Fresh-Milled Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
If your favorite part of a cinnamon roll is the middle...you have to give this focaccia a try! This fresh-milled cinnamon roll pull-apart sourdough focaccia combines the best of both. Soft pieces of sourdough dough are coated in cinnamon sugar, baked until lightly golden, and finished with a simple vanilla glaze. It's a fun recipe for brunch, holidays, or anytime you want something a little different from traditional cinnamon rolls.
This recipe uses freshly milled hard white wheat flour and a sourdough starter to create a soft crumb with plenty of flavor. Since the dough is torn into pieces before baking, each serving has plenty of cinnamon coating and crisp edges without the extra work of rolling and slicing cinnamon rolls.
If you're not quite brave enough to give this one a try, I still have a great fresh milled cinnamon roll recipe too!
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 5-7 hours
- Final Proof: 2-3 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 9-12 hours
- Servings: 12 servings
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Baking Method: Oven
- Best For: Holiday breakfasts, brunch, sharing, freshly milled flour, sweet sourdough baking
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
- Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes
- Fresh-Milled Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh-Milled Dessert Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Fresh-Milled Hard White Wheat Flour gives this focaccia a rich wheat flavor while keeping the crumb soft and fluffy.
- Active Sourdough Starter provides the lift and develops the dough's naturally fermented flavor.
- Butter is used in both the dough and the cinnamon coating, creating soft pull-apart layers and rich flavor.
- Cinnamon is the star of the filling, giving every bite that classic cinnamon roll tastes.
- Vanilla Glaze adds just enough sweetness to finish the focaccia without overpowering the cinnamon.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Substitute bread flour if you don't mill your own flour. A ratio of 1:1 works fine here!
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts between the dough pieces.
- Mix raisins into the cinnamon sugar coating.
- Add orange zest to the glaze for a citrus twist.
- Sprinkle cream cheese frosting over the cooled focaccia instead of vanilla glaze.
- Add a pinch of cardamom to the cinnamon sugar for extra warmth.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Step 1: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the freshly milled flour, milk, sourdough starter, egg, salt, and sugar. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes (Image 1). If the dough feels very stiff after resting, add an additional 10-20 g of milk.
Step 2: Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time while mixing on low speed. Once all the butter has been incorporated, continue mixing for about 2 minutes on low-medium speed. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes (Image 2).
Step 3: Perform 2-3 sets of stretch-and-folds, spacing them about 30 minutes apart (Image 3). After the final fold, let the dough continue fermenting until it has increased by about 30-50% in volume, about 5-7 hours at 72°F (22°C).
Step 4: Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour about 5 tablespoons of the melted butter into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (Image 4).
Step 5: Tear off pieces of dough about 3-4 tablespoons in size. Dip each piece into the melted butter, letting the excess drip off, then coat it generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in the prepared pan until all the dough has been used (Image 5).
Step 6: Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it looks noticeably puffy and jiggly (Image 6), about 2-3 hours.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the dough and use your fingertips to gently press dimples across the surface (Image 7). Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the focaccia is golden brown and set.
Step 8: Let the focaccia cool completely. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled focaccia. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before serving (Image 8).
Hint: resist the urge to let the dough double during bulk fermentation. For this enriched sourdough dough, you're looking for about a 30 to 50% increase in volume, not a full doubling. Over-fermented dough can become sticky, difficult to handle, and won't hold its shape as well after being coated in butter and cinnamon sugar.
Baking Schedule
Same-Day Bake
- 8:00 AM: Mix the dough.
- 8:30 AM: Add the butter and rest the dough.
- 9:00-10:00 AM: Complete 2-3 stretch and folds every 30 minutes.
- 10:00 AM-3:00 PM: Bulk ferment.
- 3:00 PM: Coat the dough pieces and arrange them in the baking pan.
- 3:15-5:15 PM: Final proof.
- 5:15 PM: Preheat the oven.
- 5:30 PM: Bake.
- 5:55 PM: Cool.
- 6:20 PM: Glaze and serve.
Overnight Option
- Complete the bulk fermentation, then refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Or shape the focaccia, refrigerate it overnight, and allow it to proof at room temperature the next morning before baking.
💭Crucial Success Tips
Handle the dough gently when tearing it into pieces. Keeping the pieces light and airy helps the finished focaccia stay soft and pull apart easily.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Bread flour works well in this recipe. Because freshly milled flour absorbs more liquid, you may need to reduce the milk slightly or add a little extra flour if the dough feels too sticky, but otherwise a 1:1 ration works well!
Yes. You can refrigerate the dough after bulk fermentation or after shaping the pull-apart focaccia. Either method works well and can make it easier to fit the recipe into your schedule.
Yes. This is a great make-ahead recipe. Assemble the focaccia the night before, refrigerate it, then let it finish proofing at room temperature the next morning before baking and glazing.
How To Store Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Store any leftover focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To refresh it, warm individual pieces in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in a low oven until heated through.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled focaccia in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm before serving for the best texture.
Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes
If you tried these fresh-milled cinnamon roll pull-apart sourdough focaccia or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Fresh-Milled Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Sourdough Focaccia
Ingredients
For the Fresh-Milled Sourdough Brioche Dough
- 500 g freshly milled hard white wheat flour milled fine
- 290 g milk at cool room temperature (plus 5-20 g more if needed)
- 100 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 70 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 7 g fine sea salt
For the Cinnamon Coating
- 1 stick 113 g unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the freshly milled flour, milk, sourdough starter, egg, salt, and sugar. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes. If the dough feels very stiff after resting, add an additional 10-20 g of milk.
- Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time while mixing on low speed. Once all the butter has been incorporated, continue mixing for about 2 minutes on low-medium speed. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform 2-3 sets of stretch-and-folds, spacing them about 30 minutes apart. After the final fold, let the dough continue fermenting until it has increased by about 30-50% in volume, about 5-7 hours at 72°F (22°C).
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour about 5 tablespoons of the melted butter into a shallow bowl. In another bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Tear off pieces of dough about 3-4 tablespoons in size. Dip each piece into the melted butter, letting the excess drip off, then coat it generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in the prepared pan until all the dough has been used.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise until it looks noticeably puffy and jiggly, about 2-3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the dough and use your fingertips to gently press dimples across the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the focaccia is golden brown and set.
- Let the focaccia cool completely. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled focaccia. Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use finely milled flour. Milling the hard white wheat as finely as possible will give you the softest, fluffiest texture.
- Overnight after bulk fermentation. Once the dough has finished bulk fermenting, you can refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. When you're ready to continue, let it sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before shaping.
- Overnight after shaping. After arranging the coated dough pieces in the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let the dough proof at room temperature until puffy and jiggly, usually 2-4 hours, before baking.
- Don't skip the butter. Dipping each piece of dough in melted butter helps create soft, pull-apart layers while carrying the cinnamon sugar into every bite.
