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A chocolate chip cookie bar with a layer of melted chocolate on top sits on a white square plate, next to a napkin. Blurred flowers and a glass of milk are visible in the background.
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5 from 1 vote

Sweet Chocolate Focaccia Bread With Cherries

This Chocolate Focaccia recipe combines semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries in fluffy Italian bread. Easy homemade focaccia with olive oil and turbinado sugar topping.
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Calories: 4117kcal
Author: Barbara Schieving

Ingredients 

  • 3 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 envelope rapid-rise instant dry yeast
  • 1 ⅓ cups warm water about 130 degrees
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp. turbinado sugar coarse sugar

Instructions

  • In large mixing bowl, mix together 2 ½ cups flour, yeast and salt on low speed in your mixer.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together water and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
  • With the mixer on low, pour in the liquids. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough begins to form. Clean off paddle and switch to dough hook. Mix in the remaining flour a little at a time, adding more or less flour as needed, to make a dough that is elastic and a little moist, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead in cherries and chocolate chips. (I used a wet scraper to help me knead them in.)
  • Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl, turn to coat the ball with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1-1 ½ hours). (If you’re in a hurry you can skip this first rise when using instant yeast.)
  • Place the dough on a parchment lined 101/2 x 151/2-inch jelly roll pan. Pat and press the dough gently until the dough fills the pan completely. If the dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes before continuing. Cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and let it rise again until doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes).
  • Preheat to 425º.
  • When the dough has doubled in size, remove the plastic wrap. Dimple the surface of the risen focaccia using your fingertips (if it’s too sticky, dip your fingers in olive oil before dimpling the bread).
  • Brush on 3 tablespoons olive oil to the surface of the dough. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar.
  • Bake the focaccia for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Lift the focaccia from the pan with the parchment paper edges. Cool on a rack before you slice to serve.

Notes

Chocolate Sourdough Focaccia: Replace 1 cup of the flour and ½ cup of water with 1 cup active sourdough starter. Reduce the yeast to 1 teaspoon and allow for longer rising times (3-4 hours for first rise, 2 hours for second).
Nutella Swirl Version: After dimpling the dough before baking, drop small amounts of Nutella across the surface and swirl gently with a knife for chocolate-hazelnut pockets.
Savory-Sweet Hybrid: Add ¼ teaspoon sea salt to the topping along with the sugar for a salted chocolate effect that's incredibly addictive.
Nut Additions: Fold in ½ cup toasted chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts along with the chocolate and cherries for extra crunch and richness.
Orange Chocolate Version: Add 2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest to the dough and use orange-flavored chocolate chips for a bakery-style combination.

Nutrition

Calories: 4117kcal | Carbohydrates: 555g | Protein: 68g | Fat: 179g | Saturated Fat: 64g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 89g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 4724mg | Potassium: 1853mg | Fiber: 43g | Sugar: 180g | Vitamin A: 4429IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 37mg