Recipes

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

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Tony Maples Photography

 

With a rich buttered rum glaze, this pull-apart bread won’t last long! Food and lifestyle website sunnysideupsd.com posted this favorite fall recipe, which was adapted from a Willow Bird Baking recipe. The recipe has since become a favorite on social media and holiday websites. This recipe is perfect for family get-togethers, or as a sweet treat on fall mornings.

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread

pumpkin

Photo: sunnysideupsd.com

INGREDIENTS:

Bread

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Buttered Rum Glaze

  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/8 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp rum

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add warm* milk, return to stove and heat through.
  2. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm temperature, add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).
  3. Then add the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
  4. Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
  5. While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well. Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
  6. When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle. Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
  7. In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes (mine took 37 exactly) or until top is a very deep golden brown.
  8. To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.

*warm milk on stovetop or microwave before adding, to prevent clumping.