Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia

Servings pieces

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 8

Total Time 9 15

Equipment

Scale
Danish dough whisk
Large mixing bowl
Bowl scraper
Warming mat or proofing box or DIY option – see Recipe Notes
Bowl cover
Lloyd Pans 10×14-inch Detroit-Style Pizza Pan or a 9×13-inch USA Pan or a 12-inch cast iron skillet
Cooling rack
Bread knife

Ingredients

Feed Your Starter

▢ 20 g sourdough starter
▢ 100 g water
▢ 100 g bread flour

To Line the Pan

▢ 30 g unsalted butter (softened) lower to 10g if using USA Pan; lower to 20g for glass or ceramic

Cinnamon Sugar Marbling

▢ 48 g sugar
▢ 24 g brown sugar
▢ 15 g bread flour
▢ 10 g ground cinnamon

Simple Vanilla Glaze

▢ 120 g powdered sugar
▢ 30 g heavy cream
▢ 5 g vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 tsp sea salt

Before You Begin

Note for testers: I made a half batch and baked it in a square 8×8-inch square baking dish. You can also do this by clicking the 0.5x button to scale down the recipe.

Instructions

Feed your starter: Before bed, in a 3/4 L Weck jar (or similar-sized glass jar), mix together 20 g sourdough starter and 100 g water. Then, mix in 100 g bread flour until smooth. Loosely cover and let ferment on the counter overnight [10-12 hours at 68-75°F (20-24°C)].
Mix the dough: In the morning, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together 390 g warm water, 10 g sugar, and 200 g active sourdough starter. Add 500 g bread flour and 10 g sea salt, and mix until no dry flour remains, using a Danish dough whisk or a wet bowl scraper. It will be really shaggy; that's normal. (Note: Bulk fermentation starts as soon as the ingredients are mixed.)
Put in a warm spot: Cover the bowl and place it in a warm spot, ideally around 80°F (27°C). A proofing box or a warming mat works well, but you could also use your oven with the light on or your microwave with a cup of boiling water inside. Let the dough rest for 30–40 minutes.
Coil folds (every hour or so, until bulk fermentation is done): With wet hands (seriously — dunk them in water), slide your hands under the center of the dough, lift it up, and let the ends fold under themselves. Rotate the bowl 90° and repeat, wetting your hands often. Cover and rest between rounds. If the wet dough feels hard to handle at first, use a wet bowl scraper to lift and fold the dough over itself from four points around the bowl before switching to the coil fold method in later rounds.
Finish bulk fermentation: Bulk fermentation began when we first mixed our dough — we're ready to transfer it to our pan when it has approximately doubled in size and is covered with tiny bubbles. For me, bulk fermentation took a total of 5.5–6 hours at about 80°F (27°C), but timing can vary, so pay attention to visual cues.
Optional — overnight cold proof: You can put your dough in the fridge until tomorrow. The focaccia will develop a more sour, complex flavor profile and may be easier to digest for those sensitive to gluten. When you're ready, remove the bowl from the fridge, let the dough warm up slightly for 1–2 hours, then continue with the next step.
Add the cinnamon sugar marbling mixture: In a small mixing bowl, combine 48 g sugar, 24 g brown sugar, 15 g bread flour and 10 g ground cinnamon. Sprinkle one quarter of the mixture on top of the dough. Stretch and fold the dough over the mixture. Repeat three more times — it's OK if it looks messy! The mixture will not be fully incorporated, you're creating layers of cinnamon sugar with each stretch and fold. Sprinkle any extra on top of the dough.
Transfer dough to pan: Coat bottom and sides of pan with butter. Use 30 g unsalted butter (softened) for the Lloyd Pans Detroit Style Pizza pan or a 12-inch cast iron pan, 10 g for the non-stick USA Pan, and 20 g for a glass or ceramic pan. Pick up your dough and place it on top of the butter. Gently stretch the dough to fill the pan; if it resists, let it relax for about 20 minutes and try again. Cover and return to your warm spot for the final proof.
Pre-bake prep and preheat: Approximately 2–3 hours after transferring to the pan, or once the dough looks super puffy and roughly 50% larger, prepare the cinnamon butter topping. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 30 g unsalted butter (melted), 50 g sugar, 20 g brown sugar, 10 g ground cinnamon, and 30 g water (yes, water!). Pour the mixture evenly over the dough's surface. Dimple the entire surface deeply with your fingers, pressing all the way down to the pan. Return to your warm spot. Move your oven rack to the lower third and preheat to 400°F (205°C) conventional.
Bake: Once the oven is fully preheated, place the focaccia on the lower third rack. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Pull it when the top is a deep golden brown and the interior temperature is 205–210°F (96–99°C).
Make the glaze: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 120 g powdered sugar, 30 g heavy cream, 5 g vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. To make it thinner, add additional heavy cream. To make it thicker, add additional powdered sugar.
Cool and drizzle: Let the focaccia cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Pour the drizzle on top (if desired). Allow to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing — this helps the interior finish setting and gives you cleaner slices.

Notes

Bread flour: Use a high-protein bread flour for best results. I tested this recipe with Central Milling High Mountain (13.5% protein). Other great options include Ballerina Farm high protein farm flour (14%), King Arthur bread flour (12.7%), or Bob’s Red Mill bread flour (12.5–13.5%). If you’re working with a lower-protein flour like Kirkland’s All-Purpose from Costco (11.5%), you’ll likely need to add about 15–25g more flour, or add 1 tbsp of vital wheat gluten to compensate.

Wet tools are your best friend: Keep a small bowl of water nearby throughout the folding process. A wet bowl scraper and wet hands prevent sticking without adding extra flour.

Best on day 1: Focaccia is definitely the best the day it’s baked. If you don’t plan to eat it within 2–3 days, slice it and freeze it as desired. It reheats beautifully.

Proofing mat and box options:

Cozy Bread Original Proofing Mat — Use code THATSOURDOUGHGAL for 10% off
Brod & Taylor Folding Proofer
Giyudot Folding Bread Proofing Box
DIY — Your oven with the light on
DIY — Your microwave with a cup of boiling water inside

Nutrition Facts

Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia

Serving Size

1 slice (recipe makes 12 slices)

Amount per Serving

Calories

322

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

Trans Fat

0.2

Polyunsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated Fat

Cholesterol

Sodium

441

Potassium

Carbohydrates

Fiber

Sugar

Protein

Vitamin A

168

Vitamin C

0.1

Calcium

Iron

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Rate this recipe, leave a comment below, and share a photo on Instagram! Tag me @thatsourdoughgal so I can see it!

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia – For Recipe Testers