If you’ve ever made focaccia or cinnamon rolls, this recipe sits right between the two. Cinnamon roll focaccia brings the softness of bread rolls and the warmth of cinnamon into one sweet, shareable pan. You’ll learn how to make the dough from scratch, shape it in two styles, and finish it with a cream cheese glaze.
This bake fits right into your weekend. It’s structured enough to feel productive but relaxed enough to leave you room to enjoy the process. For anyone asking how to make bread with a sweet filling, this one answers with both familiarity and surprise.
Why Cinnamon Focaccia?
The dough behaves like a classic focaccia recipe. Hydrated, airy, and gently chewy. But instead of olive oil and herbs, you layer in a cinnamon swirl that caramelizes as it bakes. That swirl gives it the character of cinnamon rolls, but the base keeps it grounded in traditional bread-making.
I’ve made it both ways: shaped into a dramatic spiral or rolled into pull-apart bubbles. The spiral looks impressive and turns heads at brunch. The bubble version serves easily and works well for casual gatherings or potlucks.
This one lands somewhere between interesting food recipes and baking comfort. It’s not a novelty, it’s a reliable formula for flavor and texture that just happens to look good on the table too.
Ingredients: What to Know Before Mixing
This dough starts with simple pantry staples. Flour, yeast, sugar, water, and salt. But the hydration level leans high, which means the dough feels stickier than a sandwich loaf. Don’t worry that moisture creates a more open crumb once baked.
Olive oil adds elasticity and softness. Don’t skip it. It also helps with shaping and prevents sticking, especially in the pan.
The cinnamon swirl filling combines brown sugar and ground cinnamon, plus softened butter to help everything adhere to the dough. I find that dark brown sugar adds more flavor, but light brown sugar still works well.
If you’re wondering whether salted or unsalted butter makes a difference, I’ve used both. Unsalted gives you more control, especially since the dough already includes salt. But if all you have is salted, reduce the added salt in the dough by a pinch or two.
Shaping the Dough: Spiral or Pull-Apart?
Once your dough has risen, you have a decision. For a centerpiece dessert bread, go with the swirl method. Stretch the dough gently, butter it, sprinkle on your cinnamon sugar, then roll and coil into a dramatic spiral.
For a simpler presentation, choose the pull-apart approach. Divide the dough into pieces, fill and seal each one like a mini bun, and nestle them together in the pan. The result bakes up like soft bread rolls with caramelized edges.
In my notes, I’ve found that the pull-apart version bakes more evenly in a standard oven. But the spiral wins on visual appeal. Choose based on your mood or your guests.
If you enjoy shaping bread, also try the puff pastry version of Cinnamon Twists. They’re quick, crisp, and swirl beautifully.
Baking Notes and Oven Tips
Use a metal or ceramic pan that conducts heat evenly. Glass pans work but may require a few extra minutes. The top should turn golden brown, and the edges will bubble slightly where the sugar melts into the dough.
Let it cool in the pan for a few minutes before adding the glaze. If you drizzle it while still piping hot, the cream cheese glaze will melt too quickly and lose its visual texture. Slightly warm is ideal.
The same principle applies when baking Cinnamon Muffins—warm, not hot, holds the glaze best.
Making the Glaze: Smooth, Poured, and Simple
The glaze is a mix of cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a touch of milk. Keep the cream cheese very soft so it mixes smoothly. Add the milk slowly and adjust as needed for a thick but pourable texture.
A spoon works best for drizzling. Start from the center and let the glaze run outward. Or use a small piping bag if you prefer more control.
If you like the look and feel of classic roll toppings, the glaze from my Cinnamon Roll Icing recipe also works beautifully here.
Serving and Storage Advice
Serve cinnamon roll focaccia warm. The texture is softest in the first few hours after baking. For brunch, I often bake it early and reheat it gently in a low oven just before serving.
If storing, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in the toaster oven for best results. Freezing is possible but can slightly alter the texture.
It also makes a lovely addition to fall dessert boards alongside Cinnamon Raisin Bread or other homemade bread recipes.
Final Thoughts and Invitation to Share
This cinnamon focaccia recipe invites you to play with shape, sweetness, and technique. It meets you where you are—whether you’re baking for a crowd or just enjoying a quiet kitchen day.
You don’t need advanced skills. Just patience, a warm kitchen, and good cinnamon.
Save this recipe to your Pinterest board so you can find it again when your next baking day rolls around.
And if you make it, come back and tell me how it turned out. Did you go for the swirl or the pull-apart version? I’d love to hear what worked, what you changed, or what you paired it with.
Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Cinnamon roll focaccia is a fun twist that blends soft focaccia bread with the sweet flavor of cinnamon rolls. I love baking it as a weekend project, using a classic focaccia recipe but adding swirls of cinnamon sugar for a dessert-style bread. Some call it cinnamon focaccia bread, others cinnamon roll focaccia, but both combine the best of bread recipes homemade with sweet inspiration. Among bread rolls and interesting food recipes, this one stands out for being creative, simple, and perfect for sharing. If you’ve ever wondered how to make bread with a sweet touch, this recipe is an easy starting point.
Ingredients
- For the Dough
- 500g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10g (2 tsp) salt
- 2 tsp instant dry yeast
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 400ml (1 ¾ cups) warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing
- FOR THE CINNAMON SWIRL FILLING
- 100g (½ cup) packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 60g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- FOR THE CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
- 120g (½ cup) cream cheese, softened
- 60g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- 1–2 tbsp milk, adjust for drizzling consistency
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add warm water and olive oil, mixing until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, until it has doubled in size and appears bubbly on the surface.
- PREPARE THE CINNAMON FILLING: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside the softened butter separately; this will be spread directly on the dough during shaping.
- CHOOSE YOUR SHAPE: For the swirl roll version, grease a 9-inch springform or cake pan. On a floured surface, stretch the dough gently into a 14x10 inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the surface and sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Slice into three long strips, roll one into a spiral, then wrap the remaining strips around it to form a larger spiral. Transfer to the prepared pan, cover loosely, and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes. For the pull-apart bubble style, grease a 9x13 pan generously. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions. Flatten each piece, spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then roll and pinch to seal. Arrange seam-side down in the pan. Cover and let rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
- BAKE: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cinnamon mixture is bubbling at the edges. Let cool slightly in the pan before adding the glaze.
- MAKE THE GLAZE: In a bowl, whisk together cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Adjust milk to reach a drizzling consistency. Spoon the glaze generously over the warm focaccia before serving.
Notes
Both shaping options bake well, but the spiral creates a dramatic centerpiece, while the pull-apart style is easier for casual serving. For best results, use a kitchen scale when measuring ingredients. The dough can be refrigerated overnight after the first rise; bring it to room temperature before shaping.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 203Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 9mgSodium 118mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 6gProtein 3g
