Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread Recipe

This tradition continued until I was around 14 years old, when he was diagnosed with ALS. The disease took away all of his independence. No more weekend drives, no more stopping by to see family and friends. It was so heartbreaking. Grandpa passed away before I ever thought of asking him where his favorite bakery was that made that special bread.

I decided to recreate the bread to the best of my memory. A delicious light, pull-apart bread with diced apples, a buttery cinnamon filling, chopped walnuts, and drizzled with glaze. This bread has quickly become a family favorite, and I am so happy to be able to share it with my children!

Why I Like This Recipe

• Tried and true bread dough. I turned to my basic white bread dough for a base. It is my "foolproof" recipe that turns out amazing every time. I knew it would work great for this apple nut bread, too.
• Pulls apart into slices. This bread is made from layers of dough, apples, nuts, and a cinnamon glaze that easily pulls apart into individual slices. It is absolute perfection.
• Makes 2 loaves. This recipe makes two delicious loaves of bread. One for you, and one to share with a friend in honor of Grandpa Bob.

What Others Are Saying

I love to make a full batch of the dough but cut the filling in half and do one apple loaf and one savory loaf. Cheese and garlic butter for example.---Ghoul

I have seen this kind of bread and wondered how it was made... I didn't realize it could be so easy!---Joy

Tips and Tricks

1. Bread-making tip: if you don't have a stand mixer. Stand mixers make mixing and kneading a breeze, but not everyone has one. I like mixing my dough by hand using my Danish dough whisk. If you're a die-hard wooden spoon fan, I challenge you to try a dough whisk. Works like a dream to mix the dough, and then you can knead it by hand.
2. Letting the dough rise: The dough will rise faster in a warm spot. I preheat my oven for 1 minute, then shut the heat off. It makes the oven just warm enough for the dough to rise.
3. Proofing the yeast: I like proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar. Place a plate on top of the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes. If you use instant yeast, you do not need to do this, but I typically do it out of habit, regardless of what type of yeast I use.

Ingredients

• Warm water: The perfect water temperature for making bread is between 105 and 115 degrees.
• Sugar: I use ¼ cup of sugar, but you can reduce that down to a couple of tablespoons if you'd like.
• Active dry yeast 2 packets: Can also use instant yeast. My favorite is Fleischmann's Instant Dry Yeast.
• Salt: For flavor.
• Vegetable oil: For texture.
• Bread flour or all purpose flour: I prefer using all white flour, but you can use a combination of white and what if you'd like.
• Butter: Butter is used in both the filling and the glaze.
• Brown sugar: I use brown sugar instead of white sugar in the filling for a more pronounced caramel flavor and texture.
• Cinnamon
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the filling slightly.
• Apples: Use any variety you'd like. I like baking with Granny Smith apples, or a combination of Granny Smith and a sweeter apple for the perfect balance of flavor and texture. Granny Smith apples bake up beautifully and have a tart, yet sweet, flavor.
• Nuts: Pecans or walnuts are delicious additions to this bread, but you can omit them if needed.
• Powdered sugar and milk: These combine with butter to create a simple glaze to drizzle over the finished bread.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Step 1: Dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until it looks like a creamy foam on top of the water (about 5 minutes).

Step 2: Mix oil into the yeast mixture. Mix salt and flour (1 cup at a time) into the wet ingredients. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Step 3: Scrape sides of the bowl, then dump dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.

Step 4: Place in an oiled bowl, and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a damp towel. Raise for 1 hour.

Step 5: While dough rises, make your filling. In a saucepan, heat butter and sugar and cinnamon over medium heat until melted. Add vanilla extract and cornstarch and stir until mixture begins to simmer. Add apples and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in walnuts. Set aside.

Step 6: Gently punch down the dough and divide it into two sections. Roll one section out into a 12x15" rectangle.

Step 7: Spread half of the filling on your dough. Using a pizza cutter, slice your dough into 15 squares. 4 slices along the 15" side and 2 slices down the 12" side.

Step 8: Grease 2 bread pans with shortening. With a spatula, stack your squares 3 or 4 at a time and begin filing them into the pan on their sides. This will get messy and that is ok. Just scoop them up and get them in the pan.

Step 9: Repeat with the other section of dough in the other bread pan. Let the loaves rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Step 10: Bake in a preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Lightly cover pans with foil (tent them)  and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until tops are light brown and firm.

Cool (in the pans) on a cooling rack for 25 minutes before removing bread from the pan.

Step 11: Mix the glaze ingredients, adding 1 tsp. of milk. at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle bread with glaze.

Enjoy one loaf of this delicious apple cinnamon pull apart bread and feel free to give the other one to a friend to keep the tradition going!

Apple Pull Apart Bread FAQs

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