I made these Smoked Ancho Chili Cheddar Focaccia Rolls yesterday and they’re dangerously good!

I had some time yesterday and wanted to play around with my quick focaccia dough. Instead of a regular flatbread, I decided to roll it up with a smoky ancho chili glaze and cheddar cheese, kind of like savory cinnamon rolls. Holy cow best experiment I’ve done in a while. They came out fluffy, chewy, with that perfect focaccia texture on the inside and golden crust on the outside. The glaze gives a deep smoky, slightly spicy flavor that pairs amazingly with the sharp cheddar.

These are perfect as a side for soup, chili, or just on their own (I ate two straight out of the oven). The coffee in the glaze adds this rich, subtle background note that’s surprisingly addictive.

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Ingredients

• Quick Focaccia Dough:

• 200g plain (all-purpose) flour

• 270 g bread flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 24 g instant yeast

• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for spraying pan and rolls

• 270 ml hand-hot water

• Smoked Ancho Chili Glaze:

• 6–8 smoked dried ancho chilis (stems removed)

• ½ Tbsp sweet paprika

• ½ Tbsp smoked paprika

• Dash of cumin

• ½ Tbsp ground coriander

• ½ Tbsp chipotle powder (optional, for extra heat)

• Sugar to taste

• ~1 cup hot freshly brewed coffee

• Shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you want)

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Directions

• Make the glaze first:
• Remove stems from the smoked anchos and place them in a heat-safe bowl. Add the paprikas, cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, and sugar. Pour 1 cup of hot coffee over everything, stir well, and let it steep for at least 30 minutes. Then blend with an immersion blender until it reaches a thick, gravy-like consistency.
• Make the dough:
• Mix the flours, salt, sugar, and instant yeast in a large bowl.
• Add the olive oil and hand-hot water. Mix until it comes together into a sticky dough.
• Cover and let it rise in the bowl until doubled (about 30–45 minutes).
• Assemble the rolls:
• Divide the dough into equal pieces (about racquetball size or a bit larger, depending how big you want the rolls).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a rectangle. Spread a layer of the ancho chili glaze over it, leaving a small border. Sprinkle generously with shredded cheddar.
• Roll it up tightly from the long side into a log, pinch the ends, then coil the log into a round disc shape.
• Place the rolls on a well-oiled sheet pan, leaving space between them. Lightly spray or brush the tops with olive oil. Let them rise until nearly doubled.
• Bake:
• Brush the tops gently with more glaze.
• Place the pan in a cold oven, then set it to 400°F. The rolls will rise as the oven heats up.
• Bake for 20–25 minutes until well risen and golden brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and give them a quick spritz of olive oil. Let cool slightly in the pan before serving.

• The dough is super forgiving and fast perfect when you want fresh bread without a long wait.
• The smoked ancho glaze is the star. The coffee really rounds out the flavor without tasting like coffee. I added a bit more sugar this time to balance the smokiness.
• Don’t be afraid of a heavy hand with the cheddar it melts beautifully inside the rolls.
• I made 8 medium-sized rolls. Next time I might make them a little smaller for party appetizers.
• They reheat surprisingly well in the oven or air fryer the next day.

These turned out way better than I expected. The swirl of smoky spicy glaze and gooey cheese in soft focaccia dough is a killer combo. I’m already thinking about variations maybe garlic herb or jalapeño next time.