Cinnamon Sugar Pull-apart Bread

This recipe has been all over cooking/baking blogs lately, tempting me at every click of the mouse. After reading the steps involved in making it, I decided that I would have to wake up earlier than I wanted to make it as a breakfast food. So, I made it mid-afternoon and it worked wonderfully as a snack, thanks to Joy the Baker.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons(I used 1 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour and the rest regular)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

Directions:

Whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs. Set aside.

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 125F.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and mix until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula until well combined.  Your dough will be sticky.

Grease a large bowl and place dough in it.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel(not terry cloth).  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size. This should take about one hour.

While the dough is rising, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.  Set that aside.  

If you are home, like I was, have your mom melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside.  

Also, have her grease  a 9×5×3-inch  loaf pan.  If you’re not home, like I was, you will have to do these steps yourself.

After one hour of resting, 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.  

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.  

Spread melted butter across all of the dough.  

Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  

It seems like an excessive amount of filling, but use it all.

Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  

Stack the strips on top of one another.

Slice the stack into six equal slices once again.

You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  

Stack the dough squares in the loaf pan.  

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.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat 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.

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.  Peel pieces off and enjoy. This can easily be reheated to eat the next day.