Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

This Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia has warm and comforting flavors of fall in every bite! Pumpkin focaccia swirled with a sweet cinnamon and pumpkin spice filling and topped with a cream cheese icing. If you love pumpkin, this is a must-try!

What is focaccia?

Focaccia is a flatbread and is made similar to how pizza dough is made. The bread is made in a pan, usually something like a 9×13 dish or round cast iron pan. The bread is fluffy and chewy with a thin crispy crust. It has signature dimples in the dough and has a drizzle of olive oil, or in this case butter, to help create the crispy, golden brown crust. You can make focaccia with sweet toppings such as this recipe, or with savory toppings like my Margherita Pizza Sourdough Focaccia recipe. 

I love making focaccia because it can be made in one day so you can start it in the morning and have delicious bread by dinner time. This recipe is really simple and beginner-friendly and doesn’t require any kneading. 

Tips for making Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

• Let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia. 
• To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise, and be sure to use warm water when mixing the dough. 
• If you want to bake the next day, after the dough is placed in the pan cover it and place it in the fridge. Then, let it come to room temperature and get puffy before baking as directed.

Tools for this sourdough focaccia recipe

9×13 pan– Glass or metal 9×13 inch pans will both work.

Kitchen Scale –When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.  

Cooling Rack – Using a wire rack helps the bread cool quicker by allowing air under the bread. 

2 quart proofing container– This is the easiest way to tell when the dough has risen 50% for the first rise.

Ingredients for the Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia 

Sourdough Pumpkin Focaccia 

• Pumpkin purée – make sure to use pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Or if you prefer, you can use a homemade pumpkin purée.
• Water- use warm water to help the dough ferment quicker. You want the water to be room temperature or warm, but not hot. 
• Sourdough starter – use a starter that is active and bubbly and is at peak. If you don’t have a starter yet check out my post how to make a sourdough starter.
• Salt – any type of salt will work such as sea salt or kosher salt. 
• Bread flour – I recommend using bread flour instead of all-purpose flour when baking sourdough bread because it has a higher protein content and absorbs moisture better. 
• Granulated sugar – you don’t have to include this but it does help give the dough a little extra sweetness. You could use honey or maple syrup instead but it could make the dough stickier.

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• Butter – using salted butter will help bring out the flavors even more.
• Brown sugar – the brown sugar gives a richer flavor in the filling. 
• Cinnamon – compliments the pumpkin flavors so well.
• Pumpkin pie seasoning – this seasoning blend includes flavors of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. 

Cream Cheese Icing

• Cream cheese – softened so it is easy to work with. Let the cream cheese sit at room temperature until soft or add to the microwave a few seconds at a time. 
• Powdered sugar – to add sweetness to the frosting. 
• Milk – I used whole milk but any type will work.

How to make Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together in a large mixing bowl until a shaggy dough is formed. Let sit in a warm spot covered for about 30 minutes. I like to cover with a lid or dinner plate instead of a tea towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out. With dough in the mid 70’s F, the first rise will take about 4-5 hours total.

Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds to develop the dough with at least a 30 minute rest in between each set. To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on itself. Repeat this 3 more times rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.

Continue to let the dough rise for bulk fermentation until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl.

Mix together sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie seasoning. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9×13 pan and add dough. Coat both sides with butter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and then fold the dough in half and gently stretch out the dough.

Let it rise another hour or two covered in a warm spot until it has risen well and is puffy. Add the remaining melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Dimple the dough with your fingers and bake in the oven at 425F degrees for 27-30 minutes. 

While the focaccia is baking, whisk together the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir until fully combined and smooth. 

After the focaccia has finished baking, add it to a cooling rack and let it cool. Drizzle the cream cheese frosting while it is still warm and serve.

How to store Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia 

If the focaccia does not have the cream cheese icing on top it can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. If the icing is added it needs to be stored in the fridge. It should be good for about 5 days.

To warm up slices of the focaccia place it in the microwave for about 15 seconds until heated through. To heat up the entire focaccia without the icing place it in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through and then top with the icing.