Raheem loves cinnamon. So when I came across this recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread from Joy the Baker, I knew he’d like it. When he saw it, he said he wanted it for breakfast on his birthday. We ended up celebrating the food portion of his birthday on Sunday, so Saturday night I prepped the bread, let it do its first rise and then popped it in the fridge until morning.. It was a bit messy, but it was definitely worth it!
This tastes like a cinnamon roll and French toast rolled into one. It pulls apart like monkey bread. It’s crispy on the edges and doughy in the middle. Mmmmmm….
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Makes: One 9×5x3-inch loaf
Recipe adapted from HungryGirlPorVida by Joy the Baker
For the dough:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter (that’s half a stick)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned (1/2 stick)
1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F. I just waited the minute and it was fine.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That’s just right. It is sticky, but if you’re a raw dough eater, it’s also yummy.
5. Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below. I used this method, because I was prepping the dough the night before. It worked just fine.
6. The next morning, I pulled out the dough, stuck it near the pre-heating oven and waited the 30-40 minutes. It got a little more rise into it. While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.
6. Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. I waited longer than five minutes, since the dough seemed a little tough. I think I let it sit for about 15 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. I thought it would never roll out and then I rolled it out larger than 12 by 20 inches. I don’t recommend this, as I think my pieces were a bit thin in the end.
7. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it. It IS a lot of sugar. But you lose some in the next few steps, so don’t worry.
Browned butter all over my dough:
Covered in cinnamon sugar:
8. Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You’ll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
See, stack like this (thanks to Ra who helped demonstrate):
The sugar lost in transit:
9. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea.
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