Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia

4.81 from 42 votes

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia

Sweet, tangy, and perfectly crisp on the edges, this Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia is a springtime favorite. Bursting with fresh blueberries and lemon zest, it's finished with a muffin-style crumb topping for a delicious flavor and texture combo the whole family will love.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Fermentation Time20

Total Time21

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

12-inch metal round pan or 9 by 13-inch pan
mixing bowl
dough whisk optional

Ingredients

Levain (1:10:10 ratio, 10-12 hours peak at 78-80ºF)

6 grams sourdough starter ripe, bubbly and active about 1 teaspoon
60 grams all-purpose or bread flour about 1/2 cup
60 grams water about 1/4 cup

Lemon Blueberry Focaccia

120 grams levain ripe, bubbly and active scant ½ cup - can also substitute for active sourdough starter
400 grams water about 1 ⅔ cup
40 grams granulated sugar about 3 Tablespoons
10 grams salt about 1.5 teaspoons
9 grams lemon zest about 1.5 Tablespoons from 2 lemons
500 grams bread flour about 3 ½ cups
175 grams blueberries reserved for folds (125 grams) AND topping (50 grams) the focaccia, about 1 cup
40 grams olive oil reserved for pan about 3 Tablespoons
30 grams melted butter reserved for pan, about 2 Tablespoons

Crumb Topping

30 grams unsalted butter softened about 2 Tablespoons
30 grams brown sugar about 2 Tablespoons
50 grams all-purpose flour about ⅓ cup
pinch of salt about ¼ teaspoon
2 gram ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Lemon Glaze

100 grams powdered sugar about ¾ cup plus 1 Tablespoon
20 grams lemon juice freshly squeezed about 1.5 Tablespoons
5 grams vanilla extract about 1 teaspoon
pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix Levain: Overnight (1:10:10 about 10-12 hours)

Mix together 6 grams ripe sourdough starter with 60 grams water and 60 grams flour. Cover and let sit overnight at 78ºF until doubled in size, bubbly and active. You can also substitute 120 grams of bubbly sourdough starter if you prefer.

Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia

Mix: Mix together ripe, bubbly, active levain with water, granulated sugar, salt, lemon zest and bread flour. Mix together with a dough whisk or spoon until a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Coil Fold # 1: Take the cover off the dough and perform 4-6 coil folds. The dough will be very sticky for this first set of coil folds but will strengthen over time. Wet your hands with water. Place your hands under the middle of the dough and pull up. The dough will stretch up (but should not tear) and release from the bottom of the bowl. Once the dough releases, let the dough fall back under itself. Repeat the process for both sides of dough. Then turn the container and repeat the coil fold. Watch a video of the coil fold process here. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Coil Fold #2: Wet your hands. You will notice the dough is stronger than your first set of folds. Repeat the coil folds, noticing how the dough is changing and strengthening over time. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Coil Fold #3: Add 125 grams of blueberries on top of the dough. Wet your hands. Perform 3-4 coil folds, incorporating the blueberries as you fold. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Coil Fold #4: Repeat the last set of coil folds, continuing to incorporate the fresh blueberries.
Finish Bulk Fermentation: Cover and rest the dough at 78ºF for 2.5-3 hours until the dough has risen about 50-60% in the bowl.
Prepare the Pan: After the long bulk rest, line a 12-inch round or 9 by 13 metal baking pan with parchment paper. Pour 50 grams light-flavored olive oil in the pan. Tip the pan around to coat the entire bottom of the parchment paper.
Shape the Dough: Dump the focaccia dough into the pan and spread out with your fingers without tearing the dough as best you can. It's okay if the dough doesn't completely spread out yet, as it rises, you will be able to stretch it a little more.
At this point you can cover the dough and refrigerate it for up to 48 hours before proceeding with a second proof and baking.
Proof the Dough: Let the dough sit in a warm 78-80ºF place for 2-3 hours until doubled in size, puffed up and very airy. If the dough doesn't look like this, warm it up a little more and let it rise longer.
Prepare the Crumb Topping: Add softened butter, brown sugar, flour and salt to a small bowl. Use your fingers or a spoon to stir together until a thick crumb topping is formed. Set aside.
Dimple the Dough: After the dough is puffed up, jiggly and aerated with air bubbles, gently spread the dough out to fill the edges of the pan. Pour 30 grams of melted butter on top of the dough. Sprinkle the crumb topping all over the top of the risen dough. Add the remaining 40 grams of fresh blueberries spread out over the top of the dough. Take your fingers and gently dimple the dough. Start at the top and work your way down the dough until the entire focaccia is dimpled and bubbly.
Bake Focaccia: Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF. Once the oven is pre-heated, bake the focaccia for 25-30 minutes until bubbly, crispy and light golden brown on top and the baked focaccia registers 200ºF. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Sweet Glaze: While the focaccia is baking, mix together the lemon glaze. Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt together. Drizzle over the warm focaccia. Enjoy!

Notes

Sourdough Starter: I typically use a levain for all of my sourdough recipes because it gives more consistent results. If you don’t want to use that method, you can substitute ripe, bubbly, active sourdough starter for the same amount of levain.

Bread Flour: This is a high-hydration recipe. If you choose to use a flour with a lower protein content than bread flour (lower than 12.5%), you will want to decrease the water in the recipe.

Olive Oil: Choose an olive oil that is light in flavor and taste. An extra virgin olive oil often has more olive flavor than a light-tasting olive oil, which can transfer over to the sweet focaccia dough. Substitute olive oil with melted butter if you don't want any olive flavor.

Fresh Blueberries: They are key to this recipe - I would not use frozen which will bring down the temperature of the dough and make the dough more soupy with the added liquid. Fresh blueberries tend to hold their shape during the gentle folds and are easier to work with.

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