In this easy cinnamon pull-apart bread, fluffy dough is spiced with cinnamon and softened with butter, milk, and eggs. Then a generous filling of brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter adds cozy sweetness to each bite!
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The Gooey Cinnamon Loaf That Disappears in 5 Seconds Flat
During the holidays every year, my dad makes his famous monkey bread in a Bundt pan. I savor each gooey + sticky bite, and I wanted to make my own version of his beloved holiday brunch bread in a loaf pan. So I created this recipe for an easy weekend baking project that my whole family says is irresistible.
Each slice packs all the flavor of a cinnamon roll, but with half the effort. Plus it's so fun to pull apart while it's warm from the oven! And once it cools, it slices easily for a delicious sweet snack. Or if you're craving a savory version, try my cheesy pull apart bread.
Let's Bake Bread Together!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Gather the ingredients.
3. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Cover it in a bowl.
7. Roll out the dough evenly.
9. Mix the cinnamon & sugars.
11. Cut the dough into 12 squares.
13. Arrange in a loaf pan & proof.
15. Mix the glaze.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients.
4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
6. Let the dough rise.
8. Brush with melted butter.
10. Sprinkle onto the dough.
12. Fold each square in half.
14. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
16. Drizzle & enjoy!
Carissa's Baking Tip
The gooey filling tends to spill over the loaf pan a bit when I bake this loaf, so I place a metal baking sheet on the rack below, to catch any spills and prevent a hot mess.
Tips for the Perfect Tear-and-Share Bread
- Presentation: If you want your slices looking really neat and uniform, make sure the corners and edges of your rolled-out dough are straight before cutting it into squares. But I personally love the rustic look when slices are a little uneven in the pan though.
- Baking: I always tent a large piece of aluminum foil over my loaf halfway through baking, so it doesn't get too dark on top before the inside finishes baking.
- Glaze: I kept the optional glaze simple to quickly elevate the look of this bread. But sometimes I add orange zest for a little citrus kick!
- Filling: Initially I tested this recipe just with brown sugar in the filling, but it added way too much moisture. A little granulated sugar and just a couple tablespoons of melted butter ensures the filling is gooey but doesn't impede the bread's bake time.
Gooey Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
BREAD
- ⅔ cup milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons salt (use either table salt or fine sea salt)
FILLING
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or cloves (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Warm the milk: In a microwave-safe bowl, warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute, until it's between 98°F to 105°F.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk with the sugar, instant yeast, eggs, and softened butter.
- Add the Dry Ingredients: Sprinkle the flour, cinnamon, and salt over the top of the wet ingredients. Mix everything with a large wooden spoon until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Knead the Dough: On a clean work surface, knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. (Or knead the dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment for about 3 minutes.)
- Let the Dough Rise: Place the dough ball back in the mixing bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, after about 1 hour.
- Make the Filling: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, optional nutmeg or cloves, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Roll out the Dough: Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and set aside. On a clean work surface, roll out the dough until it's a rectangle that measures 12 inches by 16 inches.
- Add the Filling: Brush 2 tablespoons of melted butter evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly on top.
- Shape the Loaf: Cut the dough into 12 even squares (4 inches by 4 inches) (3 squares by 4 squares). Fold each square of dough in half and place it in the prepared loaf pan so the folded side is facing down in the pan, and the open side showing the filling is facing up. To get all the dough pieces to fit, gently press the ones in the loaf pan towards the side to make room for the rest.
- Proof the Dough: Cover the loaf pan with a kitchen towel. Set aside to proof for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until the loaf has puffed up. The dough is done proofing when an indent made by your finger springs back to its original shape after 2-3 seconds.
- Bake the Bread: Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a metal baking sheet on a lower oven rack to catch any overflowing filling. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of at least 180°F. Add a large piece of aluminum foil folded in half over the bread after 20 minutes, to prevent the top from getting too brown. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes, then remove it from the loaf pan and allow it to cool for another 20 minutes.
- Add the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, salt, and one tablespoon of milk. If it's too thick to drizzle, add another teaspoon of milk at a time. Drizzle the glaze on top of the loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides.
Notes
- Glaze: Make sure you sift your powdered sugar so the glaze is smooth, not lumpy.
- Yeast: Instant yeast is different from active dry yeast, since it doesn't need to be activated prior to mixing it in with the other ingredients. I always recommend making sure your yeast isn't expired before using it!
- Spices: I like using cinnamon + nutmeg in my filling, but you can swap in pumpkin pie spice in the fall - so cozy!
- Rising: I recommend letting your bread rise and proof in a warm, draft-free spot - I usually leave it in the oven (turned off) with the oven light on.
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