Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Focaccia Bread

Get Ready to Fall in Love with Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Focaccia

Forget everything you know about classic focaccia. While we all love that savory, olive oil-rich Italian bread, there’s a new star in town that’s a total game-changer: pumpkin cinnamon swirl focaccia. It’s the kind of treat that feels both decadent and comforting.

This isn’t just a bread with a little pumpkin added in. It starts with a dough enriched with pumpkin puree, which gives it a beautifully soft texture and a subtle, earthy flavor. But the real showstopper is the swirl. A generous layer of sweet, gooey cinnamon-sugar and melted butter gets folded right into the dough, creating stunning ribbons of spice that run through every single slice.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Focaccia

Created by Sue Mun

Makes one, 9×13 inch pan

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Focaccia Dough:

• 430 g water lukewarm

• 2 tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tsp honey

• 560 g all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp clove

• 160 g pumpkin puree

• 1 ½ teaspoon fine salt

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Sugar Filling/Topping:

• 5 tbsp melted unsalted butter

• 100g dark brown sugar

• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp clove

• Pinch of salt

Maple Spiced Glaze:

• 3/4 cup powder sugar

• 1tbsp milk or heavy cream

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract

Method:

1. Mix water and yeast and honey together and let it sit for 5 minutes.

2. Then mix the water/yeast mixture to the flour, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and salt together until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Cover and rest for 15 minutes

4. Wet your hands and stretch and fold. Rest again for 15 minutes.

5. Wet your hands and stretch and fold the second time. Then bulk rest for 1 and 1/2 hours.

6. While you are waiting for the dough to proof, make the pumpkin spice cinnamon sugar filling/topping. In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Mix in brown sugar, salt and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

7. Generously rub butter on your 9×13 baking pan. Gently place your dough into the prepared pan.

8. Shape the dough: gently spread HALF of the spiced sugar/butter mixture on top of the dough (make sure the mixture it is loose and melted). Pull both sides of the dough towards the center like an envelope. Flip the dough onto the prepared baking pan so the seam is on the bottom.

9. Proof the dough: Cover and proof for 1 1/2 hours.

10. After the dough has been proofed and it rose almost to the top of your pan, gently top with the remaining melted spiced sugar/butter mixture. Dimple the dough using your fingers.

11. Bake at 430F for 20-25minutes or until golden brown.

12. Once slightly cooled, turn your baked bread out of the pan and onto a rack or your cutting board. Drizzle with your maple spiced glaze. This focaccia is best served day of. Enjoy!

Notes:

• If refrigerating the dough overnight, let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. Dough will rise to double in size. Remove from refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the container, slightly warming up. Continue with the shaping of the dough in Step 8.