Don't you love the smell of fresh cinnamon bread baking in your kitchen? It's one of those aromas that means something good is coming out of the oven, like this easy recipe for homemade Cinnamon Bread Pull Apart Bread.
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This homemade bread is fun to make and fun to eat. Everyone loves the soft, yeasty cinnamon-coated bread with a sweet icing drizzle. It's like eating a cinnamon roll, but you get these nice cinnamon coated slices instead.
This bread is similar to cinnamon monkey pull-parts but much faster and easier to make. I know you are wondering how in the world do you get all those slices of bread in the pan. It's easier than you think. You need to roll the dough cut it into strips, and stack it in a bread pan. So easy.
Another great thing about this bread is you don't have to wait for it to cool before slicing it; you can simply pull apart the sweet buttery pillows while warm. It's heavenly, and we have been known to devour a whole loaf in one sitting.
Reasons To Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: You don't need to be a baking whiz to whip up this cinnamon pull apart bread. The recipe is straightforward, and the ingredients are household staples.
- Versatile: This bread is perfect for any occasion. Whether you're serving it for breakfast on a lazy weekend morning, as a snack for a get-together, or as a sweet end to a meal, it's always a hit. And the best part (well, apart from eating it) is the smell in your kitchen when you are cooking it.
- Delicious: The blend of melted butter, fragrant cinnamon, and sweet icing creates a flavor that is hard to resist. Each slice is a deliciously soft, sweet, and cinnamony treat.
- Fun to Eat: One of the best parts about this bread is how you eat it. Each slice can be pulled apart, making it a fun and interactive food experience for both kids and adults.
We love Cinnamon
We all agree cinnamon is such a wonderful spice to add to all kinds of food; it's what makes these easy Cinnamon Crescent Rolls so tasty or these tender Cinnamon Madeleines. Don't forget to add a dash of cinnamon to savory dishes like this recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples.
Jump to:
Cinnamon Bread Pull Apart Ingredients
This bread recipe doesn't take any fancy ingredients, just the stuff that makes homemade bread so delicious.
- Whole Milk: This ingredient contributes to the richness of the cinnamon pull apart bread, giving it a moist and tender crumb.
- Yeast: The yeast is essential to the leavening process, making the bread rise and giving it the desired fluffy texture. I used regular active-dry yeast.
- Eggs: Eggs add structure and stability to the bread, while also providing a golden color to the crust.
- White Sugar: Sugar not only sweetens the bread but also aids in the browning of the crust and feeds the yeast, enhancing the rise of the dough.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cinnamon pull apart bread, flour forms the structure and texture of the bread.
- Salt: Just a pinch is needed to enhance all the flavors in the bread, balancing the sweetness and highlighting the cinnamon.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter imparts a rich, creamy flavor to the bread and contributes to its soft and moist texture.
- Cinnamon: The star of the show, cinnamon provides a warm, sweet-spiced flavor that makes this cinnamon pull apart bread irresistible.
- Powdered Sugar: Used in the glaze, powdered sugar gives a sweet, smooth finishing touch to our scrumptious bread.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds depth to the bread's flavor and beautifully complements the sweet and spicy notes of cinnamon. You can make your own vanilla extract or buy pure vanilla extract.
The three components
Dough - this is the best dough to work with; it's soft, rises beautifully and rolls out easily. Plus, it tastes amazing with the melted butter and egg for richness.
Filling - Melted butter covers the rolled-out bread dough and is topped with a cinnamon sugar mixture, so every slice of this bread is covered in amazing flavors.
Icing - a simple powdered sugar icing is drizzled over the top for that extra sweetness we all love.
How To Make Pull Apart Bread
Step 1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, pour it into the stand mixer bowl and add the yeast. Let the yeast dissolve and become foamy.
Step 2. Add the egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt to the bowl with the yeasted dough and beat with the dough hook until combined.
Step 3. Add half of the flour and mix on medium-low speed, then add the remaining flour and mix until combined. This will take about four minutes.
Step 4. The dough balls will be smooth, elastic and somewhat sticky.
Step 5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap and a clean towel for the first rise. The best way to get the dough to rise to is find a warm place to put the bowl and let it double in size for about one hour. The dough will be somewhat soft.
Step 6. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface until it forms a 20 x 12 rectangle.
Step 7. Brush the dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Step 8. Cut the dough into five 12" x 4" large rectangle strips and stack them on top of each other. You now have one long strip. Cut the strip into six stacks that are about 4" x 2" and have five layers of dough.
Step 9. Place the stacked dough pieces in a greased loaf pan to create one long loaf. Cover and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Step 10. Bake the bread at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes, and turn the bread out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
Step 11. Make the icing by mixing the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Set your bread on a serving platter, then drizzle the icing over the top of the bread. I bet your kitchen smells really good right now!
See those little pillows of fluffy bread covered in cinnamon sugar? Go ahead and start pulling them apart to enjoy your creation. This bread looks and tastes amazing.
Tips
- You don't have to make this cinnamon loaf from scratch; instead, use frozen bread dough.
- Many of you don't have a stand mixer, and since the bread is soft, you can make this with a heavy-duty hand mixer or by hand using a large mixing bowl and a good wooden spoon.
