Pecan Pie Focaccia
This Pecan Pie Focaccia can be made with my same day yeast focaccia or my easy no knead sourdough focaccia and it is incredibly delicious! Fluffy focaccia bread is stuffed with a buttery cinnamon sugar layer, then topped with a rich, caramelized pecan pie mixture. After baking, the pecan pie focaccia is brushed with a simple honey syrup, creating a beautiful glossy shine, and the perfect amount of moisture and sweetness to the focaccia.
The fall season is my favorite baking season, by far! I just love all of the cozy bakes and especially the way my house smells after baking. This Pecan Pie Focaccia is everything I want in a fall focaccia. It has the warm cozy flavors of cinnamon and brown sugar, then the focaccia is topped with a gooey, rich pecan pie topping.
And this, is one of those bakes that truly makes your house smell amazing as it bakes! Imagine a sweet, nutty fragrance with notes of caramel, vanilla, butter and warm spices. There’s no need to burn a candle when you can make your house smell this good with the pecan pie focaccia!
I’ve included both a yeast focaccia and a sourdough focaccia for this recipe. Both are equally delicious, and both are honestly very easy to make. The sourdough focaccia is a bit atypical in that you don’t need to do any stretch and folds. Yes, you read that right! Because the dough has a long rise time, the gluten structure in the dough is developed from the long rise time. Hence, there is no need to do stretch and folds. The focaccia you see in the picture is the sourdough version, but both recipes yielded equally delicious focaccia bakes.
Here is what you will love about this Pecan Pie Focaccia
- You can make this with either sourdough or focaccia, and both recipes are simple to make!
- This recipe makes your entire house smell like all of the cozy warm scents of fall as it bakes.
- This Pecan Pie Focaccia makes a delicious breakfast or brunch treat, but it can even be enjoyed as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream!
- This pecan pie focaccia is great as a fall bake. It would also make a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator the day before you plan to eat them
FAQ
can i use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast?
Yes, you may use active dry yeast in place of the instant yeast in a one to one ratio. Just make sure you add the active dry yeast to the warm water. Whisk to combine, then allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes, or until the surface of the mixture is frothy in appearance and you can smell the yeast.
How do I make sourdough starter?
I have a super easy sourdough starter recipe here. It is a no discard sourdough starter recipe and is great for beginners and experts alike.
What if my dough doesn’t get super puffy? Focaccia bread is known for it’s big air pockets.
Both the sourdough recipe and the yeast recipe included in this recipe have a high hydration dough. This means that there is a lot of water in proportion to the flour. This high amount of water allows for the dough to get big, bubbly air pockets.
In terms of the dough rising, the temperature of your house can make a huge difference. I notice a big difference in my dough rising temperatures during the winter time versus the summer time. During the winter, my dough rises much slower. The cooler environment as well as the lower humidity create an environment that isn’t as ideal for the dough to rise as during the summer.
You may have to add additional time for rising during the cooler winter months. Dough is one of those baking recipes that just takes time to get used to. Once you bake a few focaccia recipes and understand how your dough should look, you’ll begin to understand when the dough is just right. With that being said, I have found that the overnight rise for the sourdough recipe has been plenty long enough, even during the cooler winter months.
Here are a few other sourdough recipes I think you will love
- No Knead Sourdough Focaccia
- Almond Croissant Focaccia
- Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
- EASY No Discard Sourdough Starter
Here are a few of my favorite fall baking recipes
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Twists
- Homemade Apple Fritters
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread
- Pumpkin Donuts
Let me know what you thought!
If you make this Pecan Pie Focaccia, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I absolutely love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It truly makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.
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Pecan Pie Focaccia
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
Description
This Pecan Pie Focaccia can be made with my same day yeast focaccia or my easy no knead sourdough focaccia and it is incredibly delicious! Fluffy focaccia bread is stuffed with a buttery cinnamon sugar layer, then topped with a rich, caramelized pecan pie mixture. After baking, the pecan pie focaccia is brushed with a simple honey syrup, creating a beautiful glossy shine, and the perfect amount of moisture and sweetness to the focaccia.
Ingredients
Sourdough (you can make with sourdough or yeast, choose which one you want!)
- 1/2 cup active starter (115 grams)
- 1 3/4 cups warm water (398 grams)
- 4 cups bread flour (490 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (10 grams)
Yeast Dough
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 cups water, warmed to 110F
- 4 1/4 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Pecan Pie Topping
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Honey Syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
1. Sourdough: In a large bowl, add the sourdough starter, warm water, bread flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon or Danish dough hook to stir ingredients together until ingredients come together. The dough ball will be shaggy. Cover and allow to rise for 8-12 hours (an overnight rise works great for this). You do not need to do any stretch and folds for this dough. The long rise time allows for gluten development to form naturally.
Yeast Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, add all ingredients for yeast dough. Knead on medium-low speed for 4 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with nonstick cooking spray, then cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 ½ hours in a warm place.
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 9×13 inch pan. Tilt the pan to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Add the dough to the pan, turning over to coat both sides in the oil (this helps to prevent the dough from sticking). Gently stretch the dough to mostly fit the size of the pan.
3. Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling. In a microwave safe bowl, or in a small saucepan on the stovetop, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the focaccia. Fold the focaccia in half (there is a good amount of cinnamon sugar filling. It will be messy! But this is what makes it so good).
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
5. When the dough is almost done rising, make the pecan pie topping. In a small saucepan, add all ingredients for the pecan pie topping. Cook, over medium heat, until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved. You don’t need to cook the mixture long. The nuts will get toasted in the oven and the syrup will continue to caramelize in the oven as it bakes. Allow to cool. If the syrup mixture cools too much, it may harden. Just reheat on the stovetop until the syrup is pourable.
6. Preheat oven to 425F.
7. When the dough is done rising, pour the syrup over the focaccia. The syrup should be warm enough to pour, but not too hot to touch. As long as the syrup is not too hot to touch, and with oiled fingertips, deeply indent the dough all over. (please note, your hands will get messy!)
8. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
9. Make the honey syrup. In a small saucepan, add the water, sugar and honey. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the beat.
10. Brush the honey syrup over the warm focaccia. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Storage – Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can freeze leftovers in a freezer safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator the day before you plan to eat them
- Prep Time: 20
- Rise Time: 2 1/2 hours (yeast) 8-12 hours (sourdough)
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Breakfast/Brunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
I saw your post this weekend and found the soonest excuse I could find to make it! This was a total hit with my family and has already been requested for upcoming holiday gatherings. I used the yeast dough recipe and made the night before since I didn’t have time the next morning. I just let the dough come to room temp for 1-2 hrs in the morning and then picked back up at the second rise. It turned out perfectly!! Next time I will make as sourdough when I plan ahead enough to make sure my starter is good and active. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my goodness, Hannah, what a wonderful compliment! I love that it has already been requested for holiday gatherings! I think I will be making it for our Thanksgiving feast this year :). And love that you made the yeast dough and let it sit overnight in the fridge. That is great to know! Thanks so much, Hannah for making my recipe 🙂
-Jolene
Made this a few weekends ago and it was a hit! I did the sourdough version and edited it to fit my time better. I had an overnight rise and then threw it in the fridge while I worked and pulled it out a little before baking and adding the mixtures.
I am addicted and may have one in the oven as I write this!!
Hehe, Nicole! I love this and am soo happy you love this one as much as I did! Glad you were able to get the sourdough to fit your time schedule. Thank you so much for making this recipe!
-Jolene