Yeast Apple Bread (Pull-Apart)

Make this easy yeast apple bread filled with brown sugar and lots of cinnamon. Soft, sweet-scented pull-apart bread perfect for a cozy autumn afternoon.

The best thing you can smell in a kitchen is the smell of baking bread, if you ask me. Regular bread is already amazing, but the smell of sweet yeast bread is better than anything else. It is warm and comforting, inviting, tempting.

And so is this yeast apple bread. So soft and tender yet quite crunchy on top, decently sweet, full of cinnamon flavor, soooo delicious!

I really have a soft spot for this kind of yeast bakes, this delicious apple pull-apart bread is one of my favorite ones. I try not to miss any occasion of baking yet another one of these fluffy cushions. If you like them too, have a look at this amazing Yeast Cake or this plum bread. You will love them both!

What you need?

Apples:

• You will need a crisp sort of apple, it is best for baking this pull-apart loaf. Try Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or Gala.
• Don’t use soft apples, they will kind of disintegrate in the bread, and you will not have the nice pieces anymore.

Walnuts:

• They add a very nice crunch, I would not want to miss them.

Yeast:

• I used active dry yeast.
• You can replace it with the same amount of active dry yeast or 15 g/ 0.5 oz fresh yeast.

Other ingredients: flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, lemon, brown sugar and cinnamon.

Tips

• Use a kitchen scale when baking, it is more reliable. (Amazon affiliate link)
• You can make the dough with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer with kneading attachments.
• You can use fresh yeast (about 15 g/ 0.5 oz) or instant dry yeast as well.
• Proof the fresh yeast like you would proof the active dry yeast.
• Instant dry yeast can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients.
• The milk should be lukewarm (body temperature), not too hot or it will destroy the yeast.
• Knead the dough until it doesn’t stick anymore. You can add 1-2 teaspoons extra flour, if necessary, but not too much, the dough should still be soft.

How to make a pull-apart bread?

• After the dough has risen, roll it to a rectangle about ½ cm/ 0.4 inch thick, as long as the loaf pan and 3 times as broad as the loaf pan.
• Spread the melted butter-brown sugar-cinnamon mixture generously over the rectangle. Save about ¼ of the mixture for finishing the loaf.
• Sprinkle about ¾ of the walnuts on top.
• Cut the rectangle into 3 long strips.
• Cut each of these strips into 4 squares, you should have 12 of them.
• Prop the loaf pan against the wall or another larger object, it should stand.
• Start to staple the dough squares in the pan (see the picture), placing a few apple cubes on each square except the very last one.
• Place the loaf pan on the working surface again, shake gently to help the squares spread evenly in the pan.
• Let the dough rise again and preheat the oven in the meantime.
• Sprinkle with the remaining butter-sugar-cinnamon mixture and walnuts, with some extra butter cubes and some more brown sugar and cinnamon for extra crunch and flavor.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until the bread is cooked through but still soft.
• If the top gets too dark too soon, place a piece of aluminum foil on top.

More sweet yeast breads

Romanian Sweet Bread – Cozonac Recipe

Moldavian Yeast Pastries

Pasca – Romanian Easter Bread

Beigli – Hungarian Nut Roll

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Yeast Apple Bread (Pull-Apart)

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Make this easy yeast apple bread filled with brown sugar and lots of cinnamon. Soft, sweet-scented pull-apart bread perfect for a cozy autumn afternoon.

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Ingredients

• Dough:
• 150 ml/ 5 fl.oz/ 2/3 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 ½ tablespoon active dry yeast (See note)
• 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
• 375 g/ 13.2 oz/ 3 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 50 g/ 1.7 oz/ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• a pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• Filling:
• 2 small apples
• juice of ½ lemon
• 75 g/ 2.6 oz/ 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 50 g/ 1.7 oz/ 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• Sprinkle:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Dough:

1. Lightly butter a loaf pan (about 23 cm/ 9 inch).
2. Heat the milk until lukewarm (body temperature). Mix with the yeast and let stand for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy. Melt the butter and let cool slightly until needed.
3. In the food processor mix the flour, sugar, and salt together. Add the melted butter, eggs, milk, and yeast mixture and knead with the kneading attachments until the dough is smooth and it doesn't stick anymore. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra flour if the dough is too sticky, but not too much, the dough should still be soft. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for about ½ to 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Filling:

1. Peel the apples, remove the core, and chop the apples into small cubes. Turn them into the lemon juice to avoid them browning. Melt the butter and mix it with the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Assemble:

1. Knead the dough very shortly and roll it to a rectangle on the lightly floured surface. The rectangle should be about ½ cm/ 0.4 inch thick, as long as the loaf pan and 3 times as broad as the loaf pan.
2. Spread about ¾ of this butter-sugar mixture on the rectangle and sprinkle about ¾ of the chopped walnuts on top.
3. Cut the rectangle into 3 long strips. Cut each of these strips into 4 squares, you should have 12 of them. Prop the loaf pan against the wall or another larger object, it should stand.
4. Start to staple the dough squares in the pan, placing a few apple cubes on each square except the very last one. Place the loaf pan on the working surface again, shake gently to help the squares spread evenly in the pan.
5. Cover the loaf pan with the kitchen towel again and let rise for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake:

1. Spread the rest of the butter-sugar-cinnamon mixture on top of the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped walnuts and top with the remaining cubed butter. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon and brown sugar.
2. Bake for about 30 minutes until the bread is cooked through but still soft. If the top of the bread gets too dark too soon, place a piece of aluminum foil on top. The bread tastes best when very fresh and still a bit warm.
   

Notes

You can use fresh yeast (about 15 g/ 0.5 oz) or instant dry yeast as well.
Proof the fresh yeast like you would proof the active dry yeast.
Instant dry yeast can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.