Raspberry Brownie Sourdough Focaccia Bread
Yes, you read that right…..RASPBERRY BROWNIE SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA BREAD!!!! I am yelling at you because this bread may just be the best thing I have ever tasted in my life and you need to taste it too.
I have been dying to try my hand at chocolate sourdough and turning it into sourdough focaccia was absolutely the right move! This bread tastes just like a brownie but with way less sugar and those gut healthy benefits from sourdough, so it truly does not get any better.
This raspberry brownie sourdough focaccia starts with a basic focaccia dough that is enhanced with maple syrup and cocoa. It then gets topped with a lightly sweetened raspberry sauce and whipped cream to finish it off. The flavors in this recipe are a match made in heaven! It is sweet, decadent, slightly tart and so incredibly soft.
You can enjoy this bread with your coffee, as an afternoon treat or serve it as a beautiful and fun dessert! Once the bread is baked, it can be frozen before or after adding the raspberry sauce and then served warm anytime you want with fresh whipped cream on top.
Tips for perfect raspberry brownie sourdough focaccia
- Use a nice and strong active sourdough start that has reached its peak. Using a nice active starter will give you the best flavor and light, fluffy texture to your bread. You will know it has reached its peak when it has more han doubled in size and is no longer domed on the top.
- Make sure you allow the dough to bulk ferment long enough before putting it into the fridge. The length of time it takes will vary depending on the temperatue in your home, but you can expect it to take anywhere from 5-9 hours to fully bulk ferment. The dough will be at least doubled in size, have some bubbles, and will no longer be really sticky to the touch.
- Once the dough has cold proofed, you want to allow it to rise in the baking pan for at least two hours before baking it. The dough will get very light and airy feeling in these couple hours and that is exatly what you want in order to yield a light and airy focaccia bread.
- Allow the raspberry sauce and focaccia bread to cool slightly before assembling and topping with whippe cream. If the bread is still too hot, the whipped cream will melt once you add it on top.
Raspberry Brownie Sourdough Focaccia Bread Ingredients
Sourdough Starter– This recipe uses active sourdough starter so make sure to use starter that has reached its peak.
Flour– You can use unbleached all purpose four or bread flour. Whichever you typically use for your sourdough.
Cocoa Powder- Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Maple Syrup– This is added to the focaccia dough to add flavor and a light sweetness.
Butter– Melted butter is added to the dough as well as on top of the dough before dimpling. This helps keep the dough nice and soft.
Salt– Every sourdough recipe needs some salt. Use whatever is your favorite.
Raspberries– You can use frozen or fresh raspberries in this recipe. I typically opt for frozen for convenience.
Sugar– Because raspberries are quite tart, I love the addition of just a touch of sugar in the raspberry sauce. The bread itself is not super sweet so I don’t recommend skipping this extra bit of sugar.
Whipped Cream– Use any type of whipped cream you like. I make mine by just beating heavy cream with a dash of vanilla and sprinkle of sugar.
The steps
Make The Dough
1.Start by mixing together the water, maple syrup, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Then add in the 25g melted butter, flour, salt, and cocoa. Stir with wooden spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.
2. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Then perform one set of coil folds or stretch and folds. Cover the bowl and let sit another 30 minutes.
3. After 30 minutes, perform your 2nd set of stretch and folds, this time folding in half of the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and let rest another 30 minutes.
4. Perform the 3rd and final set of stretch and folds, adding the remaining chocolate chips and folding until they are well mixed into the dough.
5. Let the dough rise covered on the counter for approx 6 hours or until doubled in size. Once bulk fermented, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or anywhere from 8-36 hours.
Shape and Bake
6. Remove the dough from the fridge. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and drizzle with a couple tbsp melted butter. Flip the dough onto the rimed baking sheet, Cover the pan of dough and let rest for 2 more hours.
7. Preheat your oven to 425F when you are ready to bake.
8. Drizzle with the reamining melted butter over the top of the dough then gently dimple it with your fingers.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top.
Make the Sauce
10. While the bread is baking, combine the raspberries and sugar in a small sauce pot and place on medium heat. Cook down until a sauce consistenc formy about 5-7 minutes.
11. Next, stir together the cornstarch and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl , and add this to the raspberry sauce. Continue to cook the sauce for a couple more minutes over medium heat to allow it to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool until the bread is ready.
12. Once the bread is baked, allow it to cool for about 10-20 minutes before spreading the raspberry sauce evenly over the top. Slice the bread into squares and add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each one, along with a fresh raspberry or a couple choocae chips if you like.
13. Serve warm and enjoy!
This bread is absolutely to die for and I hope you love it as much as I do! Leave a comment or reviewbelow if you try it out 🙂
Check out some other delicious sweet Sourdough Focaccia Bread recipes here:
https://cmbarndominium.com/carrot-cake-sourdough-focaccia-bread-with-cream-cheese-glaze/
https://cmbarndominium.com/blueberry-crumble-sourdough-focaccia-bread/
https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-cinnamon-swirl-banana-bread-sourdough-focaccia/
Soft and decadent chocolate sourdough focaccia topped with a lightly sweetened raspberry sauce and fresh whipped cream. This bread tastes just like a brownie but without all of the sugar and with all of the gut helthy sourdough benefits! * This recipe can be easily doubles to make two loaves and then stored in the freezer. * If you want to mix it up, you can make the sauce with strawberries instead of raspberries! * I like to make my whipped cream just by beating heavy cream, a touch of vanilla and pinch of sugar. You can use any whipped cream you like on these. 
Raspberry Brownie Sourdough Focaccia Bread
Ingredients
For the Raspberry Sauce
For toppings
Instructions
Notes
