This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is a sweet spin on classic focaccia with the flavor of cinnamon rolls in every bite. The signature dimpled surface of focaccia allows the butter and cinnamon to pool together, making gooey pockets of filling, not unlike a cinnamon roll. A drizzle of icing is a simple, yet eye-catching, finishing touch that highlights the cinnamon roll vibes.
Here’s a look at the ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Focaccia.
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon: A mix of brown sugar and cinnamon is integral to making this focaccia and adding that sweet cinnamon flavor.
Melted Butter: Focaccia recipes usually include a lot of olive oil for flavor and texture. We substituted in melted butter to mimic the flavor and richness of cinnamon roll filling.
All-Purpose Flour: This pantry staple gives this bread the perfect chew and tenderness.
Yeast: Key for giving focaccia its rise and bubbly texture, as well as providing that bready flavor we all love.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Water, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
Here are some tips for making Cinnamon Roll Focaccia. See the full recipe for complete instructions.
This is a super-easy dough that doesn’t require a mixer or kneading. You just combine the ingredients into a wet and shaggy dough and let it rise in a generously buttered bowl.
Once the dough has risen, butter a baking pan and stretch the dough into a rectangle. Add more butter and lots of cinnamon sugar, then fold the dough into a bundle, enclosing the cinnamon sugar inside. Cover and let it rise a second time.
Once the dough has doubled in size, use your fingers to dimple the dough all over, creating little pockets for the topping to settle into. Drizzle with more melted butter and cover in cinnamon-sugar. Bake in a hot oven for a quick 25 minutes.
While the focaccia bakes, mix up an easy icing of powdered sugar and milk. Add more or less milk, depending on how thick you like your icing.
Drizzle the focaccia with the icing while still warm from the oven. Cool the baked focaccia for at least 20 minutes before slicing, to avoid hot sugar burning anyone.
Here are our best tips for storing Cinnamon Roll Focaccia.
This bread is best enjoyed the day it’s baked–ideally still slightly warm. However, if you have leftovers, you can store the focaccia for up to two days in an airtight container or resealable food-storage bag.
Freezing will retain moisture better than refrigerating. Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Place room temperature focaccia on a microwave-safe place and microwave for about 10 seconds or until warm. Thaw frozen focaccia at room temperature or in the microwave for 15 to 25 seconds. Be careful as the icing may be hot.
In a small bowl, mix the yeast, honey, and warm water. Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.
In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is wet and shaggy.
Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into the bottom of a large bowl. Add the dough, turning to coat in the melted butter (the dough will be a little wet and hard to handle, but do your best to coat the dough with the melted butter). Let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan.
Turn the dough out into the pan and stretch it gently with your fingers into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle half of the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough.
Fold one-third of the dough over to conceal the filling.
Fold the other end of the dough up over the top and pinch the edges to seal.
Turn the dough so it is positioned lengthwise in the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 425°F.
Using your fingers, stretch and dimple the dough all over while pushing it to the corners of the pan.
Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown all over. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth.
Drizzle over warm focaccia and serve.
Brown sugar is used in this recipe for the topping and filling because of its rich flavor. Either dark or light brown sugar will work.
Usually, focaccia is made with olive oil, which gives the bread a crispy edge and adds flavor. We use melted butter in this recipe to replicate the buttery richness of cinnamon rolls. Salted or unsalted butter will work in this recipe; use what you prefer.
You can use the same mixing bowl to coat the dough in the melted butter as you did to mix the dough–just be sure to coat the bottom of the bowl in butter, as well as the dough.
