First Entry: Cinnamon Sugar Pull-apart Bread

Hello friends!

I've had a lot of time on my hands for the past few weeks. After three and a half blissful years working at my environmental consulting job, I finally bit the bullet and left corporate America. I'm working my way through the final two classes required for my Masters in Education at DePaul University here in Chicago, and I'm pumped to start my new life.

So. Why the blog? Well, after working 40+ hours/week and attending classes 6 hours/week, I now have a paltry 7 hours of classes/week. Period. That leaves a lot of free time for homework, observing teachers' classrooms... but more realistically, watching horrible TV (I just weaned myself off of The Secret Life of the American Teenager), cleaning the condo, and, you guessed it, cooking. Hopefully a blog will encourage me to keep track of the delicious things I've cooked and baked and any modifications I may have made to the recipe.

Another reason why I've turned to cooking and happily embraced the 1950s ideal of a housewife is the fact that my honey has been completely supportive of my awkward transition from corporate drone to future middle school teacher. I try to cook things that he and I will both like, and the recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread on Joy the Baker's blog fit the bill perfectly! You'll find my version of the recipe (which includes the same ingredients but slightly lazier instructions) below!



Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Makes: One 9×5x3-inch loaf

Dough:

2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used unbleached flour, which works best with yeast breads.)

1/4 cup granulated sugar (You can totally skimp or load up on this depending on your tastes. A couple tablespoons is all you need to feed the yeast.)

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk (I used 2% because that's what we drink here.)

1/4 cup water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg (I was skeptical, but I tried it and it gave the bread a richness that you don't normally have with plain ole cinnamon.)

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned (Browning the butter will give your filling a caramel-taste, but I forgot, and it was still good!)

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the milk once it has just melted. Remove the mixture from the heat after mixing. Add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F. Most importantly, the mixture should not be boiling, which would kill the yeast, or cold, which would stunt the growth of the yeast. (I don't measure the temperature, I just stick my finger in and go ahead if it feels as warm as a hot shower...)

Pour the milk mixture into a bowl. Add the yeast and the sugar and stir it together. Let this sit for about 5-10 minutes or until there is a lovely foam on the top of the bowl (that means the yeast is living!).

Once the yeast has "proofed" (i.e., gotten foamy), dump it into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs one at a time and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky, but don't add more flour or you'll risk making your bread too dense.

If you can and want to keep the rest of your bowls clean, pick up the blob of dough and pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil on the dough, making sure that the blob is well-covered. Place the dough back in the dirty bowl you were using. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel, and place it in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If you'd like, the dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you’re using this method, let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned (this isn't important, but like I said, it gives the filling an even sweeter taste). Set aside. Grease and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too.

Deflate the risen dough (i.e., poke it) and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin (or wine bottle, sturdy cup, etc.) to roll the dough out. The dough should be about 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long, but you don't need to get out a ruler. Spread the melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. (If you feel bad about the quantity, keep in mind that the average chocolate chip recipe has at least 1.5 cups of sugar).

Slice the dough horizontally into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like you would books on a bookshelf.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. This will ensure that all parts of your bread are cooked and not just the top.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a plate. If you want to be fancy, you can flip it over too.

I had to leave the house shortly after pulling this bad boy from the oven, but I came home to rave reviews from the boyfriend. I served what was left during a tame evening of boardgames, and it was quickly polished off.