Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Cover the bowl and let sit for 10 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the flour, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, and salt. Gently mix with a silicone spatula until combined. The dough should be sticky and wet. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour at room temperature.

focaccia dough in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Stretch and fold: Visualize a clock on top of your dough. You’ll be folding it at the 12 o’clock mark. With an olive oil-greased spatula or lightly oiled hand, lift up the dough at 12 o’clock and gently stretch it up and pull it toward the opposite side of the bowl (6 o’clock), folding it down over the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this until you’ve gone around the bowl twice, for a total of 8 folds. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours.

spatula folding focaccia dough in bowl.

Prepare the pan: Brush 1 Tablespoon of olive oil all over the bottom and up the sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan. With lightly oiled fingers, gently press the dough toward the corners of the pan. It won’t stretch all the way to the corners yet; that’s expected. Lightly cover the pan and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour at room temperature.

bubbly focaccia dough in a bowl and hands stretching it into an oiled baking pan.

Make the filling: Melt the butter with the maple syrup, and whisk to combine. Set aside to slightly cool. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

Fill the focaccia: With lightly oiled fingers, gently press the dough toward the corners of the pan. It should stretch out a little easier now. Drizzle about half of the maple-butter mixture over the top of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle about 2/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the top, followed by all of the pecans. Reserve the remaining maple-butter and cinnamon-sugar for topping in step 8.

hand drizzling maple butter filling over focaccia dough and sprinkling on pecans and brown sugar.

Finish shaping: Fold one short end of the dough toward the center, then fold the opposite end over it, like folding a letter. Turn the filled dough 90 degrees in the pan and gently press it toward the corners of the pan. Don’t worry if it doesn’t fill the pan yet.

hands folding focaccia dough over maple pecan filling.

Final Rise: Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until noticeably puffy and bubbly, about 1 hour or longer if needed. During the last 15 minutes, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

Top and dimple: Reheat the maple-butter mixture so it’s liquid and pourable, and drizzle over top of the focaccia. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar over top. Press your fingertips into the surface to create dimples all over, gently stretching the dough to fill the pan as you go.

hands dimpling focaccia dough in a baking pan.

Bake for 18–22 minutes until deeply golden brown and baked through. For a more accurate test of doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center; the focaccia is done when the internal temperature reaches 200–210°F (93–99°C). Cool the focaccia in the pan for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set before slicing and serving.

salted maple pecan focaccia in baking pan.

Make the icing: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the maple syrup, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar and salt. Taste. Drizzle over the focaccia, then sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top. Slice and serve.

closeup of salted maple pecan focaccia slices.

Store leftover maple pecan focaccia covered tightly at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftover focaccia in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 5–10 minutes.