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Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

Cinnamon roll focaccia bakes up pillowy and dimpled, with a gooey cinnamon-sugar swirl tucked into the pockets of the dough. Finished with a quick powdered sugar milk glaze, this weekend brunch slab delivers warm, buttery cinnamon flavor in every slice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
rising time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 13 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 3.5 cup bread flour
  • 2.25 tsp instant yeast
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1.75 cup warm water
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
Cinnamon-sugar filling
  • 0.5 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 3 tbsp milk (for glaze)

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make and first-rise the dough
  1. Mix the bread flour, instant yeast, salt, warm water, and olive oil into a shaggy dough. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until puffy.
Shape and fill
  1. Pour half the olive oil into a baking pan and press the dough out to fill it. Spread it to the edges in an even layer.
  2. Dimple the dough deeply with your fingertips all over the surface. Press down firmly so the wells are visible and evenly spaced.
  3. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then spread it generously over the dimpled dough. Cover the surface so the filling lands in the pockets.
Second rise, bake, and glaze
  1. Let the filled dough rise again for 30 minutes until slightly puffed. You should see some lift in the dimples.
  2. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden. Look for a browned top and set, airy crumb through the dimples.
  3. Whisk the powdered sugar and milk into a glaze and drizzle over the warm focaccia. Glaze should flow into the ridges without completely soaking away.

Notes

Pro tip: dimple deeply so the cinnamon sugar pools into the pockets as it bakes for that classic cinnamon-roll effect. Cool the focaccia 5 minutes before glazing so the glaze clings instead of melting off. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm in a 350°F oven until just warm. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze texture softens after thawing; for a dietary swap, use a 1:1 gluten-free bread flour blend if you want a gluten-free version (rise may be slightly less).