Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

“Fluffy on the inside and shatteringly crispy on the outside.”

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Rise Time: 3 hrs

Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

12 (serving size: 1 [3- x 3-inch] piece)

Jump to Nutrition FactsJump to recipe

This warm and comforting cinnamon roll focaccia is a beautiful cross of baked goods, and a store-bought short-cut helps it come together in no time. Using premade pizza dough is one of our favorite hacks for making homemade focaccia, and here we use it to put cinnamon roll flavors on the breakfast table in a quarter of the time it takes to make from-scratch rolls.

Pillowy on the inside, golden on the outside, and drizzled with a melty cream cheese glaze that seeps into every crispy crevice, this breakfast bread is sure to satisfy all your morning cravings.

“The focaccia is sweet but not overly so, and there is a lovely warmth from the cinnamon,” said recipe tester Amanda Holstein. “It is fluffy on the inside and shatteringly crispy on the outside. The cream cheese frosting brings it on home and really makes this seem like cinnamon rolls but with great texture.”

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 12 (serving size: 1 [3- x 3-inch] piece) servings

• 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
• all-purpose flour, for work surface
• 2 (1-pound) fresh prepared pizza dough balls
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, divided, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients. Evenly coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with 1/4 cup of the oil.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
2. On a lightly floured work surface, using your hands or a rolling pin, press dough balls into about 1-inch thickness. Stir together 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the top of one dough round evenly with sugar mixture, place second dough round on top, and knead together until combined and one ball of dough is formed.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
3. Place dough in the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 3 hours, removing plastic every hour and gently pressing out dough as thin as possible.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
5. Uncover dough, and spread into an even layer pressing into the edges of the pan. Grease your hands and make deep dimples all over the top of the dough with your fingertips. Drizzle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and make dimples all over top of the dough with your fingertips again.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
6. Bake in the preheated oven until slightly risen and starting to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium. Remove from heat, add remaining 1/4 cup light brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and stir until combined; drizzle evenly over dough. Return to oven and bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) until well browned and puffed, 8 to 10 more minutes.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
7. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended, about 30 seconds. Stir in milk and vanilla until icing is smooth and creamy.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
8. Drizzle icing over hot bread; serve warm.Photo by – Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Nutrition Facts (per serving)