The Avid Bakers Challenge this month is the Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread from Brown-Eyed Baker’s website. I knew I was going to love this one – first of all it’s a yeast bread (yay) and has every component of a cinnamon roll. That you can pull off pieces of the bread with your fingers is another plus!
Oh, and don’t forget the gooey carmely apple stuff that sinks to the bottom. The soft, pillowy yeast bread, chewy top, little chunks of apple and caramel cinnamon gooey stuff comes together and makes an amazing bread.
The photos don’t do the bread justice. It was really hard to stop eating it, especially when you can peel off a little piece at a time. Pretty soon you’ve eaten five or six of those little pieces. They’re kind of like sticky buns, but are pull-apart.
I followed Brown-Eyed Baker’s instructions to manipulate the dough almost exactly and the it came out just like she said it would. A little sticky, but it rose beautifully. The dough did rest longer than specified so it would be easier to roll out and wouldn’t spring back.
I’ll definitely make this Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread again…and again. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite breads!
Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
Amazing soft, pillowy yeast bread with a gooey apple cinnamon sauce on bottom. Really a great bread!
Ingredients
- For The Dough
- 2 3/4 C plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 oz (about 4 tbsp) butter, diced small
- 1/3 C 2% milk
- 1/4 C water
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Filling
- 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 1/4 C brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and small diced
- 2 oz (about 4 tbsp) butter, melted
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt. Set aside
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and set aside.
- Place the milk and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-40 seconds. Stir to make sure all of the butter is melted, then stir in the water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand until it registers 115 to 125° (a little past lukewarm to the touch).
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden or silicone spoon until combined. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. It will be sloggy, but keep stirring until completely combined - 2-3 minutes. Add 3/4 of the remaining flour and stir until fully incorporated, about 2 more minutes. The mixture will be slightly sticky.
- Spray a medium-large metal bowl (or grease with butter). Loosely roll the dough into a ball shape and put into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and let rise for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes, until the dough is almost doubled in size.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and dash of salt. Stir in the diced apple. Set aside.
- Spray a 9x5" loaf pan.
- Assemble the Bread: Deflate the risen dough and knead the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough (about 2 minutes). Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
- Lightly flour your counter or work surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush the melted butter evenly across the dough to the edges. Spread the apple/cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly all over the dough to the edges, including any thick juice that may have accumulated.
- Slice the dough (pizza cutter is the easiest) into six equally-sized strips vertically and horizontally for a total of 36 squares/rectangles. It won't hurt if they're not perfect, just get close.
- Create six stacks of six layers each. Place each stack into the prepared loaf pan with the cut edges up, arranging them however you want. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place for 35-45 minutes, until almost doubled in size.
- Bake the Bread: Preheat the oven to 350°. Place a sheet pan on the lowest rack of the oven to catch any drippings which may overflow. Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is very golden brown, turning the pan once after 20 minutes. An instant thermometer should read 195-200° so the insides will be done. If the top starts browning too much, tent aluminum foil over the top while it completes baking.
- Remove from the oven and rest for 25-30 minutes on a rack. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and turn it out onto a cutting board or serving plate. Serve warm or room temperature.
- Wrap leftover bread in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
Tips and Stuff:
The original recipe used unsalted butter and whole milk. I didn't.
The original recipe also used all granulated sugar in the filling, but I thought the brown sugar made the gooey stuff better.
If the dough springs back too much while you're trying to roll it out, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rest on the counter for 5 to 10 more minutes. It will roll out more easily.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 237Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 246mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 3g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
