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Best Savory Pumpkin Sage Brown Butter Focaccia Recipe

Savory Pumpkin Sage Brown Butter Focaccia - featured image
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This savory pumpkin sage brown butter focaccia is soft, pillowy, and packed with nutty, herby flavor. It’s the perfect fall bread that will convert even the biggest skeptics.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 ½ cups (440g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups (300ml) warm water (around 100°F)
  • ½ cup (120g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
  • 10–12 fresh sage leaves (half chopped, half whole for topping)
  • ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil, plus extra for the pan
  • 1 ½ teaspoons (9g) fine sea salt, plus flaky salt for finishing
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
  • Black pepper or red pepper flakes (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Add butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until it foams, turns golden, and develops brown specks (4-6 minutes). Remove from heat, pour into a small bowl, and stir in 5-6 chopped sage leaves. Set aside.
  2. Bloom the yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, honey (or maple syrup), and active dry yeast. Stir gently and let sit for 5-7 minutes until foamy.
  3. Mix the dough: Add pumpkin puree, olive oil, salt, and garlic powder to the yeast mixture. Stir until combined. Add flour one cup at a time, stirring with a spatula until a shaggy, wet dough forms. Do not add more flour.
  4. First rest: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
  5. Stretch and fold: Wet your hands with water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do 4-6 stretches. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  6. Repeat stretch and fold: Do another round of stretch and folds. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
  7. Prepare the pan: Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13-inch baking pan and spread it all over the bottom and sides.
  8. Transfer the dough: Gently scrape the dough into the oiled pan. Use your fingertips to gently stretch it toward the edges. If it resists, let it rest 10 minutes and try again.
  9. Final rise: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 45-60 minutes until puffy. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) towards the end of the rise.
  10. Dimple the dough: Uncover and dip your fingers in olive oil. Press deep dimples all over the surface of the dough, all the way to the bottom of the pan.
  11. Add toppings: Drizzle the brown butter and sage mixture evenly over the top. Press whole sage leaves into the dough. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and optional black pepper or red pepper flakes.
  12. Bake: Place on the middle rack and bake for 22-28 minutes until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. For a crisper bottom, bake directly on the oven rack for the last 2-3 minutes.
  13. Cool and serve: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired. Let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes

For the crispiest bottom crust, use a metal pan instead of glass. The dough should be wet and sticky; do not add extra flour. If your kitchen is cold, place the dough near the stove or on top of the fridge to rise. Day-old focaccia tastes even better when reheated in the oven.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin focaccia, sage brown butter focaccia, savory pumpkin bread, fall focaccia recipe, easy focaccia, no-knead focaccia

Find it online: https://bakebeam.com/best-savory-pumpkin-sage-brown-butter-focaccia-recipe/