Straddling the savory and sweet line with this cheesy loaf studded with stone fruit and drizzled with hot honey. # 407: Apricot Brie Focaccia

Drum roll please: my edible flowers are finally blooming! This loaf is a backyard celebration with some of the bright blue cornflowers (also strangely called “bachelor buttons”) and rosemary sprigs.

Plus some flaky sea salt and hot honey because… yum.

The year is split into two distinct fruit seasons for me: cara cara orange season (winter) and yellow nectarine season (summer). Normally I only make a few apricot things or skip over them altogether, but I discovered angelcots this week and I’m in love. Lighter in color and less tart than traditional apricots, it took all my self control to save one for this bake.

This recipe usually ends up with a more open crumb, but this loaf decided not to cooperate. Next time I’ll let it proof for a little longer – hindsight is 20/20. C’est la vie. It’s still lovely and squishy, and the toppings are sufficiently distracting.

Late night dough prep.

This recipe calls for dough folds (just as silly as it sounds: you grab opposite ends of the dough in the bowl, stretch them up and fold them over each other, spin the bowl 90 degrees and repeat a few times) in place of kneading, so the spatula got center stage instead of the dough hook.

Off to bubbly sleep.

Poof.

I always think of Jennifer from Two Fat Ladies when I take my rings off for a bake. I’m overdue for a re-watch!

The dramatic shadows giving main character energy.

My kind of cheese board.

Art.

Toasted art.

Can it get any better than gooey cheese puddles and charred stone fruit?

Just kidding, pretty flowers make everything better.

Happy munching!