Strawberry lemonade focaccia is a delicious and refreshing twist on the classic Italian bread, combining sweet, tangy, and zesty flavors that make it the perfect treat for spring and summer! The sweet, juicy strawberries combined with the bright, citrusy zing of lemonade create a flavor combo that will elevate any meal or gathering.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Strawberry Lemonade Focaccia:
- You will love the combination of sweet strawberries, the tartness of lemonade, and the savory base of focaccia bread creates a perfect balance of flavors that excite your taste buds.
- Perfect for Spring & Summer: This fruity and citrusy focaccia is the ideal dish for outdoor picnics, barbecues, or as a light snack on a warm day.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Starter – Bubbly, active sourdough starter that has been previously fed.
Flour –Unbleached all-purpose flour. I like to use Kirkland’s organic unbleached all-purpose flour because it’s great flour for a great price but use what you have on hand as long as it’s unbleached.
Water –Filtered room temperature water.
Salt –I use pink Himalayan salt but use what you have on hand.
Olive oil –High quality olive oil for extra flavor.
Strawberries –I like fresh strawberries for this focaccia.
Lemon –The zest of one lemon and use the juice for a glaze!
👩🍳 How to Make Strawberry Lemonade Focaccia
- In the morning, feed your sourdough starter.
- In the afternoon, when your sourdough starter has doubled in size and is light and bubbly, assemble your dough.
Dough assembly
- In a large mixing bowl with a food scale, whisk together your starter, olive oil and water until your starter has dissolved and a milky liquid form.
- Add in your flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
- After resting, perform your first set of stretch and folds by pulling one side of the dough up and towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time until a semi smooth dough forms.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Perform 2 – 4 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes to one hour apart.
- After your last stretch and fold, cover with a damp tea towel or bowl cover and let rest on the counter overnight to bulk ferment. About 12 hours
In the morning
- The next morning, your dough should have doubled in size.
- Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil into your baking dish. Transfer your dough directly into the pan.
- Sprinkle half of the diced strawberries in the middle of the dough. Top with the zest of one lemon.
- Fold the top of the dough up and in the middle, repeat the same with the bottom. Flip the dough seam side down so the dough is covered in olive oil and strawberries are tucked into the middle.
- Cover and let rest for 1 – 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size and puffy.
- When your dough is ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Sprinkle the other half of the strawberries, lemon zest and granulated sugar all over the top of the dough.
- Use your fingers to create dimples all over the surface, pushing in the toppings as you go.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes until the top is brown and crispy and the bread is fully cooked.
Lemonade glaze
- Mix together your powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze has reached your desired consistency. I like the juice of 1 – 2 lemons in 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- When your focaccia is finished, drizzle your lemonade glaze over the warm bread. Serve with some lemonade and enjoy!
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Strawberry Preparation: For the strawberries, you can either slice them thinly or quarter them. If they are juicy, you may want to toss them with a little sugar and let them sit for a few minutes to release some juices.
- Herbs and Additional Flavor: Consider adding fresh herbs like basil or thyme paired with strawberries. Both can complement the sweetness and provide a fragrant aromatic flavor.
- Keep an eye on the focaccia as it bakes. It generally takes about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through but every oven is different!
🗒 Variations
Sweet Focaccia Recipes –
- Blueberry Lemon Goat Cheese Focaccia – Acts Of Sourdough
- Smores Focaccia – Acts Of Sourdough
- Peach + Mozzarella Focaccia – Acts Of Sourdough
🗒 Substitutions:
If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand for this Strawberry Lemonade Focaccia, don’t worry! Here are some easy substitutions that will still give you a delicious, unique loaf:
- If fresh strawberries aren’t available, frozen strawberries work just as well! Simply thaw and chop them before using. Alternatively, you can swap out strawberries for other berries like blueberries or raspberries for a different twist on flavor.
- For the lemonade flavor, if you don’t have lemonade on hand, fresh lemon juice combined with a bit of honey or sugar can replicate that tangy-sweet flavor. You could also use lime juice for a slightly different citrusy note.
🗒 Best served with:
- Refreshing glass of lemonade.
- Enjoy it alongside your favorite salads, cheeses, or grilled dishes for a unique, flavorful meal.
- Perfect to bring to a spring brunch!
👝 How to Store Leftovers
Short-term storage: If you plan to enjoy your focaccia within a few days, simply store it in an airtight container and leave it on the counter or in a bread box. This will help retain its softness and keep the bread fresh for up to 2-3 days at room temperature.
Long-term storage: If you need to store your focaccia for a longer period, you can freeze it. Wrap the focaccia in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a freezer-safe bag. It can be frozen for up to 1 month. When ready to enjoy, let the focaccia thaw at room temperature, or heat it up in the oven for a few minutes to restore its freshness.
Reheating Tips:
To bring your focaccia back to life after storage, simply warm it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes. This will help the flavors meld together and restore its soft, pillowy texture.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes! If you prefer a less sweet focaccia, feel free to reduce the sugar in the dough. Or you can use honey or maple syrup for a more natural sweetener option.
Yes! If fresh strawberries aren’t available, you can use frozen. Thaw them first and if they are still moist you can toss them in a little sugar to dry them out.
Strawberry Lemonade Focaccia
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 200 grams bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 360 grams filtered water
- 25 grams olive oil
- 600 grams all-purpose flour
- 10 grams salt
- 1 cup diced strawberries plus more for topping
- 1 tbs granulated sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
Lemonade glaze
- 1 – 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbs lemon juice
Instructions
- In the morning, feed your sourdough starter.
- In the afternoon, when your sourdough starter has doubled in size and is light and bubbly, assemble your dough.
Dough assembly
- In a large mixing bowl with a food scale, whisk together your starter, olive oil and water until your starter has dissolved and a milky liquid form.
- Add in your flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
- After resting, perform your first set of stretch and folds by pulling one side of the dough up and towards the middle, rotating the bowl each time until a semi smooth dough forms.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Perform 2 – 4 more stretch and folds every 30 minutes to one hour apart.
- After your last stretch and fold, cover with a damp tea towel or bowl cover and let rest on the counter overnight to bulk ferment. About 12 hours
In the morning
- The next morning, your dough should have doubled in size.
- Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil into your baking dish. Transfer your dough directly into the pan.
- Sprinkle half of the diced strawberries in the middle of the dough. Top with the zest of one lemon.
- Fold the top of the dough up and in the middle, repeat the same with the bottom. Flip the dough seam side down so the dough is covered in olive oil and strawberries are tucked into the middle.
- Cover and let rest for 1 – 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size and puffy.
- When your dough is ready to bake, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Sprinkle the other half of the strawberries, lemon zest and granulated sugar all over the top of the dough.
- Use your fingers to create dimples all over the surface, pushing in the toppings as you go.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes until the top is brown and crispy and the bread is fully cooked.
Lemonade glaze
- Mix together your powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze has reached your desired consistancy. I like the juice of 1 – 2 lemons in 1 cup of powdered sugar.
- When your focaccia is finished, drizzle your lemonade glaze over the warm bread. Serve with some lemonade and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Just wanted to let you know you forgot the salt in the ingredients. I saw it was mentioned in the directions though. I just used 8g for this attempt… in my stand mixer now and hoping this turns out yummy! Though, I’ve yet to have a recipe from you that wasn’t awesome.
Thank you, Tricia! Sorry about that… I just updated the recipe. I put 10g in the recipe but I think 8g will be great too. I hope you love it!