Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is swirled with ribbons of buttery cinnamon sugar, topped with a brown sugar crumble, and finished off with sweet vanilla icing! Perfect for brunch or a sweet treat. Find both an instant yeast and sourdough version in this post. Be sure to watch the video at the end of the post to see how it all comes together!
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I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for my family for years, creating countless variations like Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls, Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls, and Homemade Orange Sweet Rolls. My kids get to be my taste testers and now consider themselves cinnamon roll experts. So when I took my much-loved Easy Overnight Focaccia recipe and turned it into a cinnamon roll version, they were so shocked at how much they loved it – especially for how much it tastes like traditional homemade cinnamon rolls!
What you’ll love about this recipe
- The biggest reason: It’s SO yummy!
- Easy to make – no mixer required!
- This recipe has both instant yeast and sourdough versions.
- Tastes just like a cinnamon roll, but with much less work!
- My technique of folding the filling into the dough is super easy, and ensures every bite has loads of cinnamon flavor!
- The brown sugar crumble on top adds an amazing texture and extra cinnamon roll flavor!
- Make ahead options make it easier to plan around your schedule.
Ingredients
If you’ve made my Easy Overnight Focaccia before, you know how quick it is to throw together. We’re just going to add some cinnamon roll elements to turn it into the perfect, easy-to-make sweet treat!
- For the dough: You simply need bread flour, water, salt and instant yeast!
- Sourdough version: Use a ripe starter that’s fed with 100% hydration (equal parts water and flour). To get optimal rise time and a fluffy focaccia, use your starter when it’s at its peak. It should be bubbly, thick and active. I usually feed my well-maintained starter at night with a 1:5:5 ratio, and it’s ripe the next morning, about 10-12 hours later.
- For the filling: Use melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon – just like a yummy cinnamon roll!
- The crumb topping: This element makes this cinnamon roll focaccia the best!! Made with melted butter, flour, brown and white sugars, and cinnamon, this crunchy topping adds a burst of cinnamon brown sugar flavor in every bite!
- The icing: Made with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, this icing is so easy to make and adds just a hint of creaminess to the sweet focaccia. It’s simple and not over the top – the perfect sweet kiss on top! If you want a richer icing on top, you could use Cream Cheese Frosting – I would suggest thinning it with milk a bit more than usual, so it can be easily drizzled.
Steps for making Cinnamon Roll Focaccia with instant yeast
- Mix the dough: Mix together the water, instant yeast, salt, and flour. Stir together with a wooden spoon or danish dough whisk. Complete by pinching the dough together with your fingers. Make sure there’s no dry bits of flour!
- First Rise/Bulk Fermentation: Transfer the dough into a large bowl, coated with olive oil. Cover and let it rise in a warm place in your kitchen. It should double in size and be very bubbly. *Timeline Tip: At this point, you can put the dough straight into the refrigerator to rise anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. (See the sample timeline below.)
- Prepare the pan: In a 9×13-inch pan, drizzle olive oil and melted butter to coat the bottom. If you’re not using a nonstick pan, you may want to line your pan with parchment first and then drizzle the olive oil and butter over that. I love this USA nonstick pan! There’s no need to line it with parchment – my focaccia comes out easily every time!
- Place the dough into the prepared pan and gently stretch it to fill the pan.
- Fill: Spread half the cinnamon sugar filling over half the dough.
- Fold the dough in half and rotate it to easily spread the dough to fill the space of the pan again.
- Final Proof: Let the dough rise in a warm place in your kitchen until it has nearly doubled in size. It should be very bubbly and jiggle when you gently shake the pan. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is. Look for that jiggle, it’s key!
- Topping: Add the rest of the cinnamon sugar syrup over the top of the dough. You may need to reheat it in your microwave if the butter has solidified. Sprinkle the yummy brown sugar crumb on top!
- Dimple the dough: Oil your fingertips with olive oil and dimple the focaccia. Push down all the way to the bottom of the pan. Create dimples throughout the dough – the syrup will fall into the wells, creating more layers of cinnamon sugar throughout the focaccia. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the dough.
- Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes. Look for lightly golden edges.
- Cool: Let the Cinnamon Roll Focaccia cool in the pan, on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes. While it’s cooling, you can prepare the icing.
- Icing: Drizzle the icing over the focaccia. Let the icing set for about 10 minutes before slicing. The focaccia will still be a bit warm and so delicious!
Sample Timeline for Instant Yeast version
You can definitely make it all in one day, but this may be helpful if you’re wanting to enjoy your cinnamon roll focaccia for breakfast or brunch.
Make ahead options for instant yeast version
Here are two different options to make part of this recipe ahead of time. It’s a flexible recipe that can be altered to fit your schedule.
- Make the dough the night before and refrigerate for at least 12 or up to 24 hours.
- After filling the dough, refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Keep in mind, the longer you leave it in the fridge, the more you could risk the yeast activity decreasing.
Sample Timeline for Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
If you’re a sourdough baker, you’ll love the sourdough cinnamon roll focaccia too! I have provided a sourdough version in the recipe notes, as well as this timeline to help you get a visual of how this recipe will go for you. Here’s a few tips for the sourdough version:
- Use your starter or levain when it’s at its peak.
