Sourdough Starter (Levain)

Prepare your starter 2 days before you plan to make your Focaccia.

• Using 30g of your existing starter, feed it with 50g flour and 50g water. Leave it loosely covered overnight until it has doubled in volume, is active, and bubbly.
• How strong your starter is depends on your flour. Use good quality flour to feed it for best results. The consistency should be like very thick, stiff pancake batter.
• How long your starter will take depends on the temperature of your house. In winter it might need longer, in summer significantly shorter.
• To determine if it’s ready check if it has doubled in volume, is actively bubbling, you see nice, strong gluten strands if gently pulling it away from the walls of the jar with a spoon and it floats on water. At peak activity it will form a slight dome in its jar, before deflating again.

One Day Before Baking (Overnight Fridge Ferment)

Or Early Morning, if you want to bake on the same day:

Stew Your Apples

• Peel your apples. While this is not strictly necessary and you can certainly skip it, if you’d like more fiber in your diet, I prefer this apple pie-like focaccia without the skin for really tender pieces.
• Cut the sides off the core and chop into small pieces (about ¼ inch thick).
• Melt the butter for the filling in a saucepan, brown it a little if you like, add the sugar and apple pieces and bring to a gentle boil.
• Cook on medium high for 5-10 minutes (depending on the juiciness of your apples) until you feel they are not releasing more juice, but it’s rather boiling down. Allow to cook until the remaining juices have mostly boiled down and you are left with some cinnamon-apple flavored, buttery, sugary syrup.
• Using a fine mesh strainer over a jug or bowl, strain the apple pieces and catch all the delicious, buttery juices. You’ll have about half a cup at this point
• Cover and allow to cool while you make the dough.

Mix The Dough

• In a large bowl mix the salt into your flour.
• Blend the cottage cheese and protein powder with some of the water until smooth.
• Add the cottage cheese-protein mix to the sourdough starter together with the remaining water and stir until combined.
• Pour the liquids into your flour and stir until you have a shaggy dough without any dry flour bits.
• Your dough will be very wet and sticky at this point. Don’t add more flour. This is working as intended.
• Cover with a lid, cling film, a shower cap or a damp tea towel and let it sit for about one hour.

Stretch And Fold

• After the first hour, start a series of 3 stretch and fold.
• To do this without too much dough on your fingers, wet your hands lightly.
• Push both hands under the dough, pulling it upwards. Then fold it over itself.
• Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times until the bowl returns to its starting position and the dough is visibly smoother and stronger.
• Repeat every 30 minutes to 1 hour for 2-4 times or until your dough looks smooth and strong.

Bulk Ferment

Now you have two options:

• You can cover your dough and store it in the fridge overnight for a slow fermentation (8-12 hours, or even up to 3 days if you prefer a stronger sourdough flavor or life gets in the way of baking).
• Or you can allow your dough to ferment on the counter, for it to be ready to bake in the afternoon or evening, depending on your room temperature. This works particularly well in warm rooms.
• In this case jump straight to the shaping, as you’ll want the rise to take place in the baking dish.
• If you don’t have a warm room, but would like to bake the same day, store your shaped dough in your closed oven (switched off) with a cup of freshly boiled water beside it, which should provide just the right temperature.
• Leave until your dough has doubled in Volume (3-6 hours)

Shaping The Focaccia

• The next morning (or right after the last stretch and fold, if you go for same day baking) take your dough out of the fridge.
• Melt the 30g butter for the dough and pour it into your baking dish. You could use parchment paper and then top it with the butter if you are worried about your dough sticking.
• Gently transfer your dough into the prepared baking dish and carefully stretch it to fit the dish. If it feels resistant, let it relax for 30 minutes and try again.
• You can push your hands under the dough and pull from the center towards the sides for even distribution.

Fill With Apples

• Using about 1/3 of your stewed and cooled apples, tumble them all across your focaccia dough. Make sure they are evenly spread, to avoid any spots that bake slower due to the moisture.
• Pulling dough from underneath with your hands, stretch it gently over the apple pieces from all sides. This will prevent the apples from tumbling into one big heap in the center and keep them relatively evenly distributed.
• Pinch the dough closed as good as you can in the middle, then flip it over so the seam is at the bottom.

Last Rise

• Cover again and leave for 3-6 hours or until doubled in volume, jiggly and really bubbly.
• This is the secret to the perfect Focaccia: Patience.
• I baked one of mine too early and while it still tasted amazing, it didn’t have the characteristic huge bubbles and airy texture. You want to go nearly to the state of over proofing. Further than with classic sourdough bread.
• If you feel it’s not rising well, give it either more time or use the oven method described above to give it a bit of a boost.

Bake your Protein Sourdough Focaccia

• Pre-heat your oven to 375°F/190°C
• Distribute the remaining apple pieces over the focaccia.
• Using your hands, gently spread about half of the buttery, sugary apple butter over the dough.
• Start dimpling the dough, to create the typical Focaccia surface by pushing your fingertips deep into the dough and continue until you have an even dimple pattern.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Tent with foil, to prevent burning, then bake for another 20-30 minutes or until cooked through in the middle.
• Check the temperature at center with thermometer ideally. It should be 185F/85C in the center.
• Alternatively check with a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean.
• Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes while you mix the glaze.

Glaze

• To make the buttery apple-cinnamon glaze, slowly mix the remaining cooked down apple juices with the icing sugar. You might need to add 1-2 tbsp water to get enough liquid but try whisking without first.
• The consistency should be thick but drizzle-able.
• Pour your glaze over your gorgeous Sourdough Apple Fritter Protein Focaccia
• Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast, tea or just a lovely cosy snack.