Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Recipe

Yield: slices

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Rise Time: 7

Total Time: 7 35

This Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia combines soft, pillowy sourdough focaccia with a buttery cinnamon sugar swirls and sweet vanilla glaze. It has all the cozy flavor of homemade cinnamon rolls without the extra rolling and shaping, making it an easy sourdough breakfast or brunch treat.

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Equipment

Ingredients

150 grams active sourdough starter, 100% hydration 3/4 cup
380 grams filtered water, 80℉ scant 1 3/4 cups
500 grams bread flour * see notes below 3 1/2 cups
10 grams salt 1 1/2 teaspoons
28 grams olive oil, for pan 2 Tablespoons

Dry Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

50 grams light brown sugar 1/4 cup
3 grams cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons
10 grams flour 1 Tablespoon

Cinnamon-Butter Topping

57 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 Tablespoons
55 grams light brown sugar 1/4 cup
3 grams cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons
pinch pinch of salt

Lemon Glaze

130 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
45 grams heavy cream 3 Tablespoons
4 grams vanilla bean paste 1 teaspoon
pinch of salt

Instructions

MAKE DOUGH

In a straight-edge bowl, mix the active starter and filtered water with a Danish dough whisk or your hand until it looks like a milky liquid.
I love using a straight-edge bowl because it allows me to clearly see when the dough is done rising.
150 grams active sourdough starter, 100% hydration, 380 grams filtered water, 80℉
To the wet ingredients, add the bread flour and salt. Again, mix with a whisk or by hand. Be sure to mix until all of the flour is incorporated.
This recipe has a higher amount of water, so it will an extra sticky and wet dough. This is normal.
500 grams bread flour * see notes below, 10 grams salt
Cover the bowl with the plastic cover or plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

COIL FOLDS:

With a bowl scraper, scrape the dough away from the the sides of the bowl.
Now, with slightly wet hands, place your hands underneath the dough and pull up towards you. Allow the dough to stretch up until it releases, but not tear, and place it back in the bowl. Rotate your bowl clockwise a quarter turn and repeat the same coil fold until the dough releases. Repeat this for a total of 4-6 times. You will notice the dough won't stretch as far, this is expected. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 30 more minutes.
Repeat the same coil folds, then cover the bowl and leave to rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat for a total of 4 rounds of coil folds. Once all 4 rounds of coil folds have been completed, cover and leave the dough to rise about 75%.

CINNAMON-SUGAR FILLING

While you wait for the dough to rise, prepare your dry cinnamon sugar mixture. To a small bowl, add the brown sugar, cinnamon and bread flour. Whisk until combined and set aside.
50 grams light brown sugar, 3 grams cinnamon, 10 grams flour

BULK FERMENTATION:

Now this is the most finicky part of sourdough. There isn’t a set time for your bulk ferment. It is greatly dependent on the temperature of your environment and ingredients. The warmer it is, the faster your dough will ferment. The opposite is true for cooler temperatures.
In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 2-3 more hours after the coil folds. If your kitchen is cooler, it will take longer. If your kitchen is warmer, it will take less time.

Here’s what to look for:

-The dough should has risen 75%.
-The dough looks light and airy, and jiggles when shaken.
-There should be visible bubbles in the dough.

SECOND RISE

Once the dough has risen about 75%, pour olive oil on the bottom of the 9x13 metal baking pan and spread it evenly all over the bottom and the side.
You can use a different sized baking dish, but I prefer this because it makes the perfect thick slices. I prefer baking in a metal pan so that the exterior gets nice and crispy. You can bake this in a glass or ceramic dish, but I would also recommend that you line the baking dish with parchment paper before greasing it with oil.
28 grams olive oil, for pan
Release the dough gently from the sides of the bowl with a dough scraper and tilt it into the prepared baking dish.
Pour the sourdough focaccia dough into the pan and gently stretch to a large rectangle. Sprinkle 2/3 of the dry cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the dough, then take the top of the dough and fold it towards the middle and lightly press it with your fingers so that it sticks. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top of that bare dough. Repeat the same motion with the bottom of the dough, to create a tri-fold. Now flip the dough with the seam side down.
Cover the dough and allow it to rise again until the dough has doubled in size and fills the baking dish. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 2-3 hours.
Not ready to bake? No worries! See make-ahead options in my notes below!

SHAPE

Once the dough has doubled in size and looks puffy and jiggly, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, whisk until combined. Drizzle the butter/cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the dough.
57 grams unsalted butter, melted, 55 grams light brown sugar , 3 grams cinnamon, pinch pinch of salt
To dimple the dough, gently press your greased fingers into the sourdough focaccia until you lightly touch the bottom of the dish. Repeat until the entire dough has been dimpled. Be sure not to over-dimple the dough. This can cause the lovely air pockets to pop and create a dense crumb.

BAKE

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until perfectly golden brown with an internal temperature of 205 degrees F.
If the top of the focaccia is browning too quickly, top with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
Remove the Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia from the oven and allow it to cool in the baking dish for a few minutes before removing it and placing the bread on a wire rack. Cool slightly before topping with the vanilla glaze.

Vanilla GLAZE

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla taste. Whisk until smooth, then drizzle over the top of the Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia. Slice and enjoy!
130 grams powdered sugar, 45 grams heavy cream, 4 grams vanilla bean paste, pinch of salt

Notes

Make-Ahead Options

If you want to prepare this Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Focaccia the night before and bake it the following morning, here are some make-ahead options. Just know that due to the longer cold-proof, the dough can be more tangy than a same-day bake:

Option #1: Prepare the dough and once it has risen 75%, cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the focaccia and allow it to double in size in a warm place before baking as normal. In my 70°F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours. Since the dough is cool from the fridge, the second rise will take longer to complete. Once the dough has doubled in size, top with toppings, dimple, and bake as usual.
Option #2: Prepare the dough. Once it has risen 75%, place it in the metal baking dish, sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, fold cover, and pop it into the fridge overnight. Pull it out the following morning and allow the dough to rise and get fluffy in a warm place. Since sugar draws out moisture, you might notice some cinnamon sugar filling leaking from the dough, totally normal! In my 70°F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours. Since the dough is cool from the fridge, the second rise will take longer to complete. Once the dough has doubled in size, top with toppings, dimple, and bake as usual.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Water - Use warm water around 80°F. That's warm enough to help the dough rise without harming the starter. Keep it under 120°F because anything hotter can kill your starter and prevent the dough from rising.
Sourdough Starter - A bubbly, active starter makes this dough rise. If you want a focaccia that rises in about 3 hours, check out my Sourdough Discard Focaccia recipe instead.
Bread Flour - Go with bread flour for this recipe. The higher protein content gives you a better rise, a softer texture, and an airier crumb. All-purpose flour works too, but bread flour gives you the best results.
Dry Cinnamon Sugar Filling—When I first tested this recipe, I brushed on a melted butter and cinnamon sugar mix as I shaped the dough, but it kept baking up gummy. Switching to a dry mix of cinnamon, brown sugar, and bread flour fixed the problem. It gave me sweet cinnamon sugar swirls running through the dough without any of that gumminess.
Wet Cinnamon Sugar Topping – Right before you dimple and bake your dough, pour over a quick mix of melted butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. This gives the dough even more sweet cinnamon flavor and helps the top bake up gorgeous and golden.
Vanilla Glaze – You can't forget the best part of a true sourdough cinnamon roll! It’s just a quick mix of powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla paste. You can use milk or half-and-half if you're out of heavy cream. If you go with either option, start with a little less so your glaze doesn't get too runny. And regular vanilla extract works just as well if you don't have paste.

Nutrition

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