- Note that there is an option to refrigerate the dough overnight once you fill it. If you’d like to serve it for breakfast or brunch the next day, allow a good 2 to 3 hours for final proofing before baking.
- Keeping your dough in a warm place in your kitchen while proofing will help to speed up the process. I like to keep mine in the oven with the light on. It provides a nice cozy environment for the dough.
The Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia has an amazing texture and flavor. With a little extra time and patience, this is an amazingly delicious way to use your sourdough starter.
How to store leftovers
It’s hard to imagine you’ll have any leftover cinnamon roll focaccia. But in case you do, here’s a couple suggestions for storage:
- Wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap and then put into an airtight container or ziplock bag. This keeps it from drying out. You can store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Do not store in the refrigerator as this will dry it out.
- Freeze for up to two months, again wrapping each slice individually and then storing in an airtight container. Let thaw overnight at room temp. Unwrap and reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.
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Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Equipment
Ingredients
Focaccia Dough
- 1 ¾ cup water plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast *see notes for sourdough option
- 4 ½ cups bread flour plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crumble Topping
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 Tablesppons milk
Instructions
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, yeast, flour, and salt. Stir together until all combined and no dry bits of flour remain. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- In a separate large bowl, drizzle 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil to coat the bottom. Transfer the dough to the oiled container. Turn the dough so that all sides are coated in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap or lid. If refrigerating the dough overnight, let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. Dough will rise to double in size. If making focaccia same day, allow dough to rise to double in size at room temperature. about 2 hours.
- Remove from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the container, slightly warming up.
Add the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by coating the bottom and sides with the 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons melted butter. Turn the dough out from the container and onto the pan.
- Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. Use the backs of your hands and knuckles to stretch the dough without tearing it. If the dough is springing back and not staying in place, let it rest 10 minutes and come back to it.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling. Spread half the mixture over half of the dough. Fold the dough in half and rotate it to fit the size of the pan. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan. (see video in recipe post for shaping tips)
Final Proof
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and bubbly, about 1 hour to 90 minutes.
Prepare to bake
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumble topping and set aside. Reheat the cinnamon sugar filling if the butter has solidified.
- Drizzle the remaining filling evenly over the top of the dough. Lightly oil your fingertips with olive oil. Gently dimple the dough by pressing into it with your fingertips. Press all the way down to the pan. Create a moderate amount of dimples throughout the dough without depressing too many of the air bubbles. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the dough.
Bake
- Bake the focaccia on the middle rack in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. The focaccia should reach an internal temperature of 190°F.
- Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and allow the focaccia to cool for 20 minutes.
- While it's cooling, prepare the icing. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Add just enough milk to make a thick, smooth icing. Drizzle the icing over the focaccia. Let it set for about 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Dough Ingredients:
- 396g water
- 100g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
- 495g bread flour
- 10g fine sea salt
- Instructions:
- Mix the water, starter, flour and salt. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
- Perform 3 sets of stretch and fold, with 30 minutes of rest time between each set.
- After the 3rd set, cover and bulk ferment until the dough has risen in volume about 50% and has a few bubbles on top. This can take 3 to 6 hours, depending on the temperature of your dough and kitchen. (Option to refrigerate up to 24 hours, or continue to shape the focaccia).
- Prepare 9×13 pan with olive oil and melted butter. Place dough in pan and stretch out to fill the pan. Spread half the cinnamon sugar filling over half the dough. Fold in half, rotate dough and spread out to fill the pan again. (Option to refrigerate at this point for up to 12 hours.) Continue with recipe. Note the final rise time for sourdough will be about twice as long as it will with instant yeast. Sourdough rise times can vary depending on the activity of your yeast and temperature in your kitchen.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the cinnamon swirl in the dough combined with the brown sugar crumb on top creates a yummy cinnamon roll flavor. It has a slightly different texture than cinnamon rolls – the outside it crispier.
Most often this happens because the final proof wasn’t long enough. Focaccia doesn’t need a really strong gluten structure. Try to take the final proof a little longer. Remember, the dough should have a “jiggle” to it. Also, you can take the final proof too long – if the dough rises really big and then deflates, you know you have let it rise too long.
I talked about this earlier in the post, but if you use a nonstick pan the focaccia will come out easier. If you do not have a nonstick pan, use a piece of parchment to line the pan.
It depends…some all-purpose flours, like King Arthur all-purpose flour are a bit higher in protein content (11.7%) and may work. But I would not recommend using a flour with less protein than that. Since focaccia has a high water content, it needs a high protein flour like bread flour to develop the gluten structure necessary to keep its shape.
These were so easy to make and seriously tasted just like a cinnamon roll! I love making focaccia and this just became one of my newest favorite recipes! Thank you Heather!
Yes! So glad you liked it!
I’m disappointed that this recipe doesn’t mention blooming the yeast first. I made it her way and the dough was dense and thick. The author should have you bloom the yeast first
Hi Caitlin,
Since this recipe calls for instant yeast, there is no need to bloom the yeast first. If you are using active dry yeast, then it is a good idea to bloom the yeast first, but is not absolutely critical. (see my article, Active Yeast vs. Instant Yeast) If the focaccia ended up dense, I’d suggest first make sure you are weighing your ingredients…too much flour in the dough will yield a dry, dense bread. Second, make sure you allow it to rise until super puffy and jiggly for the final proof.