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My husband tore the first piece off my apple pull-apart bread before it was even out of the pan, and then he stood there with his fingers burning and told me it was worth it. It is the kind of loaf you used to see only behind the glass at the bakery: soft, sweet yeast dough in thin layers, every one brushed with butter and cinnamon sugar and scattered with little pieces of fresh apple, all stacked on their sides in a loaf pan like the pages of a book, baked deep gold and covered in a vanilla glaze that runs down into every gap. Nobody slices it. You just pull.
It looks hard and it is not. The only real trouble with pull-apart bread is the middle. The outside layers bake fast and brown, and the center of the loaf can stay pale and doughy, especially with juicy apples in it. Three things fix that: apples chopped small and patted dry, stacks set loosely in the pan so heat can get between them, and a long enough bake under a sheet of foil, checked with a thermometer. Here is how to stack the layers so the middle of the loaf bakes all the way through.
Why this apple pull-apart bread works
- A soft enriched dough. Milk, butter, an egg and a little sugar make a tender dough that pulls apart in soft layers instead of tearing like plain bread.
- Apples chopped small and dried. Little pieces bake soft in the same time as the dough, and drying them keeps their juice from soaking the layers.
- Butter under the cinnamon sugar. The melted butter glues the sugar to the dough and keeps each layer separate so the loaf pulls apart cleanly.
- Loose stacks. Standing the stacks in the pan with a little room between them lets the heat reach the center.
- Foil and a thermometer. A loose tent of foil stops the top from burning while the middle finishes, and 190 degrees inside means it is done.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf, about 10 servings. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (345g), plus more for rolling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope, 7g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk (80ml)
- 1/4 cup water (60ml)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (55g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the apple filling
- 2 medium firm apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (55g)
For the vanilla glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Use firm, tart apples that hold their shape in the oven. Soft apples turn to sauce and make the layers soggy. Instant yeast goes straight in with the flour; if you only have active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk and water first and let it foam for 5 minutes.
How to make apple pull-apart bread
- Warm the milk, water and 4 tablespoons of butter together in a small pan or in the microwave until the butter has just melted and the mixture feels warm, not hot, on your wrist (about 110 degrees, 43°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups (250g) of the flour with the sugar, yeast and salt. Pour in the warm milk mixture, the egg and the vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Add the rest of the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead it on a lightly floured counter for 5 to 6 minutes, until smooth and springy. It should feel soft and a little tacky, not sticky.
- Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover it and leave it somewhere warm for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and chop them small, into pieces about the size of a pea or a little larger. Toss them with the lemon juice, spread them on a clean towel and pat them dry. Then toss them with the tablespoon of flour.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Butter a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment.
- Punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured counter into a rectangle about 12 by 20 inches. Brush it all over with the melted butter, right to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over it, then scatter the apples on top and press them in lightly.
- Cut the dough across into 5 strips, each about 4 by 12 inches. Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack into 6 equal pieces.
- Stand the stacked pieces in the loaf pan on their sides, cut edges facing up, like the pages of a book. Do not pack them tight. It is fine if they lean and if some apples fall into the gaps.
- Cover the pan loosely and leave it to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with the rack in the lower middle.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then lay a loose sheet of foil over the top and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a thermometer pushed into the center of the loaf reads 190 degrees (88°C). If you have no thermometer, pull the middle layers apart slightly with a knife: they should look baked and fluffy, not wet.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a plate. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla into a thick glaze and pour it over the warm loaf so it runs down between the layers.
Tips that make the difference
- Use a metal loaf pan. Glass and ceramic heat slowly and leave the middle of a tall loaf underbaked.
- Keep the apple pieces small and dry. This is the single biggest reason the middle stays doughy.
- Do not skip the foil. The sugar on the top layers browns fast and will burn before the center is done.
- A thermometer takes the guessing away. 190 degrees in the very middle is the number.
Variations
- Caramel glaze. Pour warm caramel sauce over the loaf instead of the vanilla glaze.
- Pecan. Scatter 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (55g) over the apples before you cut the strips.
- Pear. Use two firm pears, chopped small and dried the same way.
- Overnight. After stacking, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight. In the morning let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the loaf covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Warm pieces for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave to soften them again.
Freeze the unglazed loaf, well wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, warm in a low oven, then glaze.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the middle of my pull-apart bread doughy?
The apples were too wet, the stacks were packed too tightly, or the loaf came out too soon. Dry the apples, leave room between the stacks, tent with foil and bake until the center reads 190 degrees.
Can I use store-bought dough?
Yes. A pound of thawed frozen bread dough or pizza dough works, though it is less sweet and less tender.
Which apples are best?
Firm, tart apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Pink Lady. They hold their shape and balance the sweet glaze.
Can I bake it in a different pan?
A 9 inch round cake pan works with the stacks arranged in a circle. Start checking after 35 minutes.
Set it on the table warm, glaze still running, and see how long it takes before somebody pulls the first piece.
Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (Bakery Layers, Vanilla Glaze)
Apple cinnamon pull-apart bread: soft sweet yeast dough layered with butter, cinnamon sugar and finely diced fresh apples, stacked on its side in a loaf pan, baked golden all the way through and finished with a thick vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (345g), plus more for rolling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium firm apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm the milk, water and 4 tablespoons of butter together in a small pan or in the microwave until the butter has just melted and the mixture feels warm, not hot, on your wrist (about 110 degrees, 43°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups (250g) of the flour with the sugar, yeast and salt. Pour in the warm milk mixture, the egg and the vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Add the rest of the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms. Knead it on a lightly floured counter for 5 to 6 minutes, until smooth and springy. It should feel soft and a little tacky, not sticky.
- Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover it and leave it somewhere warm for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and chop them small, into pieces about the size of a pea or a little larger. Toss them with the lemon juice, spread them on a clean towel and pat them dry. Then toss them with the tablespoon of flour.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Butter a 9x5 inch metal loaf pan and line the bottom and long sides with a strip of parchment.
- Punch the dough down and roll it out on a floured counter into a rectangle about 12 by 20 inches. Brush it all over with the melted butter, right to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over it, then scatter the apples on top and press them in lightly.
- Cut the dough across into 5 strips, each about 4 by 12 inches. Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack into 6 equal pieces.
- Stand the stacked pieces in the loaf pan on their sides, cut edges facing up, like the pages of a book. Do not pack them tight. It is fine if they lean and if some apples fall into the gaps.
- Cover the pan loosely and leave it to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) with the rack in the lower middle.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then lay a loose sheet of foil over the top and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a thermometer pushed into the center of the loaf reads 190 degrees (88°C). If you have no thermometer, pull the middle layers apart slightly with a knife: they should look baked and fluffy, not wet.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out by the parchment onto a plate. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla into a thick glaze and pour it over the warm loaf so it runs down between the layers.
