Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia
Apr 04, 2025
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You know I’m obsessed with my no-knead focaccia—it's fluffy, golden, and never lets me down. But guess what? It just got a sweet makeover. Say hello to my Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia! All the goodness of buttery cinnamon swirls, baked into that iconic pillowy focaccia dough, then drizzled with a dreamy glaze. It’s giving dessert, it’s giving brunch, it’s giving make this now.
Love focaccia? Why don't you check out my green olive focaccia or pizza focaccia!
If there’s one dough I always come back to, it’s my no-knead focaccia. It’s easy, fluffy, and endlessly versatile—whether I’m keeping it classic with garlic confit and rosemary or getting creative with toppings. But today, we’re going sweet with a fun twist: Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia.
Think soft, pillowy focaccia swirled with buttery cinnamon sugar, baked until golden and bubbling, then finished with a glossy glaze that melts into every crevice. It’s like a giant cinnamon scroll meets your favourite rustic focaccia—and yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds.
Perfect for brunch, dessert, or an afternoon treat, this recipe is all about big flavour with minimal effort. No kneading, no stress—just sweet, cinnamon-spiced magic.
This recipe is sponsored by our friends at Westgold Butter.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No knead, no fuss – The dough practically makes itself, so you get all the wow with none of the work.
- Cinnamon scroll vibes – But make it rustic, golden, and perfectly chewy thanks to that iconic focaccia texture.
- Sweet, soft, and glazed to perfection – Every bite is buttery, spiced, and melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
Before we dive in, here’s everything you’ll need to bring this sweet focaccia to life.
- Brown sugar – Adds a rich, caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with the warm cinnamon.
- Butter – Melted and swirled through the dough for that classic scroll flavour and gooey texture.
- Icing sugar – Whipped into a simple glaze that melts into every golden crevice for the perfect sweet finish.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
how To Make Cinnamon scroll focaccia
Here’s how to turn your no-knead dough into the ultimate sweet treat, swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with a glossy glaze.
- Step 1: Begin by stirring lukewarm water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready (image 1).
- Step 2: Whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture (image 2).
- Step 3: Mix together the dry and wet ingredients with a spoon or your hands (image 3).
- Step 4: Continue to mix until you form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes. This dough has a very high hydration so it's important the dough is left to rest for 10 minutes prior to the first stretch and fold (image 4).
- Step 5: Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times or until a ball begins to form, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes (image 5).
- Step 6: Continue this stretching and folding process until the dough shapes into a ball (image 6).
- Step 7: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside (image 7 & 8) and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 12 to 72 hours; this is the first proof.
- Step 10: Make the brown butter. Line a baking tin with baking paper and drizzle over ⅓ of the brown butter. Transfer the dough to it. (image 9). Gently stretch the dough, but not to the tin's edges—it will spread as it rises (image 10).
- Step 11: Spread two thirds of the filling over the dough and then fold the edges of the dough over the filling or until the filling is enclosed by the dough. Flip the dough over. Protect it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm spot. (image 11)
- Step 12: After the rise, dimple the dough with your fingers. Drizzle over the remaining filling. (image 12)
- Step 13: Bake for 30 minutes at 200°C (390°F) (image 13).
- Step 14: Make the glaze and drizzle all over (image 14).
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! This recipe uses a no-knead focaccia dough that’s super easy and still gives you a light, fluffy texture with minimal effort.
Absolutely—this dough is perfect for prepping ahead. Let it rise for a minimum of 12 hours and maximum of 72 hours in the fridge to develop even more flavour and make your bake day easier.
Yes! Slice and freeze it in portions. Reheat in the oven or microwave when ready to enjoy—it stays soft and delicious.
Yes, you can make focaccia without bread flour! All-purpose flour works really well and still gives you a soft, fluffy texture with a crisp, golden crust. Bread flour will give a slightly chewier bite, but all-purpose is a great substitute and perfect for this no-knead recipe.
