Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
This Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia recipe is a sweet twist on classic sourdough focaccia, layered with cinnamon sugar and baked until soft and fluffy. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, this pull-apart sourdough bread is naturally leavened and full of cozy cinnamon flavor.
Q: Does my starter need to be at peak?
A: Yes—ideally just at peak or slightly after. Underactive starter = dense focaccia.
Q: Can I use unfed or discard starter?
A: Not for classic sourdough focaccia. You can, but texture and rise will suffer unless it’s a hybrid recipe.
Q: My dough is very wet—is that right?
A: Yes. Focaccia is high hydration (75–85%). It should feel sticky and slack.
Q: Do I need stretch-and-folds?
A: Yes—2–4 sets early in bulk help trap gas and build strength.
Q: Can I overwork focaccia dough?
A: Yes. After bulk, handle gently or you’ll knock out all the air.
Q: Why does my dough tear instead of stretch?
A: Gluten isn’t developed yet—or it needs a rest.
Looking for more focaccia variations? Or a simple step-by-step guide? Check out my blog post here!
Bake with me!
Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Focaccia:
- 100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 10 grams Salt
- 430 grams Warm Water
- 520 grams All Purpose Flour
For the Cinnamon Roll Portion:
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter divided, melted
- 1 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- 1 tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 tbsp. Milk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Instructions
For the Sourdough Focaccia / The Day Before (Around 1-2pm):
- I recommend feeding your sourdough starter in the morning around 8-9am.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, salt, and water. Mix well. Add the flour and mix until completely incorporated (all flour absorbed). Cover and rest in a warm environment for 30 minutes.
- Perform one fold, as explained: Imagine the bowl divided into 4 corners. Gently scoop from the bottom and lift up one corner without the dough breaking as high as it’ll go, then fold toward the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl to the next “corner” and repeat. Repeat for a total of 4-6 times.
- Cover and rest the dough in a warm environment for 4-12 hours, until doubled in volume. Perform 3 more folds periodically through the day.
- Put away in the fridge overnight, 8-12 hours. (For example, I’ll put the sourdough in the fridge around 9-10pm.)
The Next Morning (Around 7-8am):
- Line a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place 5 tablespoons of melted butter in a bowl. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
- Pinch off large portion of the sourdough focaccia, about 3-4 tbsp. in size, then dip in the butter, shaking off any excess, then dredging in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place in the prepared baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cover and let rise 2-3 hours, until very jiggly.
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Drizzle the remaining melted butter (3 tbsp) over the focaccia. Use your fingers to create dimples.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden and set on top. It may be harder to tell when down, so if the top if firm to touch, you’re set!
- Let cool to room temperature before adding the glaze.
- To make the glaze, simply mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle on the cooled focaccia, and let set for 20 minutes.
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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The recipe calls for sourdough starter. It would’ve been nice if there was some type of footnote or reference regarding what that is and how to get that or make it.
Hi Nancy! If you don’t have sourdough starter, you could use my Same Day Focaccia as the base (https://abrightmoment.com/cheddar-chive-same-day-focaccia-recipe/) or start your own sourdough here (https://abrightmoment.com/how-to-make-sourdough-starter/) – but that does take 5-7 days!
This recipe came out amazing! I didn’t see anywhere in the instructions that mentioned where the oil was supposed to go, so I put light olive oil in the prepared baking dish before adding in the dipped balls of dough. Hopefully that was right! It was delicious either way, and I imagine it would be crazy good with a cream cheese frosting too. Yum
She said to put parchment paper down
I added cream cheese and salt and a splash of cream to the icing and it was superbbbbbbb
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
OMG! Absolutely fabulous! I made a 1/2 recipe for the two of us. After dimpling with butter, I sprinkled the leftover cinnamon sugar on the top. Baked in a ceramic 9 inch square pan for 25 minutes.
These are a huge hit!! I have made these several times now- love the easy to follow directions .Thank you for sharing!!
this recipe!
This is the second thing I made with my sourdough starter and wow!!!! It’s fabulous!!! Thank you!