- If you find your bread is browning too quickly in the oven, you can tent it with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This will prevent the top from getting too dark while allowing the inside to fully bake.
- It's essential not to rush the rising times for the dough. Letting the dough rise properly is key to achieving a light, fluffy texture in your cinnamon pull apart bread.
- When rolling out your dough, aim to get it as even as possible. This will help your layers to cook evenly and pull apart easily.
- Be careful with the amount of flour you use when handling the dough. Too much flour can result in a denser, less fluffy bread.
- Use a pizza cutter for easily and cleanly cutting your dough into strips. It's much quicker and more efficient than using a knife.
- For the icing, ensure the mixture is thick enough to cling to the bread but thin enough to drizzle. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk.
Variations
- Spread the dough with apple butter instead of the melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- In the fall, spread the dough with pumpkin puree and sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and cloves.
- Try a savory bread if you aren't a fan of cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread by spreading garlic butter on the slices and sprinkling with parmesan cheese.
- For citrus lovers, add orange zest to the melted butter, then sprinkle with orange-scented sugar.
- Add extra cinnamon. I've had comments there wasn't enough cinnamon, so feel free to add more.
Pull Apart Bread FAQ's
No, this is a soft dough, and using the bread hook with the stand mixer will knead the dough. You do not have to turn this out and hand-knead it.
It can be, but don't ice it. Bake the bread and let it cool, then wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a plastic bag. When ready to eat, take the bread out of the wrappings and let it thaw. Once thawed, wrap it in foil again and place it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes to warm up. Add the frosting once it's cooled.
Bake These Bread Recipes
- Made with all the great warming spices, this Apple Cider Oatmeal Bread is easy to make and bakes up moist and deliciously spiced.
- This Nutmeg and Pecan Braided Bread recipe is flavored with a creamy nutmeg butter filling and swirls of toasted pecans.
- Bake this Iron-Skillet Cornbread that is full of cheese and veggies and is perfect with soups and salads.
Storage
To store leftover cinnamon pull apart bread, ensure the bread has cooled completely to room temperature. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. It can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. a
This bread can be frozen, but don't ice it. Bake the bread and let it cool, then wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a plastic bag. When ready to eat, take the bread out of the wrappings and let it thaw. Once thawed, wrap it in foil again and place it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes to warm up. Add the frosting once it's cooled.
Make ahead instructions
This bread has become a cherished tradition in our home, especially on Christmas morning and other special occasions.
It's particularly convenient for those busy days when there isn't enough time to complete the entire bread-making process in one go. Simply mix the dough, allow it to rise for an hour, gently punch it down, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day, roll out the dough, generously spread the irresistible cinnamon sugar filling, and proceed to bake this delectable treat.
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Recipe
Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
Ingredients
Making the dough ~
- ¾ cup Milk whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 egg beaten
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 cups AP flour
Making the mixture for topping the dough ~
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon you can add more cinnamon if you perfer
Glaze ~
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is hot but not scalding.
- Pour the milk into a stand mixing bowl and add the yeast. Stir until dissolved and let stand for 5 minutes until the mixture gets foamy.
- Add the egg, melted butter, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
- Add half of the flour and mix with a dough hook for 3 minutes to combine.
- Add in the remaining flour and mix until the flour is combined.
- Shape the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. This is a soft dough and it will not have a smooth finish on it.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for an hour or until doubled in size. You can refrigerate the dough overnight or up to 2 days in a covered bowl.
Making the stacks and strips
- Butter a 9"x5" bread pan.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 20"x12" rectangle.
- With a pastry brush, spread the melted butter over the top of the dough, then sprinkle with ½ cup of sugar and cinnamon.
- With a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough longwise into five 12"x4" strips. Stack the strips on top of each other.
- Cut the long strip into 4"x2" stacks.
- Place the stacks in the bread pan, cut side down, cover the pan with a towel, and let rise about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the bread for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn it out onto a serving plate. If the bread is stuck, run a knife around the sides to loosen it.
- Mix the glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle over the cooled bread.
- Store any leftover bread in an airtight container for up to three days.
Notes
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Nutrition
First published: February 21, 2017. Last updated: Feb. 1, 2024, with new images and better clarity.
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!
Hello there, I'm Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog!
Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Do you have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my About page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!
About Jere' Cassidy
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place. I am glad to be sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Stephanie
This looks amazing! I'm certainly going to try this Saturday morning! Sharing on my FB page for my readers to enjoy, too (and so I don't lose it!).
Wendie
I made this with my 5 year old granddaughter last weekend. I thought it was going to be difficult stacking the dough but it was pretty easy and we literally devoured this I need to make it again. Next time I'm making a second batch so I can freeze one.
Amber
Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorites and this pull-apart recipe was amazing! My kitchen smelled like heaven too. I really loved how easy all the layers were to make. I'm definitely keeping this recipe!
Sage Scott
We made this pull-apart bread using frozen bread dough to get our morning started faster. It was like a warm hug on a plate and paired perfectly with coffee for me and hot cocoa for my daughter.
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/
Not only delicious with the added icing, but this bread is so aesthetic too! I want to make it asap!
Jeanine
OMG I love Cinnamon anything and this looks so easy and delicious can't wait to make this...