This Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia is so bubbly, soft, and light, with gooey ribbons of cinnamon sugar and a salted maple glaze. Not only is it crazy delicious, it’s also surprisingly easy to make.
This is everything you want a sweet focaccia to be. It has all the best gooey, icing-covered parts of a cinnamon roll, with the light and springy chew of focaccia bread. A little salty, a little sweet, with tons of pumpkin spice flavor and real maple syrup, it’s packed with fall vibes.
To make it feel even more like a cinnamon roll, I rolled the bubbly pumpkin dough up with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar, creating beautiful layers of cinnamon filling throughout the bread. It’s great for a sweet breakfast or brunch, but indulgent enough to eat as dessert.
Below, you’ll find step-by-step photos and key tips for making this cinnamon-laced pumpkin focaccia with a soft, sticky center and plenty of salted maple icing.
🌟 This recipe is a spin-off of my Raspberry Brie Focaccia, which uses the same stuffed-and-rolled technique that inspired me to try it with cinnamon sugar and pumpkin spice. The two breads are completely different, but the method is the same.
Recipe highlights
- Soft & bubbly: Light, airy focaccia with a springy, chewy texture
- Cinnamon roll vibes: Thick layers of cinnamon sugar ribboned throughout
- Warm cozy fall flavors: Pumpkin purée + spices baked into the dough
- Salted maple icing: Sweet maple glaze with just enough salt to balance it out
- Surprisingly easy: Just a fun twist-and-roll on classic no-knead focaccia
Recipe overview
⏱️ Prep: ~25 mins active time • Rest/Proof: ~3 hrs • Cook: 20-25 mins
🍴 Yield: 13×9 inch loaf
💪 Skill level: Beginner
😋 Flavor notes: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pumpkin, maple syrup. Sweet and a lil’ salty. Pairs well with: Espresso, chai, pumpkin spice latte, whipped cream.
👉 If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like my Sourdough Pumpkin Bread, Braided Cinnamon Bread, or Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough.
How to make pumpkin cinnamon roll focaccia
Find the full ingredients list and detailed recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe:
- Mix: Whisk together water, pumpkin puree, melted butter, spices, and salt. Add bread flour and yeast to form a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 1st stretch-and-fold: Perform a round of stretch & folds to build tension and structure in your dough. Cover it back up and rest another 30 minutes.
- 2nd stretch-and-fold: Do a second round of stretch & folds, then rest an additional 30 minutes. At this point, the dough will be hydrated, poofy, and bubbly.
- Shape: Gently dump dough into a generously oiled 13×9 inch pan, stretching and pressing the dough lightly to fit the pan.
- Create the cinnamon swirl: Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar, then roll up into a loose log, pinching the seams together. Place seam-side-down and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes, then gently re-stretch it to fit the pan.
- Proof: Cover and allow dough to rise for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Dimple: Drizzle with more oil. Use your fingers to dimple the dough all over.
- Bake: Place bread in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and baked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- Glaze: While the bread is baking, whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. When the bread comes out of the oven, let it cool for 20-30 minutes, then cover it in glaze.
👉 You can use either canned or homemade pumpkin purée for this recipe
Pro tips for perfect pumpkin focaccia
Weigh your flour. The best way to get those big beautiful focaccia bubbles is by making a high-hydration dough. If you have a kitchen scale, it’s best to weigh your flour to ensure you don’t add too much. If you don’t have a scale, use the fluff-and-scoop method to measure your flour.
Dimple the dough gently. Be careful not to tear the dough when dimpling.
Glaze while slightly warm. Once the focaccia is baked, let it cool for about 20-30 minutes before pouring the maple glaze on top. You want it to be slightly warm, but not blazing hot.
Serving & storing
This pumpkin cinnamon roll focaccia is best when it’s warm and fresh on the first day, but the cinnamon sugar layers get even softer and more gooey by day two. Store at room temperature, loosely wrapped or in an airtight container, and enjoy within 3–4 days.
To re-warm your focaccia: Place slices in a saute pan and cook for a minute or two, until warm and softened. Or, warm it in a 350° F oven or toaster oven. I like to wrap slices in foil before putting them in the oven for a softer texture.
More focaccia recipes to try: Raspberry Brie Focaccia, Sourdough Caprese Focaccia, Tomato Focaccia, or any of these delicious bread recipes!
Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Equipment
- 13×9 inch pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin focaccia
- 1 ½ cups (360 grams) warm water, about 100-115° F
- ¾ cup (150 grams) canned or homemade pumpkin purée
- 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon each nutmeg and ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) salt
- 4 cups (480 grams) bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams/1 package) instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for pan
Cinnamon sugar filling
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Salted maple glaze
- 2 ounces (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Mix dough: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups water, ¾ cup pumpkin puree, 1 oz melted butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cloves, and 1 Tbsp salt. Add 480 grams bread flour and 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast, stirring to form a shaggy dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 1st stretch-and-fold: Perform a round of stretch & folds. Using damp hands, pull dough from one side and give it a long stretch, then fold it back to the middle. Turn bowl a quarter turn, stretch again, and fold back to the middle. Repeat 4 times. Cover it back up and rest another 30 minutes.
- 2nd stretch-and-fold: Do a second round of stretch & folds, then rest an additional 30 minutes. At this point, the dough will be hydrated, poofy, and bubbly.
- Shape: Gently dump dough into a generously oiled 13×9 inch pan, stretching and pressing the dough lightly to fill the pan.
- Create the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, whisk together ¾ sugar and 2 ½ tsp cinnamon until thoroughly combined.Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough, going almost all the way to the edges. Starting with one of the shorter sides, roll dough up into a loose log, pinching the seams together. Place seam-side-down in the pan and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes, then gently re-stretch the dough to fit the pan.
- Proof: Cover and allow dough to rise for 1-2 hours, or until very bubbly and puffy. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Dimple: Drizzle top of dough with a little more olive oil. Use your fingers to dimple the dough all over, pushing all the way through the dough to the pan while being careful not to tear the dough.
- Bake: Place bread in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and baked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- Glaze: While the bread is baking, whisk together 2 oz melted butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp maple syrup, ¼ tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp salt. When the bread comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 30 minutes, then cover it in glaze. Cut bread into thick squares and enjoy while still warm.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
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