Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread

cinnamon pull apart bread loaf with a piece missing to show the interior

5 from 1 vote

You are going to love this soft, warm, and easy to pull apart to enjoy Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread! Makes 2 whole loaves of bread, and is so fluffy and irresistible. This will become a family favorite!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Rising Time2 30

Total Time3 35

Course: bread, Breakfast

Servings: servings

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

Dough:

1 cup (240 ml) milk lukewarm (about 105-110°F) lukewarm (about 120-130°F)
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast *see note
⅓ cup (100 g) granulated sugar divided
6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter melted
2 large eggs room temperature
4-5 cups (480 - 600 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 ½ teaspoons salt

Filling:

4 tablespoons (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter melted
1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Proof yeast. In your stand mixer, or large bowl, stir together the warmed milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the yeast mixture becomes foamy and bubbly. 1 cup (240 ml) milk lukewarm (about 105-110°F) 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
Make dough. In a bowl of your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add in the melted butter and eggs, and stir to combine. Then add in the rest of the sugar, flour, and salt. Stir to combine until a shaggy dough comes together. 2 large eggs 6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter ⅓ cup (100 g) granulated sugar 4-5 cups (480 - 600 g) all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Knead the dough. Fit the mixer with a dough hook attachment, and knead at medium speed for 6-8 minutes. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour a little at a time if needed. If you are kneading the dough by hand, then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes by hand. Dough will be sticky at first, and get less sticky as you knead, so I add extra flour a tablespoon at a time if needed. The dough should still be slightly sticky to the touch but feel smooth and elastic. Do not use more than 5 cups of flour and not over knead or your dough will become dense and chewy!
Let the dough rise. Lightly grease a large bowl, and place dough into the bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl and allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If you're using active dry yeast, the rise time will take longer.
Prepare Pan. Grease, or butter two 8x4” loaf pan. Line the pans with parchment paper.
Shape dough. Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into two balls. Roll out one ball to roughly 9 inches by 13 inches. Add about half of the melted butter to the top of the dough to cover it, do the same with the cinnamon & sugar mixture. Then cut the rolled out dough in half to have two 4.5 by 13 inch pieces, then cut into quarters the opposite way to have 8 pieces that are 4.5 inches by about 3 inches, stack each rolled out slice into a pile and cut the pile in half again, add to one parchment lined loaf pan. Repeat steps 7 & 8 with the second ball of dough. 4 tablespoons (½ stick, 57 g) unsalted butter 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Bake the breads. Let the dough rise for 1 hour in the loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 350℉ and add any extra butter or cinnamon sugar mixture to the top of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes and let cool.
Make the glaze. While the bread is cooling, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle the glaze on top of the bread and enjoy! 1 cup (113 g) powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled cinnamon pull apart bread at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 2 to 3 days. If your kitchen runs warm or humid, refrigerate it to keep it fresh longer. You can reheat slices in the microwave for about 10 seconds to bring back that just-baked softness. Freezing is also an option—wrap individual slices or a whole loaf tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, unwrapped at room temperature quickly.
Make ahead: After the first rise, you can refrigerate the dough overnight. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and continuing with the recipe. You can also shape the dough and then cover and refrigerate and let rise overnight. Let rise on your counter for 1-2 hours and bake the next morning.
Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast. If you are using active dry yeast then only heat the milk to 110oF. The rising times will also be longer.
Pans: I used a smaller loaf pan (8x4) but you can also use a 9x5 loaf pan, just reduce the baking time slightly. If you are baking in a glass pan the baking may take an additional 5 minutes as opposed to baking in a metal pan.

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