Summer Focaccia |Cooking With Amanda

When making bread there are plenty of times when I embrace the process. I love kneading bread, the feel of it as I work it with my hands. The waiting, I love the smell of bread proofing. Then there's the baking of the bread. There are few things in life better than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven - other than eating it, of course.

But there are plenty of times when I just don't have the time to embrace that process because let's be real, making bread can be quite time consuming. On days like those I tend to go for something a little faster like a savory quick bread. A loaf of Herbed Buttermilk Bread is the perfect addition to dinner. Filled with cheese and fresh herbs, it doesn't take all day to make. One bowl, no fuss, no muss. Done. Other times it's all about my Maple Bacon Skillet Cornbread. This cornbread recipe is a little smoky, a little sweet and oh so tasty. Dangerously delicious.

This Summer Focaccia Bread is a quick, easy bread recipe. This sweet spin on classic savory focaccia invites summer onto your plate. Golden and buttery outside. Fluffy and soft inside. But the very best part is that this focaccia bread is dotted with sweet, red cherries and slightly tart fresh apricots. A hearty sprinkle of coarse sugar adds a little sweetness and a pleasant little crunch too. This lightly sweet fruit bread is ideal for breakfast or for when your sweet tooth is calling and needs a little fix.

This bread is the perfect way to embrace summer's fruit. Not a fan of cherries or apricots? Any stone fruit would be a beautiful addition to the top of this golden skillet focaccia. Let your creative juices flow and make this summer focaccia bread recipe soon!

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Summer Focaccia Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water, about 100-110 degrees fahrenheit
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 apricots, sliced
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt until well combined. Add the water, olive oil and vanilla extract. With mixer on medium speed, mix until well combined, then slowly add 1/4 cup flour and mix until dough begins to pull away from sides and begins to look smooth but will still be sticky.
Sprinkle surface with remaining 1/4 cup flour and knead dough until smooth and no longer sticky. Shape dough into a ball and cover with a light kitchen towel.
Preheat oven to 150°F then turn the oven off. Butter or grease a 10"-12" cast iron skillet. Roll dough to size of skillet and fit into skillet. Cover dough again with light kitchen towel and place inside warm oven for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes remove skillet and set in a warm, draft-free place. Preheat oven to 400°F. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or fingertips, poke indentations in dough.
Brush the top of the dough with half the melted butter. Sprinkle with half the turbinado sugar. Arrange the cherries and apricots on top. Brush fruit with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining turbinado sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool in pan on a wire rack then slide focaccia out of skillet, cut into squares and serve.