Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

Somewhere on the internet is a version of you who makes cinnamon rolls from scratch — proofing the dough twice, rolling it into a flawless log, slicing tidy little spirals, arranging them just so. That version of you is very impressive and also does not exist, because it’s Saturday morning and there is a small person currently attached to your leg.

Enter cinnamon roll focaccia: everything you love about a cinnamon roll, reorganized into a form that forgives you. You make a soft, pillowy focaccia dough (mostly the fridge and time do the heavy lifting), dimple it all over with your fingers, and flood those little craters with brown-sugar-cinnamon butter. It bakes up golden and gooey, you drizzle the whole thing with icing, and nobody ever needs to know you didn’t roll a single spiral.

Ingredients

For the dough:

4 cups (500g) bread flour (all-purpose also works)
2¼ tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1¾ cups warm water
3 tbsp olive oil (plus more for the pan)

For the cinnamon topping:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Cream cheese frosting:

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1–2 tbsp milk (to desired consistency)

Instructions

1. Make the dough

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
Add the warm water and olive oil.
Stir until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky—that’s normal.
Cover and let rise for 1½–2 hours until doubled.

2. Prepare the pan

Coat a 9x13-inch baking pan generously with olive oil.
Transfer the dough to the pan.
Gently stretch it toward the corners.
Cover and let rest 30–45 minutes.

3. Make the cinnamon mixture

Mix together:

Soft butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Pinch of salt

4. Dimple and swirl

Spread the cinnamon mixture over the dough.
Use your fingertips to press deep dimples all over the dough.
Swirl the cinnamon mixture with a butter knife for a marbled look.

5. Bake

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 28–35 minutes, until:

Deep golden brown
Center reaches about 200 degrees!

6. Frost

Let cool for about 15 minutes.
Whisk together the frosting ingredients and drizzle generously over the warm focaccia.

Tips for the best results

Bread flour creates the fluffiest texture.
An overnight rise in the refrigerator develops even better flavor. Just let the dough come to room temperature for about an hour before shaping.
Don’t skimp on the olive oil—it helps create the classic crisp, golden edges.
For extra indulgence, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top before baking, or add a drizzle of maple syrup to the frosting.

Bonus: the dimple-poking is weirdly therapeutic, and it’s one of the rare kitchen jobs a toddler can “help” with that doesn’t end in catastrophe. You get a cozy weekend bake, they get to jab some dough with great enthusiasm, everybody wins.

The finished bread is somewhere between a gooey cinnamon roll and soft bakery focaccia, with crisp edges, a fluffy interior, and ribbons of caramelized cinnamon sugar throughout.