This cinnamon roll focaccia recipe combines the olive-oil-rich, chewy crumb of Italian focaccia with the brown sugar and cinnamon swirl of a cinnamon roll, finished with a simple vanilla glaze. It uses one basic yeast dough, takes about 45 minutes of hands-on time plus two rises, and can be made two ways, depending on whether you want neat swirls or a true dimpled focaccia.
Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Recipe: Two Ways to Make It
Focaccia is an Italian flatbread made from a very wet, olive-oil-rich dough that’s pressed into a pan and dimpled with the fingertips. Cinnamon rolls come from a drier, enriched dough that’s rolled with a filling, sliced and baked. Mixing the two ideas can go in two directions, and the dough behaves differently in each.
| Version A: swirled rolls | Version B: true focaccia | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | ¾ cup, for a dough you can roll | 1 cup, for a wet, sticky dough |
| Shaping | Roll out, spread filling, roll up, slice, bake in a pan | Press into an oiled pan, dimple, dot with filling, swirl |
| Look | Tidy spirals, like cinnamon rolls baked close together | Rustic and craggy, with pools of cinnamon butter |
| Texture | Soft and tender | Chewier, with an open, airy crumb and crisp edges |
A practical note on the recipe card: it lists 1 cup of water for 2½ cups of flour, which makes a very wet dough, about 80 percent hydration. That’s right for Version B, but it’s too sticky to roll out and shape into a log. If you want Version A, reduce the water to about ¾ cup and add a spoonful more only if the dough feels dry. Everything else stays the same.
Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Recipe Ingredients
Dough: 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast; ¾ to 1 cup warm water (110°F), depending on the version; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 large egg (optional, for richness).
Cinnamon swirl: ½ cup softened unsalted butter; ¾ cup packed brown sugar; 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon; a pinch of salt.
Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 tablespoons milk (or cream); ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
Optional: chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Step 1: The Dough (Both Versions)
- Wake the yeast. Stir the sugar into the warm water, sprinkle the yeast over it, and leave for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is old or the water was too hot or cold.
- Mix. Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, olive oil and egg, and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead (Version A). Turn the ¾-cup-water dough onto a floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. For Version B, skip kneading: with the wetter dough, stir and fold it in the bowl with a wet spatula for a couple of minutes instead.
- Rise. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled.
- Make the filling while it rises: mash the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt into a smooth paste.
Step 2A: Swirled Rolls
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×9-inch pan or round cake pan. Punch the dough down and roll it into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches.
- Spread the filling evenly, leaving a half-inch border. Roll up tightly from a long edge, pinch the seam, and cut into 8 or 9 slices with a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss.
- Arrange the slices cut side up in the pan, cover, and let rise 30 minutes until puffy.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden. Cool 10 minutes, then glaze.
Step 2B: True Focaccia
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13-inch pan. Scrape the risen, sticky dough into it with oiled hands and gently stretch it toward the corners. If it springs back, rest it for 10 minutes and try again.
- Cover and let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes until puffy. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Oil your fingertips and press deep dimples all over the dough, down to the pan. Dot the cinnamon-butter filling across the surface, and drag a knife through it to create swirls so the butter pools in the dimples.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are crisp. Cool 10 minutes, then drizzle with the glaze.
Version B hasn’t been through the same testing as the original rolled method, so keep an eye on it. Because the sugar in the filling browns quickly, tent it with foil if the top darkens before the center is baked.
Glaze
Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Add more milk by the half-teaspoon for a thinner glaze, or more sugar for a thicker one. Drizzle it on while the bread is warm but not hot, so it sets into a soft sheen instead of melting away. For a cream-cheese version, beat in 2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese.
Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Recipe Card
Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Baking pan (9×9-inch square or round cake pan)
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Small bowl for cinnamon-sugar filling
- Oven
- Whisk (for glaze)
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 packet 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water 110°F
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg optional
- For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream for extra richness
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional Garnish:
- Chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, or almonds
- A sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: Combine yeast with warm water and sugar. Mix in flour, salt, olive oil, and egg. Knead for 8-10 minutes and let rise for 1 hour.
- Make the Cinnamon Swirl: Mix butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Shape the Focaccia: Roll dough into a rectangle, spread the cinnamon mixture, roll it up, and slice. Place in a greased pan and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Glaze and Serve: Mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle over focaccia and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for a Soft, Not Dense, Crumb
Keep the filling from leaking. Soft butter, not melted. Melted butter runs out and burns in the pan. Don’t add too much flour. Sticky dough is normal, so dust your hands and the counter, not the dough itself. Check the rise. A dough that doubles in about an hour is ready. If your kitchen is cool, it can take 90 minutes or more. Use a thermometer if you can: the bread is done when the center reaches about 190°F (88°C). Don’t overbake. Overbaked cinnamon bread is dry and hard, so pull it when it’s deep golden, not dark brown.
Variations
Apple: scatter very thin apple slices or finely diced apple over the filling. Pat them dry first, since wet fruit makes the dough gummy. Chocolate: add ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the filling. Nutty: mix ½ cup of chopped toasted pecans into the filling. Caramel: drizzle with caramel sauce after baking. Pumpkin spice: replace 2 to 3 tablespoons of the water with pumpkin purée, and add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the filling. Savory: if you want a traditional focaccia instead, leave out the filling and glaze, and top with rosemary, sea salt and olive oil.
What to Serve With It
It belongs next to coffee, tea or a glass of cold milk, and the coffee crunch cake makes a good second sweet for a brunch table. If you like the cinnamon bun flavor in cake form, the cinna bun cake is the easier, no-yeast route. For a savory bread to balance a spread, try the Bolo do Caco. It’s also good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. If this is your first time working with yeast dough, the tips in the pizza dough recipe on rising and shaping are helpful here too.
Storing and Reheating
Store it at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerating makes bread go stale faster, though it will keep up to 5 days if you need it to. Wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months, ideally unglazed, and glaze after reheating. Warm it in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil. A microwave works for single pieces (about 20 seconds), but the edges soften.
The recipe card lists about 350 calories per serving of eight, and I’d estimate closer to 400 once you count the full filling and glaze. It contains wheat, dairy and egg (optional), plus nuts if you add them. To make it without egg, leave it out. The dough works fine without it.
Questions About This Cinnamon Roll Focaccia Recipe
Is it bread or dessert? Both. It’s a sweet bread that works for breakfast with coffee and for dessert with ice cream.
Can I use bread flour? Yes. It makes a chewier, more focaccia-like texture, and absorbs a little more water.
Can I make it ahead? Yes. After shaping, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight, then let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before baking.
Why is my dough too sticky to roll? It has 1 cup of water, as on the recipe card. Use ¾ cup for rolling, or switch to the focaccia method.
If you try either version, tell me which one you chose, how much water the dough needed and how it came out. Those details help other bakers more than any rule I can give.