Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread
Now I have to firmly believe that anything is as easy or tough as one wants to believe it as. Or rather its the lack of knowledge that leads one to see something as tough. You must be wondering why I am getting so philosophical. Just that while my dough for the bread was rising, I was looking back slightly (in time) and was realized how till a year back, I had never placed my hand inside an oven (no not for burning, but for baking), how I had never ever baked a cake in my life, how till few months back I didn't know that normal people can also make bread at home, how till few months back I didn't know how to manage a blog and how till a month back I didn't what ISO & aperture priority means and how till yesterday I didn't know how to change the focal points in my camera....Yes some may say ignorant of me. But I'm seeing the other side of the coin..of what desire to learn can make one discover. I am loving the journey of learning as much the as the joy of discovering. And your feedback and appreceation is making it even more special. Keep it coming!
And with all this philosophy you realize what mood I am. Can't help it, the above pictures are just making me feel good along with the fact that after garlic pull apart rolls, this was second success with baking a bread. By the way I still don't know hoe to decrease the smell of yeast (again ignorant me). I find it little over- powering, maybe I over knead the dough..all you brilliant bakers..help me with that.
Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
Recipe Source: Annies eats
Yield: one 9 x 5″ loaf
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
¼ cup granulated sugar
2¼ tsp. instant yeast
½ tsp. salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
¼ cup water
1 tsp. vanilla essence
2 large eggs
For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I used nutmeg powder, but fresh would be so much better)
Method:
- Put milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat just until the butter is melted. Set aside and let cool briefly. It should read 115-125˚ F on an instant-read thermometer.I didn't have it so I just did it lest for 5-7 mins.
- Meanwhile mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. I use a hand mixer, till it all mixes well.
- Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until a cohesive dough forms.
- Continue to knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. It should not be sticky. Knead about 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover.
- Cover with a lightly oiled plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. This helps in dough getting stuck to the top when it rises.
- After 45 mins, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt until browned. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate.
- Roll into a ball, cover with a clean towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll the dough out into an approximately 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the browned butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough in an even layer. (refer to Annie's blog for step-by-step pictures)
- Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Slice the dough vertically into 6 even strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and again cut again into 6 equal slices. Stack all the squares on top of each other and set into the prepared loaf pan.
- Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place, 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. (If the top seems to be browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil at the end of baking.)
- Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan 20-30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and carefully turn the loaf out, transferring to a serving plate. Serve warm.
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