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, it's so much easier than making traditional cinnamon rolls. It's made with instant yeast, but you'll find a sourdough option in the recipe notes too.

4.67 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 18

Resting Time: 12

Total Time: 12 38

Servings: slices

Video

Equipment

1 9x13 cake pan

Ingredients

Focaccia Dough

455 g warm water about 100°F/37°C ( 1¾ cups)
1½ teaspoons instant yeast *see notes for sourdough option
554 g bread flour (4½ cups)
15 g fine sea salt (1 tablespoon)
60 g olive oil divided (4 tablespoons)
28 g unsalted butter melted (2 tablespoons)

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

84 g unsalted butter melted (6 tablespoons)
110 g dark brown sugar packed (½ cup)
4 g ground cinnamon (2 teaspoons)

Crumble Topping

40 g all-purpose flour (⅓ cup)
28 g dark brown sugar packed (2 tablespoons)
30 g granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
28 g unsalted butter melted (2 tablespoons)

Vanilla Icing

120 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15-30 g whole milk (1-2 tablespoons)

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.
455 g warm water
1½ teaspoons instant yeast
554 g bread flour
15 g fine sea salt

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

In a separate large bowl, drizzle 2 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.
30 g olive oil
Remove from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the container, slightly warming up.

Add the Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Prepare a 9x13-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.
30 g olive oil
28 g unsalted butter
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 (melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon). 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)
84 g unsalted butter
110 g dark brown sugar
110 g dark brown sugar

Final Proof

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and bubbly, about 1 hour to 90 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the crumble topping (flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon). Mix to combine. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will seem wet, but will dry a bit after sitting for a few minutes. Set aside. Reheat the cinnamon sugar filling in the microwave, if the butter has solidified.
40 g all-purpose flour
28 g dark brown sugar
30 g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
28 g unsalted butter
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!
120 g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15-30 g whole milk

Notes

Sourdough Option (see the sample timeline in the recipe post)

Dough Ingredients:
- 396g water
- 100g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
- 495g bread flour
- 10g fine sea salt
Instructions:
1. Mix the water, starter, flour and salt. Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
2. Perform 3 sets of stretch and fold, with 30 minutes of rest time between each set.
3. 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).
4. Prepare 9x13 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.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. See recipe post for more storage suggestions.

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