salt. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Focaccia is best enjoyed on the day it is made. It also freezes well!
Notes
Feel free to experiment with your cheeses. Any kind of cheddar will work, but Stilton or Brie might also be nice. You can use any variety of apples you’d like, replace the cinnamon with nutmeg, or add a sprinkling of pecans or walnuts.
I made this bread with La Tourangelle Herbs de Provence Oil. If you don’t have an infused oil on hand, a plain olive oil will work just as well.
I prefer to use a rimmed baking sheet for this recipe, to prevent oil from dripping down into the oven. If you don’t have a rimmed baking sheet, a rectangular baking pan would also work well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Rise Time: 150 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Bread
