Pumpkin Beer Cheese Focaccia

Pumpkin and bread feel like home to me. Both humble, both quietly comforting. This focaccia doesn’t chase perfection; it just leans into warmth. The pumpkin dough, the touch of beer, the sharp Dubliner melting through — it’s all flavor and feeling.

A little rustic, a little indulgent, and exactly what the middle of fall should taste like.

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Pumpkin Beer Cheese Focaccia Recipe

Yield: 8–10 slices

Prep Time: 20 min (plus 2-2.5 hr for dough rise)

Bake Time: 20–25 min initial + 5–10 min with beer cheese

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 4 cups bread flour

• 2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast

• 2 tsp salt

• 1½ cups warm water (about 100°F)

• ¼ cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Optional: 1 tsp honey or sugar (helps color and fermentation)

For the pumpkin beer cheese:

• 1 cup grated Dubliner cheese

• ½ cup grated sharp cheddar (for meltability)

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp flour

• ½ cup beer (pumpkin ale or amber works best)

• ¼ cup pumpkin purée

• ½ cup milk or heavy cream

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Topping:

• Fresh thyme leaves

• Fresh rosemary

• Flaky sea salt

• Olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dough: Dissolve yeast in warm water, let sit 5 min until foamy. Add flour, salt, olive oil, and pumpkin puree; mix until a sticky dough forms. Knead 5–7 min until smooth. Cover and let rise for at least 1–1.5 hr, until doubled.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 9×13 pan or cast-iron skillet.

3. Shape the dough: Press dough into pan/skillet. Cover and let rise again for at least 45 minutes. Dimple the surface with your fingers and drizzle olive oil and garnish with flaky sea salt, thyme, and rosemary on top.

4. Initial bake: Bake 15–20 min until the edges are golden and the surface is lightly set.

5. Add beer cheese: Dollop or spread the cheese in pockets or dimples on the baked focaccia.

6. Final bake: Return to oven for 5–10 min until beer cheese is bubbly and slightly caramelized.

Pumpkin Beer Cheese Recipe

1. In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Slowly pour in beer, milk, and pumpkin purée whisking until smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Remove from heat, then stir in cheeses and Dijon mustard until melted and creamy.

4. Season with salt and pepper.