Focaccia Cream Pie
MAKES
one 9 inch / 23 cm “cake”
TAKES
Prep time: 15 hours (includes rise times)
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total: 15 hours 50 minutes (includes rise times)
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
These days, just about anything - sweet or savory - can be focaccia-ed. As a lover of Boston Cream Pie, I thought a version made with a small, round loaf of focaccia could be incredible. After baking and cooling, the loaf is cut in half and filled with creamy vanilla custard, and topped with a thick chocolate glaze. Because the bread is so fluffy, it really emulates the best parts of a cake - but adds more texture into the mix, too.
INGREDIENTS
Focaccia
280 g / 2 ½ cups bread flour (see Note
50 g / ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for finishing
6 g / 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
5 g / 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
255 g / 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (around 110°F / 45°C)
30 g / 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
11 g / 1 ½ teaspoons honey
Custard Filling
150 g / ¾ cup granulated sugar
28 g / ¼ cup cornstarch
2 g / ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
345 g / 1 ½ cups whole milk
114 g / ½ cup heavy cream
85 g / 4 large egg yolks
10 g / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
14 g / 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Chocolate Glaze
118 g / ½ cup heavy cream
42 g / 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
53 g / ¼ cup light brown sugar
170 g / 6 ounces finely chopped dark or semisweet chocolate
1 g / ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Make This Recipe With Me:
METHOD
1. Make the dough: Twelve to 48 hours before you want to bake the focaccia, make the dough: In a large bowl, stir the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together. Add the water, olive oil, and honey and mix until thoroughly combined, 1 to 2 minutes. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Cover the bowl and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Using a dough scraper or damp hands, gently reach under the dough, folding the bottom portion of it over onto the top. Repeat this process 4 to 5 times, working your way around the bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 48 hours.
3. When ready to make the focaccia, bring the dough to room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Grease a 9 inch / 23 cm cake pan generously with olive oil. Add the dough to the pan and gently turn it over so both sides are lightly oiled. Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it nearly doubles in size and almost fills the pan, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Use your fingertips to gently stipple the dough - this will even out the thickness of the dough, spread it out over the base of the pan, and add texture to the surface. Cover and let rest while you preheat the oven.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F / 235°C with an oven rack in the center.
7. Drizzle olive oil over the surface of the loaf, and sprinkle the surface with granulated sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake until the focaccia is deeply golden brown, 24 to 28 minutes. Cool the focaccia in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature.
8. Make the custard filling: in a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt to combine. In a medium pot, whisk the milk, cream, and egg yolks until well combined. Whisk in the sugar/cornstarch mixture until well combined.
9. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking gently and constantly while the mixture heats. As it continues to thicken, it can be helpful to switch to a silicone spatula to more easily keep the mixture in motion and be sure there isn’t pudding thickening more in the base or edges of the pot.
10. Continue to cook, stirring the base and sides constantly, until the mixture comes to “first boil” - small bubbles may appear around the edge of the pot, but continue to cook until a large bubble (or a few) appear in the very center of the pot. The custard should be thick and creamy, 4-7 minutes.
11. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the vanilla and the butter, mixing until the butter is fully melted and incorporated. Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup or heat-safe bowl.
12. Cover the surface of the custard directly with plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to overnight).
13. Assemble the focaccia: make room in your refrigerator for your cake stand or serving platter. Use a serrated knife to gently cut the loaf in half horizontally to create two layers. Place the bottom layer onto a cake stand or serving platter.
14. Scoop the chilled custard into the center of the loaf, and spread into an even layer that stops about ½ inch / 1 cm away from the outer edge of the loaf layer. Place the second piece of the loaf, and gently press down until the custard comes up to the edge of the focaccia.
15. Loosely cover the loaf, and transfer it to the refrigerator and chill until firm, about least 2 hours.
16. Just before serving, make the chocolate glaze: in a small pot, heat the heavy cream, butter, and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
17. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to boil for 2 minutes more. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the chocolate and salt. Stir well until the mixture is fully melted and smooth. If needed, continue to warm gently over low heat until completely melted and smooth.
18. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 2-4 minutes to cool slightly, then pour it over the surface of the focaccia, and gently spread it into an even layer, allowing excess to drip down the sides of the loaf. Serve immediately.
NOTES:
I prefer to use bread flour in my focaccia, however - this recipe is flexible enough that you can use all purpose flour if it’s all you have on hand, and it will still work!
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
