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Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia Danish with Cream Cheese

This Blueberry Sourdough Focaccia Danish with Cream Cheese is a unique way to combine the chewy crumb and crispy crust of focaccia with the sweet, creamy flavors of a Danish pastry. With minimal effort, some patience for fermentation, and a few pantry staples, you’ll have a bakery-worthy treat that’s sure to impress.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
10 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 11 hours
Course Dessert, sourdough

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl 
  • Danish dough whisk
  • Dough scraper
  • Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
  •  baking pan
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

For the Dough

  • 500 g bread flour 
  • 100 g active sourdough starter 
  • 375 g  warm filtered water
  • 30 g honey
  • 15 g melted butter
  • 10 g salt

Cream cheese filing

  • 8 oz  cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Optional: zest of ½ lemon for brightness

Blueberry Compote

  • 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp water (slurry to thicken)
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Crumb Topping

  • 65 g flour (all- purpose flour works fine here)
  • 50 g  light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional but so good with blueberries)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 56 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Powdered Sugar Glaze

  • 120 g powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Mix the Dough

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the starter, warm water, honey, and melted butter until combined.
  • Add the bread flour and salt, mixing with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk until no dry flour remains. The dough will be wet and shaggy.
  • Cover the bowl with a shower cap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

Coil Folds

  • Over the next 90 minutes, perform three sets of coil folds with 45-minute rests in between.

 Bulk Fermentation

  • After the last fold, let the dough rest in a warm place for 6–8 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. The dough should become airy and bubbly.
    Cover the bowl and let it ferment until it has risen noticeably (about double in volume). This long time fermentation is what develops that complex sourdough flavor.

 Prepare the Pan

  • The next day, drizzle a good amount of oil into a sheet pan or cast iron skillet. I like to line mine with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Transfer the dough to the pan and stretch it gently to fit. Cover bowl or pan with plastic wrap and let it rest while you make the fillings.

Make the Blueberry Compote

  • In a small saucepan, add blueberries, flour + water slurry, sugar, and lemon zest. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens slightly and the berries look glossy. Let it cool before using.

Make the crumb topping:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt
    .Drizzle in melted butter and mix with a fork until you have large, moist crumbs.
    Chill in the fridge while you finish the final proof of the dough (this keeps the crumbs from melting too fast in the oven).

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

  • Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and zest until smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the Focaccia Danish

  • Spread half of the blueberry compote over the dough.Fold the dough up like an envelope to seal the compote inside. Flip it over, seam side down
    .Gently stretch the dough again to fit the baking pan, working hands underneath to prevent tearing.
    Spread the remaining blueberry compote on top.Dollop the cream cheese filling in between the blueberry mixture

Second rise

  • Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 1–3 hours, until it’s puffed, airy, and super jiggly. 
    Sprinkle the crumb topping over the sourdough Focaccia Danish

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the pan looks crisp.
    In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust consistency: add more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze, more milk for a thinner drizzle.
    Once the focaccia has cooled slightly (about 15–20 minutes on a wire rack), drizzle the glaze right over the crumb topping. The crumb will soak in a little sweetness while still staying crunchy, and the glaze will give it that glossy Danish look
    Let it cool on a wire rack before slicing—the cream cheese sets as it cools.
Keyword sourdough, sourdough bread, sourdough dessert