Apricot and Cherry Focaccia For #BreadBakers

It is June and it is time for yet another edition of #BreadBakers! This month's theme is Stone Fruit and a special thanks to this month's hostess Mirelle from Schizo Chef for selecting this theme. In the summer months, there are few things as comforting as the stone fruits and all the delicious things that are made from them. 

When I read the theme, I was not sure that I completely understood what kind of bread to make for this month. On searching on Wikipedia, I realized that a stone fruit, also called a drupe, is a fruit with a large stone or seed inside. While the fruits in the list are countless, peaches, plums, apricots, mangoes and cherries are the most common. Given the summer season and mangoes all around, I thought I would make a mango based bread. 

However, in the last weekend we went to Brentwood for Cherry picking. Not only did we pick 4 pounds of cherries, but also 4 pounds of peaches and apricots. So I decided to make this focaccia, full of summer flavors. While the dough for the bread is similar to the dough of classic focaccia, there is just one change; I added sugar instead of salt to make a fruity, sweet bread that is perfect for summer picnics and family breakfasts. Just sprinkle some sugar on top or add a dash of cream cheese and enjoy this bread whenever you want!

Ingredients

Allpurpose Flour/Maida 3 cups

Rapid rise Dry Yeast 1 sachet (2 ¼ tsp)

Olive Oil 3 tbsp

Sugar 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

Pitted Cherries and Apricots

Warm Water 1 cup (100-110 F)

Butter 1 tsp

Method

In a cup of warm water, add yeast, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes till it foams. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, 2 tablespoon Olive Oil and sugar. Pour the frothy yeast mixture into this mixture and make a soft dough. Add little water if required and knead well. The mixture may be sticky at first, knead it well till it converts to a soft dough.  Apply oil over the dough and place it in a large bowl, cover it with a moist cloth and let stand for 45 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400 F/ 200 C. After 45 minutes, the dough will be almost double it's size. Punch down the dough and knead it for 5 more minutes. Now spread some oil on a cast iron baking pan (or cookie pan if you like). Spread the dough to cover the entire pan. Press down sliced apricots and cherries. Let the tray rest for 30-35 minutes and then place in the preheated oven. This is how it looked just before baking:

Bake for 12-15 minutes or till the crust turns golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or cold with tea, coffee or milk. The focaccia tastes great with butter, cream cheese or whipped cream too. This focaccia is perfect for picnics too. 

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here.  Links are also updated after each event on the BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy @ foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Here is what all of us came up with, for the Stone Fruit Breads event:

• Apricot and Cherry Focaccia by Herbivore Cucina
• Apricot & Pistachio Buns by Baking Sense
• Apricot & Stilton Soda Bread by Baking in Pyjamas
• Apricot Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Apricot Cranberry Walnut Quick Bread by Spill the Spices
• Apricot Kolaches by Food Lust People Love
• Apricot Oat Casserole Bread with Sweet Vanilla Glaze by A Salad For All Seasons
• Big Batch Bran Muffins by What Smells So Good?
• Brown Sugar and Plum Pull-Apart Bread by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Cherry Bread with Streusel Topping by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Cherry Ricotta Muffins by Sneha's Recipe
• Cinnamon Swirl Peach Bread by Kylee Cooks
• Dried Apricot Bread with Walnuts by The Bread She Bakes
• Eggless Mango Cardamom Walnut Quick Bread by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Eggless Mini Mango Bread by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Mango and Passionfruit Yeast Bread by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Mango Challah by Passion Kneaded
• Mango Jam Rolls with Cremé, Fresh Mangoes and Jam Filling by G'Gina's Kitchenette
• Mango Pull Apart Bread by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Nectarine-Blueberry Muffins by A Baker's House
• Peach & Nutmeg Sweet Focaccia by The Schizo Chef
• Peach Yogurt Muffins by Magnolia Days
• Plum & Pecan Bread by I Camp in my Kitchen
• Scones with Apricot, Ginger and Brie by Palatable Pastime
• Semolina Bread with Apricots and Sage by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Spicy Peach Oatmeal Bread by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Whole Wheat Nectarine Bread by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Wholewheat Sweet Rolls with Mango Filling by Cook's Hideout