Apple Cider Donut Focaccia

Two of my favorite things, focaccia and apple cider donuts, combined!

I love experimenting with turning things into focaccia, and this I can happily say, was a huge success.

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The combination of light, fluffy, apple cider-infused focaccia with warm spices and a buttery, sugary, crunchy topping is just… delicious.

Whether you’re hosting, going to a dinner party or fall picnic, or just hanging out at home, you gotta give this Apple Cider Donut Focaccia a go!

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon clove

• 1L apple cider

• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla paste

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (I like avocado), plus more for greasing the baking pan/dish

• 55g brown sugar

• 10g fresh yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 400g bread flour (go for one with 12-13g protein per 100g)

Toppings (pre-baking)

• 2 tablespoons salted vegan butter, melted

Toppings (post-baking)

• 70g sugar (raw, cane, or granulated are all fine)

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon salted vegan butter, melted

Method

Day 1

1. Start by waking up the spices for the spiced apple cider. Place the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a dry pot on medium heat. Let heat for about 3 minutes, stirring here and there.

2. Pour your apple cider in the pot. On low-medium heat, simmer the apple cider while stirring occasionally until it reduces to 1/3 in volume, or 330ml. Mix in the vanilla, then let the cider cool until slightly warmer than room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, Tupperware, or Pyrex container (anything with a lid will do), gently whisk together the reduced apple cider, oil, brown sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes until it gets bubbly.

4. Add in the salt. Then, using a mesh strainer, sift in the flour.

5. Mix all ingredients together until the flour is hydrated, but do not over mix. It’s normal if it’s sticky and looks a little lumpy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down to get all the dough in one lump.

6. Cover the bowl/container with its lid (place on top, but do not fully close). Let it proof for 30 minutes in the warmest part of your home (I like to put it in an oven that’s been warmed and turned off).

7. With oiled hands, do one round of stretch and fold*. Let proof for 30 minutes.

8. With oiled hands, do another round of stretch and fold*. Let proof for 30 minutes.

9. With oiled hands, do a round of coil fold*, making sure the dough is faced smooth side up. Let proof for 30 minutes.

10. Rub a drizzle of oil on top of the dough. Then seal the lid securely and place the bowl/container in the fridge overnight.

    
    

Day 2

1. Transfer the dough to an oiled baking dish or pan (for the focaccia thickness I like most, I prefer using either a circular 30 cm (12 in) cast iron pan or a rectangular 35 x 24 x 5 cm (13 x 9 x 2 in) cake pan). Cover and let proof for two hours in the warmest part of your home (I like to put it in an oven that’s been warmed and turned off).

2. Preheat your oven to 220°C or 428°F. I use convection mode, but it depends on the oven.

3. Once proofed, gently stretch the dough out from the sides if it’s not filling up the entire pan/dish. Drizzle the melted butter on the dough and dimple with your fingers.

4. On a rack placed in the middle/mid-bottom of your oven, bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.

5. While the focaccia bakes, prep the cinnamon-sugar topping. Mix all those ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

6. When the focaccia is fresh out the oven, brush on the melted butter then sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar topping. Cut in squares (or however you’d like) and enjoy!

NOTES

Refer to my video to see how I do stretch and folds and coil folds:

*Stretch and Fold

"Stretch and fold" is a technique used in breadmaking to develop the gluten, create structure, and strengthen the dough.

How to: With oiled hands, reach under one side of the dough and gently pull it upwards, stretching it away from the rest of the dough. You're essentially stretching one part of the dough at a time. Once stretched, fold the stretched portion back over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl so that you work your way around the entire dough. For this recipe, you should do about 5-6 stretches and folds per round of "stretch and fold".

*Coil Fold

"Coil fold" is another technique used in breadmaking to create structure and texture in the dough through a form of layering. It also contributes to better crumb and improved rise in the finished product. It's particularly effective for doughs with higher hydration levels or when working with sticky doughs (like focaccia).

How to: With oiled hands, gently raise the dough up from its middle, causing the dough to hang from the sides. Lay the dough onto one of the hanging parts so that it lays under the middle, then lift it again to land on the other hanging part (both parts should connect under the middle of the dough). The dough should be a sort of rectangular shape. Now, let's do the other side. Fold the top edge of the dough to under the middle part of the dough. Fold the other edge of the dough to under the middle part of the dough (both meet under the middle). This should form a neat package. Gently lift the packaged dough and lay it on its side to create two final layers. Lift the entire dough to face the seam downwards in the bowl (smooth side facing up).