Got a huge stash of apples this fall? Never fear – make this cinnamon apple pull-apart bread. It’s a fun and interactive breakfast treat!
My family and I continue our tradition of going apple picking in the fall. In fact, we still have a large stash of apples in the refrigerator. Apparently, my brother and his family also went apple picking with their children not too long ago.
Because I like sweeter apples, I typically make a beeline for the Fuji apples. That’s the only kind of apple I pick each year. My sister-in-law, however, likes the tarter apples since she likes those varieties in her baked goods. She gifted some of their apple loot to my dad, who didn’t quite appreciate the tartness as much.
Since my dad was off to Taiwan (again), he gave me the apples from my sister-in-law. I decided to show them off in this pull-apart bread. I opted to leave off the glaze since the bread was sweet enough from the filling, but you should absolutely drizzle it on top of your bread. Also, I foolishly did a bad job covering up my bread (I didn’t have a container big enough to store it in!) so my bread hardened some overnight.
Regardless, the flavors were amazing, and the inside pieces of the bread were soft. I caught my husband sneaking a piece and spreading some maple butter on top. I might have to steal that idea the next time I have a slice!
Happy Fall!
Husband’s rating: 3 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 3.5 out of 5
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cinnamon apple pull-apart bread
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 and ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup milk warmed
- ¼ cup water lukewarm
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Filling
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, and diced (I used 2 large apples - I believe it was a Granny Smith and a Fuji apple)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Glaze (optional; I did not use)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-5 teaspoons water
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the butter, milk, water and vanilla. Mix well. Then add the eggs. Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow the dough to continue mixing until you achieve a smooth, pliable dough. If the dough appears to be dry, add a little bit of water. If it appears too wet, add a little bit of flour. Your final dough should be smooth (not sticky) and soft.
- Transfer the dough to a well-greased bowl. Cover and allow it to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Make the filling
- While the dough is rising, make the filling. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the apples, melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside until ready to use.
Shape the dough
- Once the dough has risen, generously flour a flat working surface. Roll out the dough so it forms a roughly 12" x 20" rectangle. Generously grease a standard 9"x5" loaf pan and set that aside.
- Place the filling on top of the rolled out dough and leave about ½" perimeter without any apples. Cut the dough into 6 even strips and stack them on top of each other.
- Cut the stack into an additional 6 equal pieces.
- Take one stack and place it into your prepared baking pan so the dough pieces are standing upright. Repeat with the remaining stacks - do not be afraid to squeeze the dough in there tight. If any filling has fallen out while you were stacking and cutting, you can add it onto the top of the dough now.
- Cover the pan and allow it to rise one more time, about 30-60 minutes. Your dough should be poofy and almost doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Bake your bread in your preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then cover with aluminum foil so that your bread doesn't darken too much on the top and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool while you make the glaze.
Make the glaze
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the powdered sugar and water together so that the mixture is pourable. Drizzle it over your cooled bread. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.