I know, I know... I've been pretty slack lately I haven't blogged a recipe for a very long time. So, lend me and ear and here my excuses; I started a new uni degree this year which has been pretty hectic and assessments have gotten the best of me. But... excuses no longer, I'm going to try my best to post as often as I can, because I enjoy it!
So today i've been home, sick. Yesterday I woke up with no voice...just like that- it just rudely disappeared with no warning. In between the coughing and tv watching I needed a sweet snack to lighten the mood. And what's sweeter than sugar- literally nothing! I randomly came across this recipe and even just looking at the recipe made me feel better. Personally, I would call cinnamon a comfort food. It makes me feel warm, loved and happy. This recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread jumped out to me because frankly, i've never seen or eaten 'pull-apart' bread before, and it looked ever so scrumptious! It's pretty much a first for me, i've never really worked with dough before.
I'm not going to lie, it took quite some time it put together but it was actually pretty fun and relatively easy! It takes patience and time, perfect for a day at home in-between movie watching.
So here's what you need:
For the dough:
-2 x 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-2 x 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces unsalted butter (30 grams)
- 1/3 cup whole milk
-1/4 cup water
-2 large eggs, at room temperature
-1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned (30 grams)
How to do it:
1. In a large mixing bowl mix together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
2. Whisk the 2 eggs together in another bowl and set that aside too.
3. 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.
4. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are mixed into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring! Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky...perfect!
5. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. While the dough rises mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. And lastely, grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan and leave that for later as well.
7. 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. If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It seems like a heck-of-alot of sugar, but hey, its called a sugar-pull apart bread, so don't stindge on the sugar!
8. Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. 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. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. 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.
9. While your dough is rising for the last time...thank goodness because you won't want to wait any longer for this yumminess, pre-heat your oven to 180degrees Celsius (350F). 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.
10. 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. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea... yum to the max!! Make sure you eat it while its warm!!
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