jelly doughnut focaccia;
I love a fresh focaccia bread. Crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. But, I always have to try new flavors and recipes for better or worse, and this jelly doughnut focaccia is definitely amazing! Think a sweet jam danish, but slightly chewy, with some spring in the bread since it’s focaccia and not pastry.
The best part about my focaccia bread recipe is that it’s shockingly simple. Sure, like any yeasted bread, you do have to wait a while for it to proof (aka the yeast to do its thing), but there’s no kneading, and you let it rise overnight, so there’s not a lot of maintenance to do. It’s pretty foolproof (although I’m sure someone somewhere can prove me wrong…) and oh so easy. I actually make focaccia overnight on Christmas Eve, so we have fresh-baked bread in the morning! Just don’t forget that this jelly doughnut focaccia needs a second rise before baking.
I chose raspberry jam for my jelly doughnut focaccia bread partially because it’s the classic jelly doughnut flavor and partially because I already had it in my fridge. I actually had a restaurant-quality fancy jam in my fridge, although typically I’ll use Bonne Maman preserves when I really want the flavor to be tasted. I find they’re just packed with flavor in a way other brands are not. I highly recommend a seedless jam for a jelly doughnut vibe, but if you can’t find one, seed-full is fine. Just…expect some seeds.
The secret to flavor is high quality, flavorful jam in your favorite flavor.
Secret to success
Of course, you can swap in your favorite flavor of jam or jelly. It doesn’t have to be raspberry. Go for a mixed berry, or a sweet orange marmalade. The orange can be sweet and tangy, and the citrus is really refreshing, especially when paired with the glaze.
The glaze itself is optional, but if you want a sweet jelly doughnut vibe, I think it brings the whole jelly doughnut focaccia together. You can whip up an easy powdered sugar + milk glaze, but I have two secret ingredients. One is vanilla (ok, not that secret.) The other is a tiny bit of butter extract. It gives it an extra bit of luxury without compromising the consistency, and adds a bit of depth.
My secret ingredient for the glaze is optional, but a tiny dab of butter extract adds extra richness without overdoing the sweetness.
Secret to success
The key to a good glaze is the perfect consistency. You want it to drizzle easily but not be so thin it runs off the sides of the jelly doughnut focaccia. At least it’s easy to adjust, though. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add a dab more milk. Because powdered sugar is so fine, even adding a little bit of extract can affect the moisture, so don’t hesitate to add more powdered sugar if needed.
My favorite way to eat jelly doughnut focaccia is to cut it into strips. You can also cut squares, but I like sticks. Especially since this recipe is so sweet and decadent, you’ll want to ration it. Let me know how that goes for you, though. It didn’t last long in our house on Christmas Day!
If the bread has cooled or serving the next day, pop it in the microwave or toaster oven for a quick heat before drizzling on glaze.
Secret to success
It is absolutely heavenly straight from the oven on Christmas Day. If serving after it’s cooled, I highly recommend a quick 5-10 seconds in the microwave to heat it up right before eating. Heat the focaccia and then drizzle on your glaze. For only a few seconds, you shouldn’t need to worry, but just a. Reminder that boiling sugar (jam) can get VERY hot, so don’t burn your mouth. A few seconds really shouldn’t matter, though.
secrets to success;
Want all the best tips and tricks to make this recipe a success? Check out the blog post above to find out more!
more recipes;
Looking for other sweet treats? Check out these fan favorites at Best with Chocolate!
- My classic easy overnight focaccia recipe is here, if you’re looking for savory options. Rosemary is one of my faves. But if you like the sweet bread theme, check out this sweet cinnamon focaccia bread or my chocolate chip version.
- For a sweet and tangy party appetizer, check out these crockpot jelly BBQ meatballs. The flavor combo sounds a little odd, but they’re oh-so-delicious at any gathering!
- If you want to go homemade all the way, make your own maple bacon jam for use in this jelly doughnut focaccia! It’s tangy and sweet, filled with luscious bacon and caramelized onions. Yum!
- Another perfect breakfast treat, my two favorite coffee cakes are this apple cream cheese cake, perfectly yummy warm or chilled. For a more classic take, this innkeeper’s coffee cake is so puffy and light, with fresh fruit that it’ll keep you coming back for seconds.
jelly doughnut focaccia bread;
Ingredients
focaccia bread;
- 2½ cups water lukewarm (100-110°F), for yeast
- 2¼ tsp yeast (1 packet)
- 2 tsp honey (or molasses)
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2¼ tsp salt (not a typo–yes lots of salt!)
- 6 Tbsp olive oil plus additional for coating hands
raspberry jam filling;
- 13 oz raspberry jam or preserves high quality like Bonne Maman, recommend seedless
dougnut icing;
- 1 Tbsp milk whole (or heavy cream) preferred
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp butter extract (optional)
Instructions
focaccia bread;
- Measure out 2½ cups lukewarm water into a measuring cup and add 2 tsp honey. Heat in a microwave until 100-110°F (do not overheat!), then add 1 packet (2¼ tsp yeast) and allow it to bloom for approx 5 minutes.
- Add liquid to a large bowl. Add 5 cups of all-purpose flour and 2¼ tsp salt. Mix with rubber spatula until the dough is cohesive and no dryness remains.
- Prepare a large bowl (6+ cup capacity) by oiling it with 4 Tbsp of oil. The bowl will need to be large enough to handle significant dough rising. If the original bowl was big enough you can use it but make sure to oil underneath the dough. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil on top, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight until doubled in size.
raspberry jam filling;
- Using oil, spray, or butter, generously grease a 13” x 18" rimmed baking sheet. (13" x 18" is best for a thin snacking focaccia, but you can use a 9" x 13" baking pan as well.)
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet, and gently fold and knead it 3 times, then press it into the corners of the baking sheet. (Since the dough stretches, sometimes it's hard to get it fully in the corners at this point, but the second rise will help shortly.)
- Using a spoon, roughly spread ⅔ of the raspberry jam evenly over the flattened dough. Oil your hands and then fold the dough into thirds from the short side. Turn the dough so the long side matches the long side of the pan.
- Allow to rise 1½ – 4 hours uncovered in a warm, dry spot.
- Coat your hands in olive oil and stretch the dough into the corners of the pan. Dimple the foccaccia all over with your fingers. Make several pockets on top and add dollops of the remaining raspberry jam.
- Bake 20-30 minutes until golden all over.
doughnut icing;
- Mix together all ingredients: 1 Tbsp milk, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ¼ tsp vanilla extract, and (optional) ⅛ tsp butter extract. (Butter extract makes it extra scrumptious!). Add more powdered sugar to make your icing thicker, I prefer it easy to drizzle.
- Cut focaccia into roughly 2"x3" rectangles or sticks, and drizzle with icing before serving. Make sure jam is cooled before biting in!
1 Comments
Laura
April 1, 2026 at 4:13 pm
Like a jelly donut, but way easier and not fried!