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Banana Bread Sourdough Focaccia with Cinnamon Swirls and Vanilla Drizzle. This unique hybrid combines the best of both worlds. The complex flavors of overnight sourdough fermentation with the comforting taste of banana bread. Mixed in the evening and left to develop overnight, the dough gets folded with a cinnamon sugar mixture in the morning before a final proof. The result is an incredibly tender, pillowy bread with beautiful swirls throughout and a sweet vanilla glaze. Perfect for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon treat.

Timing Overview

• Evening: Mix dough, overnight fermentation (8-12 hours)
• Morning: Envelope fold, flip, proof (2-4 hours)
• Afternoon: Dimple, bake, and drizzle

Jump to Recipe

Why This Banana Bread Focaccia Recipe Works

Traditional banana bread gets a serious upgrade with sourdough fermentation. The long overnight fermentation develops complex flavors while the mashed bananas create an incredibly moist, tender crumb. Unlike regular banana bread baked in a loaf pan, this focaccia version uses a simple envelope fold technique to create beautiful cinnamon swirls throughout the dough.

The result is a pillowy, airy bread that tastes like your favorite banana bread but with the signature holes and texture of Italian focaccia. The sourdough tang balances the sweetness perfectly, making this recipe ideal for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon treat.

What Makes This Sourdough Focaccia Different

Most sourdough focaccia recipes are savory, loaded with olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt. This sweet version takes a completely different approach by incorporating classic banana bread ingredients into a high hydration focaccia dough. The mashed bananas not only add flavor but also contribute to the dough’s moisture content, creating an exceptionally tender texture.

The cinnamon sugar mixture gets folded directly into the dough after the overnight fermentation, creating gorgeous swirls that run through every slice. A simple vanilla drizzle finishes the focaccia, adding that classic glazed donut sweetness that makes this recipe truly special.

Key Ingredients for Banana Bread Focaccia

This recipe starts with a basic sourdough focaccia base and transforms it with banana bread flavors. You will need VERY ripe bananas or frozen bananas that have been thawed. Frozen bananas actually work incredibly well in this recipe because they release more moisture and have concentrated banana flavor.

The dough uses bread flour for structure, active sourdough starter for fermentation and flavor, and avocado oil instead of traditional olive oil to keep the flavor profile neutral. Brown sugar adds sweetness and moisture while warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg bring that classic banana bread warmth.

For the cinnamon swirl, you will create a simple paste with brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter that gets spread on the dough before folding. This technique ensures every bite has ribbons of cinnamon throughout.

The Overnight Fermentation Process

This banana bread focaccia uses an overnight bulk fermentation method that fits perfectly into a busy schedule. You mix the dough in the evening, perform one stretch and fold after the first hour to build structure, then let it ferment for 8 to 12 hours while you sleep.

In the morning, the dough gets transferred to an oiled pan where you spread the cinnamon mixture, perform a simple envelope fold to create swirls, then flip it seam side down. After a second proof of 3 to 4 hours, the focaccia is ready to dimple, top with banana slices, and bake.

The long fermentation is what makes sourdough so special. It develops complex flavors, makes the bread more digestible, and creates that characteristic tangy taste that perfectly balances the sweetness of the bananas and cinnamon.

Tips for Success with High Hydration Dough

This recipe produces a high hydration dough, which means it will be quite wet and sticky. The mashed bananas add significant moisture beyond the water in the recipe, so the dough will feel looser than traditional bread dough. This is completely normal and creates the open, airy crumb that makes focaccia so special.

The key to handling wet dough is keeping your hands wet during stretch and folds and being gentle with the dough. The early stretch and fold after one hour helps build gluten structure, making the dough easier to work with in the morning despite its high hydration.

If you find your dough is too wet and not holding together at all during the first stretch and fold, you can add 50 to 75 grams more bread flour to achieve a more manageable consistency. The dough should still be quite sticky but should hold some structure when folded.

Customizing Your Banana Bread Focaccia

While this recipe is delicious as written, there are plenty of ways to customize it to your taste. You can reduce the sugar in the dough if you prefer a less sweet breakfast bread. The vanilla drizzle is optional but highly recommended for that classic glazed finish.

For toppings, sliced bananas work beautifully and caramelize slightly during baking. You could also add chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pecans before the final proof for extra texture and flavor. Some bakers like to sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar for extra crunch.

