Fresh-Milled Apple Cinnamon Crumble Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
This Fresh-Milled Apple Cinnamon Crumble Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia is soft, buttery, and filled with cinnamon sugar and tender apples, topped with a crisp crumble and brown butter vanilla glaze.
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Ingredients
For the Fresh-Milled Sourdough Brioche Dough
- 500 g freshly milled hard white wheat flour milled as finely as possible
- 310 g milk at cool room temperature, plus 5–20 g more if needed
- 100 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 7 g fine sea salt
For the Cinnamon Apple Filling
- 600 g apples peeled and diced into ½-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
- 60 g light brown sugar
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 g fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 8 g cornstarch
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Fresh-Milled Crumble
- 100 g freshly milled soft white wheat flour milled as finely as possible
- 70 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 60 g cold unsalted butter cubed
For Assembly
- 65 g unsalted butter melted
For the Brown Butter Vanilla Glaze
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 120 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20–30 g milk
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the freshly milled flour, milk, sourdough starter, egg, sugar, and salt. Mix until all the flour is hydrated and no dry spots remain. Cover and let the dough rest for 20–30 minutes. After resting, check the consistency. If the dough still feels quite firm, mix in another 5–20 g of milk.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time. Let each addition become mostly incorporated before adding the next. Once all the butter has been added, continue mixing for another 2–3 minutes until the dough becomes smoother. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 2–3 sets of stretch and folds, about 30 minutes apart. After the final set, cover the dough and let it continue bulk fermenting until it has increased in volume by about 30–50%. At 72°F (22°C), this usually takes around 5–7 hours.
- While the dough is fermenting, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender but still hold their shape.
- Sprinkle in the cornstarch while stirring continuously. Cook for another minute, until the juices have thickened. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before assembling.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the freshly milled flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture forms small and medium crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Pour the melted butter into a second shallow bowl.
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.Tear off pieces of dough about 3–4 tablespoons in size. Dip each piece lightly into the melted butter, letting any excess drip off, then coat it in the cinnamon sugar. If you have any butter leftover, you can save it for later to pour over the focaccia.
- Arrange the coated dough pieces in the prepared pan. Cover the pan and let the dough proof until it looks puffy and slightly jiggly, about 2–3 hours.
- Toward the end of the proof, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Spoon the cooled apple filling over the dough pieces. If you have any melted butter left, you can drizzle it lightly over the dough. Sprinkle over any remaining cinnamon sugar, then gently press dimples into the dough with your fingertips. Evenly scatter the crumble over the top.
- Bake for 22–28 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the crumble is golden brown and the focaccia is baked through. If the crumble starts browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with foil during the last few minutes.Let the focaccia cool completely before glazing.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As it melts, it will begin to foam. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until golden brown specks form on the bottom of the pan and the butter smells warm and nutty, about 4–6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Whisk together the browned butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 20 g of the milk until smooth. Add more milk as needed until the glaze is thick but pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze generously over the cooled focaccia and let it set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Mill the flour as finely as possible for the softest crumb.
- Freshly milled flour absorbs liquid differently, so wait until after the initial rest before deciding whether to add more milk.
- Soft white wheat flour makes the most tender crumble, but freshly milled hard white wheat also works well if that's what you have on hand.
- Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith apples all work well. You don’t have to peel them if you don’t want to - I usually don’t, but I know most people prefer to.
- Let the apple filling cool completely before assembling the focaccia.
- Keep the crumble refrigerated until you're ready to bake. Cold butter creates a crisp, crumbly topping.
- Lightly coating each dough piece in butter is all you need. It helps the cinnamon sugar stick while creating soft, pull-apart layers.
- Overnight after bulk fermentation: Once the dough has finished bulk fermenting, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before assembling.
- Overnight after assembly: Assemble the focaccia, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let it rise at room temperature until puffy before baking.
- Check the center before removing the focaccia from the oven. The apple filling can make the middle look softer than it is, so make sure the dough between the apple pockets is fully baked.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It's delicious at room temperature or gently warmed.
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Nutrition
Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 0.3mg
