Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

5 from 4 votes

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia

This Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is the best of both worlds. It is fluffy, soft focaccia swirled with gooey cinnamon sugar inside and on top, plus a thick cream cheese drizzle that takes it to the next level. It's an easy, same-day bake with a simple swirl fold, and just the right sweetness.

Prep Time20

Cook Time26

Rise Time3

Total Time3 46

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Joy Kincaid

Equipment

Ingredients

Dough:

250 grams sourdough discard, room temperature (1 cup)
240 grams warm water (1 cup)
5 grams instant yeast (*see note for active dry yeast) (1 1/2 tsp)
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1-2 tablespoons neutral oil or olive oil plus more for greasing
480 grams all-purpose flour (4 cups)
8 grams kosher salt (1 1/2 tsp)
2 tablespoons butter for greasing pan
1 tablespoon oil for pan + 1 tbsp for brushing dough

Cinnamon Swirl:

115 grams unsalted butter, softened (melt slightly if needed) (1/2 cup, or 1 stick)
150 grams packed brown sugar (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Drizzle:

120 grams cream cheese, softened (4 oz)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
120 grams powdered sugar (1 cup)
3-4 tablespoons milk or cream more if needed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, warm water, yeast, and honey until mostly combined. Stir in the oil. Add the flour and salt and mix until a sticky dough forms. *Note for active dry yeast if using: Dissolve it in the warm water with the honey for 5–10 minutes until foamy before adding the discard and flour.
Wet your hands slightly or use a dough scraper to help knead the dough in the bowl for 2–3 minutes, just until it’s mostly smooth and starting to build some gluten. This quick kneading step helps the dough come together. Note: no other kneading or stretch-and-folds are needed after this.Tip: Kneading in the bowl keeps things tidy and avoids flour mess, but you can turn it out onto a lightly oiled counter if you prefer.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1–2 hours.
Make the cinnamon swirl mixture: In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a spreadable paste. If it’s too stiff, microwave for 5–10 seconds or heat in a small pan on the stovetop to loosen it up.
Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with nonstick spray, place the parchment, then butter the parchment and sides of the pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil and spread it around. (Using parchment paper is optional if you’re using a good non-stick pan, but I highly recommend using parchment paper!)
Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and gently stretch it to fill most of the pan. Spread about half of the cinnamon mixture over the top, keeping it away from the very edges to prevent sticking.
Starting at the top of the pan, fold the dough down over itself, then fold the bottom up over the first fold, like folding a letter — do not flip it over. Rotate the folded dough in the pan so it lines up as a neat rectangle again. Pinch the fold slightly to help seal the cinnamon swirl, then gently stretch the dough back out toward the edges. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil on top and spread it with your fingers (see photos in the blog post if you need a visual for these steps).
Spread the remaining cinnamon mixture evenly over the top, again avoiding the very edges. Use your fingers to gently dimple and swirl the filling in. Cover and let the dough rise again until puffy, about 30–45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 22–26 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190–200°F. Check at the 15-minute mark; if the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the remainder of the bake.
Let the focaccia rest in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack. Placing a sheet pan or parchment under the rack can help catch any drips.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add milk or cream a little at a time until you have a thick but pourable drizzle consistency.
Drizzle the cream cheese frosting generously over the warm focaccia. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Storage and Reheating:

Sourdough discard cinnamon roll focaccia is always best the day it’s baked. The texture is fluffiest, the swirl is gooey, and the drizzle is soft and dreamy. That said, leftovers can still be delicious with a quick warm-up. Once fully cooled, store slices tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.

To bring back that just-baked softness, microwave individual slices for about 10–15 seconds or heat in the oven. The cinnamon swirl will melt slightly, and the cream cheese drizzle will soften right back up.

How to Freeze:

You can also freeze focaccia slices for longer storage. Freeze slices wrapped well for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm gently before serving.

Tips:

- Using parchment plus butter, oil, and nonstick spray helps this sticky swirl bread release cleanly.

- Try to keep the swirl filling away from the edges to avoid caramelized sugar sticking. This is where parchment paper shines, just in case you get close to the edges.

- Melt the swirl butter slightly for easy spreading. I don’t recommend melting the butter when doing the swirl within the dough. When doing the cinnamon sugar on the top part, I do recommend popping the cinnamon-butter mixture in the microwave for a few seconds (or heating gently on the stovetop without melting completely). It helps to spread on the top part of the dough without being too rough on it.

- Fold the dough like a letter, rotate, stretch, but don’t flip it over. Flipping it over can just increase the chance of it leaking on the bottom. I find that you can just leave the crease on the top and it all bakes together perfectly fine. Just try to give it a little pinch to make sure it stays together.

- If you’d like a simpler topping, make a basic vanilla glaze instead: whisk 1 cup powdered sugar with 1–2 tbsp milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
- To substitute active dry yeast for the instant yeast, just proof it in the warm water with honey for 5–10 minutes until foamy before mixing in the discard and flour.
- Omit the yeast, if you prefer. If you'd rather not use commercial yeast in your sourdough discard cinnamon roll focaccia, let the dough rise 6–8 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge) until doubled.

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