Strawberry Jam Sweet Focaccia with Cream Cheese Glaze
Sep 19, 2025
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I so rarely indulge in a sweet treat but when I do, I make it worth my while. This Strawberry Jam Sweet Focaccia with Cream Cheese Glaze does just that. My famous no-knead focaccia dough gets a sweet twist with homemade strawberry jam and a luscious cream cheese glaze drizzled on top. It’s the perfect marriage of pillowy bread, fruity jam, and creamy indulgence.
Love a sweet focaccia? Check out my cinnamon scroll sweet focaccia.
What I love most about this recipe is how surprisingly simple it is. Many people are often shocked at how easy it is to make jam from scratch. It’s really just fruit, sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice cooked down until thick and glossy. The trick to getting the jam the very best it can be is to let the fruit sit with the sugar first. This allows the fruit to release its natural juices, which gives the jam a richer flavour and a more luscious texture.
I also love to play around with different jam flavours depending on the season. Strawberry, apricot and peach or even tomato jam all work beautifully. Each one gives this sweet focaccia its own personality.
And of course, the base of this bake is my famous no knead focaccia dough. It’s as easy as mixing everything in a bowl and letting time do the work. No kneading, no fuss, just a light and pillowy bread that makes the perfect canvas for sweet toppings or something a little more savoury.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Homemade strawberry jam that’s quick, fresh and full of real fruit flavour
- My famous no knead focaccia dough that’s light, pillowy and completely foolproof
- A cream cheese glaze that adds just the right amount of sweetness and indulgence
- Surprisingly easy to make yet looks and tastes impressive
- Versatile enough for dessert, brunch, or with an afternoon coffee
- Endless jam variations so you can switch up the flavours with the seasons. Check out my apricot and peach jam!
Ingredients for Strawberry Jam Focaccia
This recipe is all about using simple, good quality ingredients. From fresh fruit to cream cheese, choosing the right ones makes all the difference.
- Focaccia dough – my famous no knead base made with beautiful bread flour, yeast and extra virgin olive oil
- Strawberries – sweet, ripe strawberries are best for a vibrant jam, though frozen strawberries can be used when out of season
- Sugar – plain white sugar works best to highlight the natural sweetness of the fruit
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice only, never bottled, for the brightest flavour
- Cream cheese – block cream cheese at room temperature so it whisks into a smooth, creamy glaze
How To Make
Once you’ve mastered the dough, which is surprisingly easy to make, everything else is a breeze from there. Check out my detailed recipe on how to make my focaccia dough.
Pour the berries into a saucepan along with some sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Massage the berries until they're coated in the mixture. Macerate the berries by letting them sit for 1 hour to release their juices. This step really enhances the sweetness and flavour of the jam, so don't skip it!
Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until the jam is at your desired consistency, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, and mash the jam with a potato masher if desired for a smoother consistency.
Line a baking tin with baking paper and drizzle the butter into it. Move the dough there, gently stretching it to a rough rectangle. Spread roughly half a cup of the strawberry jam over the dough and then fold the edges of the dough over the filling or until the filling is enclosed by the dough. Flip the dough over. Protect it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 1 - 2 hours in a warm spot.
Dimple the dough and drizzle olive oil all over.
Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C (390°F).
Drizzle the glaze all over, slice up and enjoy!
FAQ's
Yes, you can use store-bought jam, but homemade strawberry jam is quick to make and gives this sweet focaccia the freshest flavour.
Fresh strawberries give the best flavour and colour, but frozen strawberries also work beautifully when they’re not in season.
My famous no knead focaccia dough requires no kneading at all. You simply mix the ingredients and let time do the work, creating a light and airy texture.
Traditional focaccia is baked on olive oil, but here butter is used as the base. It gives the focaccia a golden crust and a richer, more dessert-like flavour.
Absolutely. Raspberry, blueberry, apricot, or even fig jam work wonderfully. Each flavour gives the sweet focaccia its own unique twist.
How To Store
Once baked, the strawberry jam sweet focaccia will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer freshness, store it in the fridge for up to 5 days and bring it back to room temperature before serving so the crumb softens again. You can also pop it in the airfryer! If you’d like to freeze it, slice the focaccia and store it without the cream cheese glaze for up to 2 months. Simply thaw and glaze when ready to serve.
The homemade strawberry jam can be kept in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 10 days. It also freezes beautifully in small containers for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.
How To Serve
This strawberry jam sweet focaccia is best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature, when the bread is pillowy, the jam is glossy and the cream cheese glaze is silky. Cut it into squares and serve it as a dessert at the end of a meal, slice it into wedges for brunch with coffee, or lay it out as a centrepiece for afternoon tea. It also makes a beautiful edible gift! Wrap slices in parchment and tie with string for something thoughtful and homemade.
More Focaccia Recipes To Love
Have questions or want to leave a review about this strawberry jam focaccia? Please do so below the recipe card! I always love answering your questions and hearing your feedback. If you make this recipe, please follow me and tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations!
Ingredients
Strawberry Jam
- 18 oz fresh strawberries, sliced
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
Glaze
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter, room temp
- 1 tablespoon milk, full cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Focaccia dough
- 700 g bread flour
- 680 g lukewarm water, (100°F / 34°C) - 98% hydration
- 7 g dry yeast
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Strawberry Jam
- Macerate: Place the sliced strawberries in a saucepan and add the sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Massage the sugar and juice into the strawberries with your hands and leave to sit for 1 hour, or until the natural juices have been released.
- Cool: Store any leftover jam in a sterilised jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep it in the fridge for up to 14 days. Enjoy!
Glaze
- Mix: Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with a hand-held mixer or by hand until well combined. The consistency should be quite runny.
Focaccia dough
- Activate yeast: Stir water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready.
- Dry ingredients: In a different large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture, stirring with a spoon or your hands to form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes. This is the stretch and fold method and it will strengthen your dough. On the final stretch and fold, continue until the dough shapes into a ball.
- 1st proof: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside, and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 12 to 72 hours; this is the first proof. We only need half of the dough for this recipe so slice the dough in half and use the second half for a different recipe.
- 2nd proof: Line a baking tin with baking paper and drizzle the butter into it. Move the dough there, gently stretching it to a rough rectangle. Spread roughly half a cup of the strawberry jam over the dough and then fold the edges of the dough over the filling or until the filling is enclosed by the dough. Flip the dough over. Protect it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 1 - 2 hours in a warm spot.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Bake: After the rise, dimple the dough with your fingers. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Rest & glaze: Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before transferring it to a wire rack to rest for 30 minutes. Drizzle the glaze all over. Slice up and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Dough: The dough needs time to rise so make this first!
- Yeast: I like to use dry yeast that needs to be activated in water however, you can use instant yeast if you prefer. There is no need to activate instant yeast so simply add it to the dry ingredients along with the water and honey.
- Flour: If you don't have bread flour, all purpose flour will also work.
- Jam: If you have any leftover homemade strawberry jam, it can be kept in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 10 days. It also freezes beautifully in small containers for up to 3 months. Just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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