Serve
This Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia makes the perfect finish to a cosy meal. Serve it warm after a hearty main like roast chicken, slow-cooked lamb, or a comforting pasta bake—it brings just the right touch of sweetness without being too heavy. For a dinner party, slice it up and serve family-style with coffee or dessert wine for a fun twist on the classic scroll. Want to go all out? Add a scoop of vanilla gelato or a dollop of whipped mascarpone to take it to the next level.
Store
If you have any leftovers (which is rare!), store your sweet focaccia in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days—it stays soft and delicious. For longer storage, pop it in the fridge for up to 5 days, then reheat gently in the microwave, toaster or oven to bring back that warm, fluffy texture. You can also freeze individual slices for up to a month. Just defrost and toast before serving, and it’ll taste like it just came out of the oven!
more sweets to enjoy
Have questions or want to leave a review about this Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia? Please do so below the recipe card! I always love answering your questions and hearing your feedback.
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Cinnamon Scroll Sweet Focaccia
Ingredients
Filling
- 10 tablespoon Westgold butter, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 4 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon milk, full cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Focaccia dough
- 700 g bread flour
- 680 g lukewarm water, (100°F / 34°C) - 98% hydration
- 7 g dry yeast
- 12 g fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoon brown butter
Instructions
Filling
- Brown Butter: Place the butter into a pan on a medium heat. Stir the butter the entire time. Once the butter is melted, it will begin to sizzle and foam. Continue to stir for 5 – 8 minutes or until the butter turns golden brown and begins to smell nutty. You will see the milk solids have become toasty brown and are sitting at the bottom of the pan. Allow the brown butter to slightly cool.
- Filling: Transfer two thirds of the brown butter to a bowl. Combine with the brown sugar, vanilla pasta and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
Glaze
- Mix: Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix with a hand-held mixer or by hand until well combined. The consistency should be quite runny.
Focaccia dough
- Activate yeast: Stir water, yeast, and honey in a medium bowl with a whisk. Wait for about 5 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy, signalling that the yeast is ready.
- Dry ingredients: In a different large bowl, whisk flour and salt. Then, pour in the yeast mixture, stirring with a spoon or your hands to form a wet, sticky dough without dry spots. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp cloth for 10 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Afterward, with damp hands, stretch a piece of the dough and fold it across itself. Turn the bowl and repeat this action three more times, covering the dough again for another 10 minutes. This is the stretch and fold method and it will strengthen your dough. On the final stretch and fold, continue until the dough shapes into a ball.
- 1st proof: Coat a new bowl with 20g of olive oil, place the dough inside, and cover it tightly with plastic. Let it rest in the fridge between 12 to 72 hours; this is the first proof. We only need half of the dough for this recipe so slice the dough in half and use the second half for a different recipe.
- 2nd proof: Line a baking tin with baking paper and drizzle one third of the brown butter into it. Move the dough there, gently stretching it to a rough rectangle, but not to the tin's edges—it will spread as it rises. Spread two thirds of the filling over the dough and then fold the edges of the dough over the filling or until the filling is enclosed by the dough. Flip the dough over. Protect it with a damp cloth and let it rise for 2 hours in a warm spot.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Bake: After the rise, dimple the dough with your fingers. Drizzle over the remaining filling. It will have set in this time so pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up. Bake for 30 minutes until golden on top.
- Rest & glaze: Allow the focaccia to cool slightly before transferring it to a wire rack to rest for 30 minutes. Drizzle the glaze all over. Slice up and enjoy.
Notes
- Dough: The dough needs time to rise so make this first!
- Yeast: I like to use dry yeast that needs to be activated in water however, you can use instant yeast if you prefer. There is no need to activate instant yeast so simply add it to the dry ingredients along with the water and honey.
- Flour: If you don't have bread flour, all purpose flour will also work.
- Butter: You don't need to brown your butter but it does bring such a lovely flavour to this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Yum! I love your focaccia dough so I can't wait to try the sweet version. Looks delicious.