Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia

5 from 9 votes

This Cinnamon Roll Sourdough Focaccia is soft and chewy with a sweet cinnamon sugar filling and a tangy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Rise time7

Total Time7 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Author: Emily Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Active Sourdough Starter (Levain)

15 grams active sourdough starter 1 Tablespoon
70 grams all-purpose or bread flour ½ cup
70 grams water ⅓ cup

Focaccia

400 grams water 1¾ cups
10 grams salt 1½ teaspoon
150 grams active sourdough starter ⅔ cup
500 grams bread flour 3⅔ cups

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

85 grams butter, melted 6 Tablespoons
110 grams brown sugar ½ cup
3 grams cinnamon 1½ teaspoon

Cream Cheese Frosting

113 grams cream cheese, softened ½ cup
240 grams powdered sugar 2 cups
45-60 grams milk 3-4 Tablespoons

Instructions

If you have active, bubbly starter ready, you can skip this step.
Feed starter: 10–12 hours before making the dough, make a levain or simply feed your sourdough starter and leave it covered at around 70–72℉ to double in size.
15 grams active sourdough starter, 70 grams all-purpose or bread flour, 70 grams water
If you want to make the dough the same day, feed your starter at a 1:1:1 ratio (50 g starter, 50 g flour, 50 g water). Let rise at 77–80°F for 3–4 hours, until doubled and bubbly.
Mix dough: In a large bowl or straight edge container, mix together the water, active sourdough starter, and salt. Add the bread flour and mix. The dough will be very wet at this stage. Cover the dough and let it rest at 75°F for 30 minutes.
400 grams water, 10 grams salt, 150 grams active sourdough starter, 500 grams bread flour
Stretch and folds: Perform 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. After each set cover the dough and keep at 75°F to keep a similar timeline.
First rise: Continue to let the dough rise until it is risen 50% and is jiggly with bubbles forming around the sides of the bowl.
With the dough at 75°F this will take 4-5 hours total from the time the dough is mixed.
Mix filling: In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
85 grams butter, melted, 110 grams brown sugar, 3 grams cinnamon
Dough in pan: Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and add a spoonful of the cinnamon sugar to the bottom. Dump the focaccia dough on top and spread it out to fill the pan. Top with half of the buttery cinnamon sugar.
Fold in filling: Pull the bottom of the dough up about two-thirds of the way over itself, then fold the top down to create a trifold. Rotate the dough 90 degrees so it lines up with the longer side of the pan. Cover the pan and leave at 75°F.
With the dough at 75°F, this will take 2-3 hours.
Second rise: Cover the pan and leave it at 75°F until the dough has filled the pan and is puffy.
With the dough at 75°F, this will take 2-3 hours.
Dimple: Top with the remaining butter and cinnamon sugar. Using damp hands, gently press your fingers straight down into the dough, reaching the bottom of the pan to create dimples. Repeat across the entire surface of the dough.
Bake: Bake in the oven at 425℉ degrees for 27-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If the top is burning you can cover with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.
Prepare icing: 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. If the icing is too thick, add a little more milk until you reach your desired consistency.
113 grams cream cheese, softened, 240 grams powdered sugar, 45-60 grams milk
Add icing: After the focaccia has finished baking, let it cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the cream cheese frosting on top while it is still warm and serve.

Notes

Focaccia dough is wet and sticky! If your dough is really wet after the initial mix that is to be expected. Through stretch and folds, it will become stronger but will still be wet until the end.
Let the dough get puffy and rise fully. Baking it too early will result in a denser focaccia.
If you want to bake this for breakfast or brunch, you have two options. You can let the dough do its first rise overnight at 68–70°F for about 8–10 hours, then complete the second rise in the morning. Alternatively, finish both rises the day before, refrigerate the dough overnight, and in the morning bring it to room temperature before dimpling and baking.
To speed up the process, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise, and use warm water (80-90°F) when mixing the dough. Learn my top tips to keep your sourdough starter and dough warm here.

Nutrition