Eat: Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and some of you might still be in need of a good breakfast in bed (or at a nicely set table) idea. This is the one. That is, if you didn't like my breakfast bouquet idea.

But this, my friends, is a delicious choice for a breakfast or brunch table. And your mother would be so impressed that you tackled a yeast dough item just for her.

You don't have to be afraid of making things with yeast. Here are a few tricks I use when I make a yeast dough:

Yummy yeasty goodness just before baking

1. I use instant yeast (otherwise known as Rapid Rise yeast or Bread Machine yeast). Instant yeast does not require any proofing, so you don't have to worry about potentially killing your yeast with the warm water.
2. I don't worry if the dough is sticky during the first kneading. Most of the time, after it has had rest and time to rise, the stickiness takes care of itself. Of course, I use my mixer, so I'm not so keenly aware of just how sticky it is. I do know how frustrating it can be to have dough all over your fingers.
3. If I plan my time poorly, I let the dough rise as long as I need for the first rising (the one before you shape it). The dough can get as big as it wants now because it's not going to be my final product. I haven't had any trouble with even an overnight rising when it was supposed to be only an hour or two. I also have stuck it in the fridge for a cold rising (which is slow and perfect for overnight, too).
4. To make the second rising go faster, I preheat my oven to 200 degrees F, let it sit at that temperature for 5-10 minutes and then turn the oven off. I use this warm oven to proof my dough the second time. It's almost always done in 45 minutes or less. But you have to be careful with this not to forget it's in there because it will over-rise.

And now on to this delicious loaf. 

I pinned this recipe a while back because I just had to try it. And I am so glad that I did. This is basically the flavors of a cinnamon roll or monkey bread but presented in a different way. The eating of it is exactly as the name suggests. Once the bread is turned out of the pan and righted, you can just pull off a few slices of this yummy, gooey bread. And since there is only two outside edges, most of the loaf is like the inner swirl of the cinnamon roll: ooey, gooey, and delicious.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Loaf

slightly adapted from Zoom Yummy

{printable recipe}

For the dough:

2 3/4 cups (385 g) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) instant dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup water

For the filling:

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (280 grams) flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and set aside.

3. And melt the butter with milk in the microwave.

4. Add the water and vanilla extract to the milk-butter mixture and stir a little.

5. Now pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. Add the remaining 3/4 cup (105 grams) of flour and mix for about 2 minutes. Then, using the dough hook, knead and form a nice ball.

6. Grease a clean bowl a little and place the dough ball inside. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Or you can do as I did and put in the fridge overnight for a slow rise.)

7. Deflate the risen dough and knead about 1 tablespoon of flour into the dough.

 After rising in the fridge

8. Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

9. Roll it out until it’s about 12 inches tall (30 cm) and about 20 inches (50 cm) wide.

10. Melt the butter for the filling (in the microwave oven or in a saucepan).

11. Mix with the sugar with cinnamon. (The original recipe says to spread the melted butter on the dough and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. I just realized while making this post that I didn't even follow the directions. So do as you please, it turns out yummy either way.)

12. Use a spoon or your fingers to spread the mixture evenly across the dough.

13. Slice the dough into six equal-sized strips.

14. 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.

15. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch (22x12x8) loaf pan.

16. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow to rest in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes. (Or you can do as I did and put this in the fridge again for a few hours and then when you are ready to bake place it in a warm oven for about 15 minutes in a warm oven. I didn't watch the time, and I over-rose a little here when I put it in the warm oven.)

After rising in the fridge for several hours (I probably could have and should have baked it right then)

After rising in the warm oven

17. Then bake in the preheated oven at 350 °F (175 °C) for about 30 minutes or until the tops are very golden brown. (I would place a cookie sheet underneath the pan because I had a few slices jump ship during the baking process.) 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. Also, if you use a heavy, black loaf pan, reduce the oven temperature slightly. 

18. Remove from the oven and 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.

What special food item are you making for your mom?

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