Chocolate Sweet Focaccia

Immagine focaccia dolce su biancolievito

If you love focaccia, you need to try this sweet Italian version enriched with delicious chocolate chips.

This Chocolate Sweet Focaccia was born as a challenge to transform the classic savory focaccia into a dessert—and the result is truly amazing.

You can prepare it using two methods: with fresh yeast (quicker and perfect for last minute) or with sourdough starter, which requires more time but offers superior flavor and texture.

Enjoy it warm on its own with a cup of coffee, or make it extra indulgent by spreading Nutella inside!

Print the Recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Proofing time (varies by method): 2

Total Time: 3 20

6 people

Bread & Pizza

Equipment

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Stand Mixer
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Baking Pan

Ingredients

400 g All-purpose flour (Strong flour, W360)
180 g Butter, room temperature ((220g if using sourdough starter))
150 g Granulated sugar ((180g if using sourdough starter))
135 g Whole milk, cold
100 g Whole eggs
7 g Salt
4 g Fresh yeast (Adjust from 4g (overnight rise) to 15g (quick rise))
120 g Sourdough starter (2nd refresh) (Substitute for yeast)
1/2 pod Bourbon vanilla bean
160 g Chocolate chips

Instructions

Methods

You can prepare this recipe with 3 different methods:
With fresh yeast & overnight fermentation: use 4g of yeast.
With fresh yeast & quick fermentation: use 15g of yeast.
With sourdough starter: use 120g of refreshed starter (2x).

Dough Preparation

Start mixing flour with sugar, eggs, yeast (or starter), and part of the milk. Gradually add the rest of the milk until the dough comes together.
Knead until a strong gluten structure forms, then add softened butter in batches.
Halfway through, add the salt and finally fold in the chocolate chips.
Kneading time: about 20 minutes in a stand mixer. Final dough temperature: 26°C (78°F).

Overnight Fermentation

Place the dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12h.
Next day: let rest at 28–30°C (82–86°F) for 1h to reactivate fermentation.

Quick Fermentation

Let the dough rest at room temperature for 90 minutes.

Fermentation with Sourdough

Rest the dough at 26°C (78°F) for 12h, brushing the surface with butter.

Shaping & Baking

After fermentation, divide the dough, place in a greased pan without kneading again.
Rest for 15 minutes, then flatten with your hands to cover the pan surface.
Let rise covered for 1h, pressing fingertips into the dough halfway to create classic focaccia dimples.
Dust with vanilla powdered sugar and bake at 180°C (355°F) for 20–30 minutes until golden brown.