Apple and Salted Caramel Focaccia

It’s been a while since I baked a recipe from Fresh From the Oven. It’s been a while since I wrote a food post actually, but you know how it is; life just keeps on happening.

I have been busy keeping the boy amused over the six week holidays and as part of that we had a fantastic trip to London to the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics. So baking has not been top of the agenda, but today I set that straight by baking a hefty loaf for lunch and this Salted Caramel Focaccia.

This month’s recipe is hosted by Signor Biscotti and sounded so interesting I used it to break my ‘bakers block’. Please do take a hop over to Euan’s lovely blog for the full background and instructions on how to make this unusual bread.

So far George has only managed one day back at school after the Summer break. He awoke with a poorly eye this morning so he was on hand for dough stabbing.

With a focaccia you need to stab down the dough after it has proved to knock out the air and to push the toppings in. Here, instead of olive oil and herbs the sugar and slices of salted butter melt together to create a caramel topping that sinks into the undulations, enriching the bread.

Now, I have to come clean here. I was on the brink of tweeting a sarky comment last week about ‘salted caramel’. Surely all good caramel should have a little salt, so the fashion for everything being ‘salted’ caramel was getting on my pip a bit.

My feelings about ‘heirloom tomatoes’ are similar.

I sprinkled the loaf with a little extra Maldon Sea Salt before it went into the oven, and it does work well to contrast with the sweet caramel flavour.

I also added cubes of Pink Lady apples and used Muscovado sugar…because we love them so.

Despite my niggle over fashionable flavours this is very, very moreish.

In fact wriing this has made me want another piece, so I shall be off to the kitchen when I have pressed the publish button to get some more. Possibly warmed up…with Jersey cream on. (Yes the diet is going well)

My only changes to Signor Biscotti‘s recipe were:

• I ditched the candied peel…I hate candied peel
• I soaked my sultanas in hot water for an hour
• I allowed the dough to rise for an hour before I folded in the sultanas
• I used a mix of 25g golden caster sugar and 25g muscovado
• I added a chopped up apple just before the butter and sugar
• I sprinkled the dough with Maldon Sea Salt
• When I took the bread out of the oven I basted it with the pools of caramel

You’ll find details about how to take part in the Fresh from the Oven challenge here, and Michelle from Utterly Scrummy Food for Families will host a round-up of the entries at the end of September.

Tagged: apple, Baking, Bread, caramel, ffto, Focaccia, Food, recipe, Salted

Posted in: Baking, Breads, Breakfasts, Claire, Food, Fresh From the Oven, Fruity, Sweet Stuff