Global-inspired sweet dessert focaccia
Dulce de Leche & Sea Salt Focaccia (Latin American-Inspired, Sweet)
A soft, lightly sweet dessert focaccia swirled with warm dulce de leche and finished with flaky sea salt — caramel and salt over a pillowy crumb.
- Total
- 4.3 hr
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Hydration
- 72%
- Skill
- beginner
By FocacciaRecipe editorial · Updated 2026-07-05 · In editorial development; independent bake-test pending
The short version
Bake a lightly sweetened 72% hydration focaccia at 220°C/425°F for 20-24 minutes, then after it cools swirl warmed dulce de leche over the top and finish with flaky sea salt — never bake the dulce de leche on, as its sugar scorches.
Why this works
Dulce de leche is a concentrated milk caramel that is essentially sugar; spread on before baking it burns to a bitter, hard crust. Swirled over the cooled focaccia it stays glossy, soft, and spoonable. A light sugar in the dough gives a dessert-leaning crumb, and flaky salt on top balances the sweetness.
The schedule
~30m hands-on of 4.3h total · same day
- Mix & fold · 30m
- Bulk ferment · 2h
- Proof · 1h
- Bake · 22m
- Cool · 25m
Terracotta is active work; olive is unattended rising; red is the bake.
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Mix the sweet dough
Whisk flour, sugar, and yeast, add water and most of the oil or butter, then salt. Mix to a shaggy, sticky dough.
Look for: Sticky and slack, faintly sweet-smelling.
- 2
Bulk ferment with folds
Do 2-3 stretch-and-folds over the first 90 minutes, then rest until bubbly and nearly doubled.
Look for: Domed, blistered surface; airy and jiggly.
- 3
Pan, dimple, and proof
Oil the pan, transfer and relax the dough, dimple all over, and proof until puffy. Brush the top lightly with oil or butter.
Look for: Dimples hold; the dough jiggles when nudged.
- 4
Bake plain
Bake at 220°C/425°F for 20-24 minutes until golden and springy. Do not add the dulce de leche yet.
Look for: Deep gold crust, crisp base when you lift a corner.
- 5
After baking — swirl the dulce de leche
Cool at least 20 minutes. Warm the dulce de leche until spoonable and swirl or drizzle it over the top, then scatter flaky sea salt.
Look for: The caramel sits in glossy ribbons and pools in the dimples; the salt flakes stay crunchy on top.
Avoid: Add the dulce de leche only after baking — its sugar scorches to a bitter, hard crust in the oven.
What good looks like
- Crumb: Soft, tall, and lightly sweet.
- Crust: Golden and tender, glossed with caramel ribbons.
- Height: About 3-4 cm tall.
- Color: Even gold crust; the caramel stays glossy, never baked-on.
If something went wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, hard caramel crust | Dulce de leche baked on | Swirl the dulce de leche over the cooled bread after baking, never before. |
| Caramel slides off in a puddle | Added to hot bread or warmed too thin | Cool the focaccia first and warm the dulce de leche just until spoonable, not runny. |
| Cloying and flat | No salt contrast | Finish with flaky sea salt to balance the sweetness. |
Storing & reheating
Storage: Best the day it is baked; store airtight up to 2 days (the caramel will soak in over time).
Freezing: Freeze the plain focaccia up to 1 month and add dulce de leche after reheating.
Reheating: Warm the plain bread in a 180°C/350°F oven 5 minutes, then swirl on fresh dulce de leche.
Contains wheat/gluten and dairy (dulce de leche; butter if used).
Tools & ingredients for this focaccia
Some links are affiliate links; as an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Core pantry
- Bread flour (opens Amazon) ↗ — High-protein bread flour or Italian “00” both work.
- Sugar (opens Amazon) ↗ — Standard pantry sugar.
- Fine sea salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — Fine sea salt for the dough.
- Instant yeast (opens Amazon) ↗ — Instant (or active dry) yeast keeps for months.
- Flaky finishing salt (opens Amazon) ↗ — For the crunchy finish.
Fresh — buy local
- Mild oil or melted butter (opens Amazon) ↗ — A common item; buy fresh or from your pantry.
You don’t need to buy everything here — many items are already in most kitchens. Fresh produce, cheese and herbs are best bought local and in season.
Frequently asked
- Can I bake the dulce de leche into the focaccia?
- No — it is mostly sugar and will scorch to a bitter, hard crust. Swirl it over the baked, cooled bread instead.
- What is dulce de leche?
- It is a thick milk caramel made by slowly cooking sweetened milk until it browns, popular across Argentina, Uruguay, and Latin America. Cajeta is a goat-milk version.
Keep baking
In these collections
Source: https://www.focacciarecipe.com/recipes/dulce-de-leche-sea-salt-focaccia · © 2026 FocacciaRecipe.com
In editorial development — this recipe has not yet completed physical bake-testing.