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Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

This Brown Butter Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is a sweet, bakery-style twist on classic focaccia. The dough is soft, airy, and full of dimples, while the brown butter cinnamon filling caramelizes into gooey pockets and thin swirls throughout the center.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 Pieces
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the Focaccia Dough
  • 4 cups All-purpose flour
  • 2 cups Warm water 110℉
  • 2¼ tsp (1 packet) Active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 1½ tsp Salt
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil plus more for the pan and topping
For the Brown Butter Cinnamon Filling
  • 6 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • ½ cup Brown sugar
  • 1½ tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
For the Glaze
  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp Milk or cream
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz Softened cream cheese optional, for a thicker, richer glaze

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small saucepan or skillet
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
  • Measuring cups & spoons
  • 9x13 baking pan or quarter sheet pan
  • Whisk

Method
 

  1. Brown the butter
    Add the butter to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. It will melt, foam, and then turn golden with brown specks on the bottom, about 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Make the cinnamon filling
    Stir the browned butter together with brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  3. Activate the yeast
    In a large mixing bowl, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy on top.
  4. Mix the dough (no kneading)
    Add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until the dough is combined. It will be soft and sticky, that’s perfect.
  5. Stretch and fold
    Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Then do three rounds of stretch-and-folds, 15 minutes apart:
    With a wet hand, lift one side of the dough up and fold it over the center.
    Rotate the bowl and repeat until you’ve done four folds total.
    After the third round, cover and let the dough rise for 45–60 minutes, until puffy.
  6. Prepare the pan
    Pour 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil into a 9×13 pan or a quarter sheet pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes to relax, then gently stretch it toward the edges.
  7. Create the cinnamon swirl
    Pour half of the cinnamon filling over the dough. Fold the dough in half over itself, just one gentle fold. Pour the remaining filling over the top. Stretch the dough back toward the edges of the pan.
  8. Dimple the dough
    Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Use your fingertips to press deep dimples all over the surface. Let the dough rise again for 20–25 minutes.
  9. Bake
    Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cinnamon pockets are bubbling. Tent the bread loosely with foil for the first 25 minutes to prevent burning.
  10. Glaze
    Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Once the focaccia has cooled for about 10 minutes, drizzle the glaze generously over the top.