Salted Caramel and Apple Focaccia
Hello everyone,
We visited Terra Breads recently and sampled their apple focaccia (loved it! – a really delicious, seasonal bread for fall).
A friend of mine and I were talking about salted caramel awhile ago...a flavor I adore.
Here is what I came up with, trying to re-create Terra Bread’s delicious apple focaccia, with salted caramel,
here at home :^)
For the apples, I used the Honeycrisp variety; for the bread, an enriched, slightly-spiced dough; and finished with a salted caramel sauce.
This version is sweet! - sweeter than the bakery’s, the caramel sauce being a bit thicker.
On the apple focaccia we tasted from the bakery, sesame and thyme leaves were used as garnish. I did the same, sprinkling on top, when baking was finished and after the caramel glaze was brushed on.
The white color of the sesame was a nice contrast to the rich color of the caramel, and the green thyme leaves added another touch of color (and flavor!). I love fruit and herb combinations and really, really enjoyed the combination of apple and thyme, along with the caramel.
Some were baked as individual ‘focaccie’ and I baked one ring-shaped bread, in a trois frères mold:
The formula and method (based on a Bara Brith dough I made awhile back - less spice and minus the dried fruit):
... the pre-cooked apple slices: 
...individual focaccia before baking; close up of overlapping slices, ring mold, after baking:
... the baked focaccia, before glazing: 
The crumb of one of the focaccie: 
(had to force myself to put the knife and fork down, in order to be able to pick up the camera, to take this picture! :^) )
Yum, I thought this bread quite rich and delicious and was happy to indulge with the salted caramel, a special treat!
Happy baking everyone!
:^) breadsong
Submitted to YeastSpotting :^)
Comments
Wow! That is some bread or should I call it a cake? Either way my waist is expanding just reading your post.
Best.
Ian
Hi Ian,
This was a decadent dessert and so good to share with family and friends (spread the calories around?!) :^)
Waistline expansion is a certainty with this one...!
:^) breadsong
What I wouldn't give for a slice of that after dinner tonight!
A lovely presentation and an elegant combination of flavours you've put together for this focaccia breadsong, I can only imagine how good it must have tasted, but added to my "favorites" so I can make one myself . Thanks for sharing this breadsong, awesome baking as always!
Cheers,
Franko
Hi Franko,
Everyone here really liked this, and I'm glad you did too! - please let me know how you like the flavor of this,
if you make it. Thank you so much!
:^) breadsong
Oh BOY!,
That looks incredible .. WOW! This looks WAY to dangerous to make .... I would scoff the lot!
Creative and delicious baking breadsong ... the thyme leaves is a really interesting addition. Come to think of it, I used to make a brown rice salad a really long time ago that had apple, prosciutto, feta and thyme ... the thyme and apple make a really great combination.
Cheers,
Phil
Hi Phil,
Dangerous, yes, that's why I had to make sure there were lots of people to share this with, before I tackled it :^)
Your rice salad sounds incredibly good and I think I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow!
I agree with you about the apple-thyme flavor combo and can’t wait to try it, with the other flavors, in the salad.
Thank you for the menu suggestion!
:^) breadsong
What a lovely flavor combination... Not to mention a gorgeous cake focaccia. The crumb looks deliciously airy and mellow. I feel faint just looking at the caramel sauce oozing down the sides. And I don't even have a sweet tooth! Great shot of the apple slices resting in melted butter. Could that butter be used in the caramel sauce to impart a light apple flavor to it? Do you think that would work?
Hi MC,
The salted caramel flavor, and thyme, counter some of the sweetness but there’s no getting around it – this is dessert – glad the caramel sauce looks tempting even to those who don’t usually go for sweets!
Using leftover apple cooking liquid to actually make the caramel is a great idea!
David Lebovitz wrote some tips on making caramel – #7 addresses using sweeteners other than white sugar -
will keep your idea and his tip in mind for next time.
(I could have thinned the caramel sauce, with the liquid left over from cooking the apples (melted butter, melted brown sugar, and probably some juice from the apples, as well), except I used all of it to coat the apple slices in the ring mold.)
Thank you, MC - I'm happy you liked these flavors, admiring how you put together the most delicious,
beautifully-prepared dishes!
:^) breadsong
and I'm not even sure what salted caramel is. You come up with the most interesting (and lovely) creations. -Varda
Hi Varda,
Thank you very much!
If you do get a chance to taste salted caramel, I hope you like it as much as I do (I love salty+sweet flavors!).
:^) breadsong
Wouldn't those make awsome edible Christmas presents !
Anna
Oh, Anna, you've got me thinking...
How about an apple-cranberry-topped bread for the holidays -
if the apple slices were cut nicely, it might resemble a poinsettia?
Thank you so much for your comment, and inspiration!
:^) breadsong
You got me at caramel :) How I love caramel. I would pick it over chocolate anyday. Combining it with apples, herbs, seeds and focaccia. I agree with Anna..How decadent! I like that you added a little salt into the caramel sauce and left off sprinkles of salt 'which I first thought was the sesame seeds' on top of the focaccia and instead added the delicious combo of sesame seeds and herbs...lovely!
Thank you for sharing your lovely bakes, write-up and link to the Terra Bakery. I loved the little tour of the WFO baking at TFB and can see how it is would be inspiring for you to bake. I sure wish we had as many sources for flour and bakeries in my area.
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
Well, I love chocolate too ... actually had the pleasure of tasting the 'best of both worlds' at Bakery Nouveau in Seattle...with this salt caramel bon bon :^) ... this is one of, if not the best, chocolates I've ever tasted.
Glad you liked the caramel, herbs and seeds...very grateful to Terra Breads for their excellent idea! I thought about making a straight caramel and topping with a few flakes of Maldon salt but don't regret what I ended up with,
making it this way.
It's so nice to hear from you Sylvia - thank you so much for your comment!
:^) breadsong
I'd like this as a pudding Breadsong!
Is that wholly unreasonable?
All good wishes
Andy
Hi Andy,
A number of years ago I made this for a Christmas dessert:
http://www.marthastewart.com/330208/caramel-apple-steamed-pudding
(wickedly good as I remember - should really make this again!)
Thanks so much for the suggestion, making me think of this pudding we enjoyed so much!
:^) breadsong