Sweet Pear Focaccia

Bosc and Anjou are the recommended varieties because they hold their shape during baking – their firmer flesh doesn’t collapse into the dough like a softer pear (Bartlett, Comice) would. Bosc gives you a slightly more honeyed, complex flavor; Anjou is milder and sweeter. Use ripe but firm pears – you should feel slight give at the neck when you press gently, but the body should still feel solid. Underripe pears stay too firm and tart even after baking; overripe pears turn to mush and weep too much liquid into the dough.

It’s both, depending on context – that’s the genius of the format. As a bread, served warm with a savory main dish (a roast, a soup, a salad), the rosemary and salt sit forward and the pear reads as a subtle sweet accent. As a dessert, served with vanilla ice cream or a coffee, the brown sugar and pear come forward and it eats more like a fruit tart. The optional brown butter icing pushes it firmly into dessert territory. The dough itself is a standard focaccia – it’s the topping that makes it sweet, so you can lean either direction.

Brown butter (melted and cooked until the milk solids turn deep golden) develops a complex, nutty, almost caramelized flavor that plain melted butter doesn’t have. The flavor compounds it develops (specifically diacetyl) intensify the perception of sweetness without adding sugar, and they harmonize beautifully with the pears’ honeyed notes. It’s worth the extra 5 minutes of attention – just don’t walk away from the pan, because brown butter goes from perfect to burnt in about 30 seconds.

Yes – if you want a fully sweet, dessert-leaning version, leave it out. The rosemary is what makes this distinctly a focaccia rather than a coffee cake; without it, you have a sweet pear bread. If you want to keep some herbal complexity but find rosemary too piney, try fresh thyme (use the same amount) or a small amount of dried lavender (1 teaspoon for the whole recipe). The savory-sweet contrast is part of what makes focaccia interesting, so consider trying it with rosemary at least once before deciding.

Best fresh-baked, but the components can be staged. The dough can be made through the first rise, then refrigerated overnight (12 to 24 hours); the slower cold fermentation actually improves flavor. Bring it back to room temperature for about 1 hour before continuing. The pear topping can be mixed up to 2 hours ahead – toss it with the brown sugar and lemon juice (a small squeeze prevents browning) and cover until ready. The brown butter icing can be made up to a week ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator; let it come back to room temperature and whisk briefly to loosen before drizzling.

Room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 days – the dough stays softer at room temp than refrigerated. For longer storage, refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze (individual squares wrapped in plastic, then in a freezer bag) for up to 2 months. Reheat refrigerated focaccia in a 325°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to restore the texture; thaw frozen squares overnight in the fridge before reheating. If the icing has been added, the focaccia is best eaten the day it’s assembled – the icing softens the top crust over time.