Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia

This and a cup of something warm. Is there anything better? Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia Is a cozy, warm sort of breakfast to wake up to, and it’s so much simpler than rolling out, filling, and cutting cinnamon rolls.

You’ll start with an easy sourdough* focaccia recipe, then give it the cinnamon sugar treatment after its first rise. Once it has risen in the pan, it will get the traditional focaccia dimple treatment because we want bubbles in that dough. Bubbles and pocket full of cinnamon goodness, oh my.

*if you’re not a sourdough person, fear not. This will work beautifully with a focaccia made with commercial yeast. I like this recipe, simply don’t add the cheese.

A moment of silence for that cross-section please. I ate it like .5 seconds after taking this picture.

Ingredients

• All-purpose Flour
• Active Sourdough Starter
• Honey
• Oil
• Salt
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon

The honey and oil help to shorten the gluten strands in the bread, giving you a softer, more tender bread. Using all-purpose flour instead of bread flour also creates a softer bread that is more tender and cinnamon roll-like.

Equipment

This one is pretty simple! All you need is:

• Mixing bowls
• Large for or Danish dough whisk for mixing
• 9×13 pan for baking

Making the Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

In a mixing bowl, whisk 350 grams of warm (not over 110°f) water and 70 grams of active sourdough together. Add the honey and oil, then mix in the flour and salt until you have a rough dough. Cover and set it aside for 30 minutes, then wet your hand and do a series of 12-16 stretch and folds.

Cover again and let the dough rest for another 30 minutes before doing another set of stretch and folds. The dough should be supple and smooth this point and is ready for the bulk ferment. Cover it well and let it sit for 8-10 hours or until it has doubled.

Baking the Focaccia

Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13 baking dish. Dump the focaccia dough into the dish and gently stretch it into the corners. Spoon about a third of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top, then grasp the corners and fold it over in half. 

Gently stretch the dough into the corners of the pan again. Cover the dish and allow it to rise until the dough is nearly doubled in height and has air bubbles forming. This should take about 1-2 hours, but may take more if your kitchen is cool.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center. Drizzle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the top (if it has solidified you can re-melt the mixture).

Press your fingers into the top of the dough repeatedly, creating dimples across the entire pan. Bake it for ??? minutes, or until the center of the dough is 180°F on an instant read thermometer.

Making the Glaze

While the focaccia bakes, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk into a smooth frosting. If it is stiff, add another tablespoon of milk so that it can drizzle off the end of a spoon without being runny.

After the focaccia has finished baking, remove it from the oven and immediately drizzle the glaze over the top. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes (hot sugar burns easily), then cut it into pieces. It’s best served very warm, but can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Most focaccia recipes will call for bread flour, but I found that all-purpose gives a softer, more cinnamon roll-like texture.
• Make sure to drizzle the glaze on top while the focaccia is still hot so that it can melt into all of the little nooks and crannies of the bread.
• If you melt this butter for the cinnamon sugar mix, it will incorporated far more easily into all of the dough. If the butter is soft, it will be more pocketed throughout, rather than completely part of the bread.

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