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sweet cinnamon sugar focaccia
Lauren Eliza Eats

Sweet Cinnamon Sugar Focaccia

This Sweet Cinnamon Sugar Focaccia is a twist on classic focaccia, featuring a crisp golden crust, a soft and airy interior, and a crackly brown sugar cinnamon topping. Finished with an optional vanilla glaze, it's perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon coffee break.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Proof Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Focaccia Ingredients
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups warm water (105-110℉)
  • 2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Extra virgin olive oil for coating
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp melted butter
  • 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Vanilla Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

Prepare the focaccia dough
  1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
  4. With lightly oiled hands, scoop under and gently pull a corner of the dough up and over the dough. This is called a stretch a fold.
    Do not pull where the dough rips, but lightly stretching it as much as it can go.
  5. Do stretch and folds around the entire dough, cover, and let sit in a warm area for 30 minutes. Repeat stretch and folds 3 times total, letting sit for 30 minutes.
  6. The dough should become smooth, elastic, and noticeably airy.
  7. Generously coat a metal pan or a cast iron skillet with the olive oil.
  8. Transfer the dough into the pan, turning once so both sides are coated.
  9. Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes until puffy.
Make the cinnamon sugar topping
  1. In a bowl, mix together the cinnamon sugar topping ingredients expect the melted butter.
  2. Once ingredients are mixed, drizzle over the melted butter.
  3. Toss with a fork until small crumbles form. You want a texture similar to coarse, sandy streusel rather than large clumps.
Baking the focaccia
  1. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
  2. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the dough. Use your fingertips to press deep dimples all over the surface.
  3. Sprinkle the cinnamon crunch evenly over the dough, gently pressing some of it into the dimples while leaving plenty on top to create a crisp finish.
  4. Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Check the center of the focaccia dough if cooked through before removing from the oven.
  5. If the topping begins browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil during the final 8–10 minutes.
Prepare vanilla glaze
  1. While focaccia cools, prepare the vanilla glaze.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
  3. Transfer focaccia to a wire rack to keep the bottom crisp. Once slightly cooled, drizzle lightly with the vanilla glaze. Serve warm.