Decadent Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia Bread
Its almost Valentine’s Day and this Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia has love written all over it! Soft and chewy sourdough focaccia, baked with lightly sweetened strawberries and topped with a decadent chocolate ganache…true perfection if you ask me!
I think we can all agree that when we think of Valentine’s Day treats, we think chocolate covered strawberries. It is such a classic flavor combination that everyone loves!
Making fun flavored Focaccia Bread is a perfect way to indulge because it feels like a treat without being overly sweet. This recipe starts with my tried and true sourdough focaccia bread that gets topped with a simple strawberry sauce before baking . Once it comes out of the oven, it gets drizzled with silky chocolate ganache.
If you need a recipe to make ahead and enjoy on Valentine’s day, this is perfect for you. You can fully bake the focaccia bread ahead of time. I like to freeze mine in a zip loc bag, pre chocolate ganache. When you are ready to enjoy, pop it in the oven for 10 minutes then top with the ganache!
Enjoy this Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia as breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack with coffee.
Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia ingredients
Flour- Use whichever flour you typically use for your sourdough bread. Unbleached all purpose or bread flour.
Water- Room temperature, unfiltered is always best when making bread.
Sourdough Starter- I like to use active sourdough starter for the best flavor and texture.
Salt- As always, we need a tough of salt in our bread.
Oil- You can use any oil of your preference. Avocado oil, olive oil or even melted butter work great.
Strawberries- I use frozen strawberries because they are cheapest and easiest to find this time of year. Fresh will also work.
Sugar- There is just a touch of sugar added to the strawberry sauce. Any sugar you like with work.
Heavy Cream- This is what gives the chocolate ganache that perfect silky texture.
Chocolate- You can use dark chocolate or semi sweet. Whichever is your favorite.
The Steps
1.Start by mixing together the water, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Then add in the 2 tbsp olive oil, flour and salt. 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. Repeat this step 3 more times.
3. Let the dough rise covered on the counter for approx 6 hours or until doubled in size. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or 8-10 hours.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and flip the dough out onto the counter. Divide it in half and place each piece of dough on a rimed baking sheet lined with parchment and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
5. Cover each pan of dough and let rest for 2 more hours.
6. Preheat your oven to 425F when you are ready to bake.
7. While the oven is preheating, add the sliced strawberries to a pot along with the sugar. Cook on medium heat until they have broken down into a nice sauce consistency. Remove from heat.
8. Drizzle more oil on top of each piece of dough then dimple the bread with your fingers. Spoon the strawberry mixture over top of each loaf and gently spread it around.
9. Bake each pan for 20-25 minutes of until cooked through and slightly golden. Finally, place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes before stirring.
10. Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until you get a nice silky consistency. Drizzle the ganache evenly over both loaves, then slice and enjoy!
If you try this Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia let us know below!
Chocolate Strawberry Sourdough Focaccia
Soft and chewy sourdough focaccia bread, topped with a slightly sweetened strawberry sauce and chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
- 750g water
- 1000g unbleached all purpose flour or bread flour
- 200g active sourdough starter
- 20g salt
- 2/3 cup +2 tbsp avocado oil, olive oil, or melted butter
- 5 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Start by mixing together the water, and sourdough starter in a large bowl. Then add in the 2 tbsp olive oil, flour and salt. Stir with wooden spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains and you have a shaggy dough.
- 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. Repeat this step 3 more times.
- Let the dough rise covered on the counter for approx 6 hours or until doubled in size. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or 8-10 hours.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and flip the dough out onto the counter. Divide it in half and place each piece of dough on a rimed baking sheet lined with parchment and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- Cover each pan of dough and let rest for 2 more hours.
- Preheat your oven to 425F when you are ready to bake.
- While the oven is preheating, add the sliced strawberries to a pot along with the sugar. Cook on medium heat until they have broken down into a nice sauce consistency. Remove from heat.
- Drizzle more oil on top of each piece of dough then dimple the bread with your fingers. Spoon the strawberry mixture over top of each loaf and gently spread it around.
- Bake each pan for 20-25 minutes of until cooked through and slightly golden.
- Finally, place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes before stirring.
- Stir the chocolate and cream mixture until you get a nice silky consistency. Drizzle the ganache evenly over both loaves, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
*This recipe makes two loaves but if you only want to make one, simply half the entire recipe.
*If you like your bread extra sour, you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to 30 hours before shaping and baking.
*If you want to make this ahead of time, freeze it in a zip loc once its baked but before you add the ganache. Heat back up in the oven when you are ready to eat, then drizzle with the ganache.
Can you tell me why the dough might have been more runny? I did everything you said it looked like a great dough ball when I put it to bulk ferment but after that it almost started to melt. I couldn’t get it back to the consistency it once was.
How long did you bulk ferment it? It may have over proofed and so you lost the shape OR I would say it may be a starter issue.