The cinnamon swirl can be adjusted based on your spice preferences. If you love cinnamon, feel free to increase the amount in the filling. You could even add a pinch of cardamom or ginger for additional warmth and complexity.

Timing and Make Ahead Options

The beauty of this recipe is how well it fits into your schedule. The overnight fermentation means most of the work happens while you sleep. In the morning, the envelope fold and transfer to the pan takes about 15 to 20 minutes, then the dough proofs for another 3 to 4 hours while you go about your day.

If you need to speed up the morning proof, you can place the pan in the oven with just the oven light on. This creates a warm environment that accelerates fermentation, reducing the proof time to about 1.5 to 2 hours. Just remember to remove the pan before preheating your oven.

For those with early morning schedules, you can do the bulk fermentation overnight, then refrigerate the dough after the envelope fold. In the morning, let it come to room temperature and finish proofing before baking. This gives you more flexibility with timing while still achieving excellent results.

Storing and Serving Suggestions

This banana bread sourdough focaccia is best enjoyed fresh on the day it is baked, but it stores well for 2 to 3 days at room temperature when covered. The banana keeps the crumb moist, so it does not dry out as quickly as regular focaccia.

You can rewarm slices in a 300 degree oven for about 5 minutes to refresh the texture and bring back that just baked quality. The focaccia also freezes beautifully. Slice it before freezing so you can toast individual pieces for quick breakfasts throughout the week.

Serve this focaccia for brunch alongside fresh fruit and coffee, or enjoy it as an afternoon snack. The combination of sourdough tang, banana sweetness, cinnamon warmth, and vanilla glaze makes it incredibly versatile. It works equally well as a special weekend breakfast or a unique potluck contribution that will have everyone asking for the recipe.

Ingredients

For the Dough (Evening)

• 550g bread flour
• 275g water, room temperature
• 100g active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 2 large frozen and thawed bananas, mashed (200g) Perfect time to clean out the freezer
• 12g fine sea salt My favorite salt
• 40g brown sugar
• 30g avocado oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For Cinnamon Swirl

• 5 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 TBSP ground cinnamon
• 2 TBSP melted butter

For Topping & Finishing

• 2-3 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 banana, sliced thin(optional)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Flaky sea salt

For Vanilla Drizzle

• 60g powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Optional cream cheese variation: Replace 1 tbsp milk with 2 tbsp softened cream cheese for tang

Instructions

Evening (Day 1)

1. In a large bowl, mash bananas until mostly smooth with some small chunks remaining.
2. Add water, sourdough starter, avocado oil, vanilla, brown sugar, and mashed bananas. Whisk until well combined.
3. Add bread flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will be quite wet and shaggy.
4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or damp towel.
5. First Stretch and Fold: After 1 hour, perform a stretch and fold. With wet hands, grab one side of the dough and stretch it up, then fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 3-4 times total. Cover again.
6. Bulk Fermentation: Let ferment for the remaining 7-11 hours (overnight) at room temperature.

Morning (Day 2)

1. Prepare Pan: Generously oil a 9×13 inch pan or large rimmed baking sheet with avocado oil. My favorite Pan
2. Prepare Cinnamon Swirl: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter into a paste. Set aside.
3. Transfer Dough: The dough should be bubbly and increased in size. With wet hands, gently transfer the dough to the center of the oiled pan.
4. Cinnamon Swirl: Gently stretch the dough out in the pan to make room for the cinnamon mixture. Evenly spread the cinnamon-sugar paste over the surface of the stretched dough.
5. Envelope Fold in Pan: Fold the top edge of the dough down about 2/3 of the way toward the bottom. Cover with the rest of the cinnamon sugar swirl mixture. Then fold the bottom edge up and over the top fold, just like sealing an envelope. See picture below
6. Flip: Flip the folded dough seam-side down in the pan.
7. Second Proof: Cover and let proof for 2-4 hours at room temperature until puffy and jiggly.

Baking

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) during the last 30 minutes of proofing.
2. Dimple: Drizzle dough with avocado oil. Use your fingertips to create deep dimples all over the surface.
3. Top: Arrange banana slices over the surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and flaky salt.
4. Bake: 25-30 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C). My favorite instant thermometer
5. Cool: Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Vanilla Drizzle

1. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Adjust consistency with more milk if needed.
2. Drizzle over cooled focaccia just before serving.

Tips

• The dough will be wetter than traditional focaccia due to the bananas
• For extra banana flavor, add 1 tsp banana extract with the vanilla
• Store covered at room temperature for 2-3 days

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