Remember when Mondays use to be healthy? And we’d kick off the week with a salad or something savory that worked for lunch or dinner? Well, clearly that’s not happening today because this Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread got in the way 🙂
Here’s the thing. I make dough kinda infrequently. Pizza dough – 100%. Quick breads – always. But anything else – it has to be pretty spectacular for me to invest my time in it. (#lazy) And this Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread situation is exactly that. I found the recipe over on my friend Joy’s website! She’s a master of all things involving dough so I trust her 10000%! Plus it was her cookbook that inspired the s’more pudding pie from a few weeks ago and that was incredible. Being the chocolate whore that I am, I added mini chocolate chips. Because it felt like the right thing to do and I’m all about making the right decisions. And I encourage you to do the same and prepare to freak out when you pull this bread apart and become obsessed. It’s the holidays, calories don’t count… so GO FOR IT!
Chocolate Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 3 ounces unsalted butter melted until browned
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs in another small bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter and milk until melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture reaches 115 to 125 degrees F.
- Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir until fully incorporated. Add the remaining flour and continue to stir for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky.
- Place the dough in a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a slightly warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- Once the dough has risen, add about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough and knead it until it's deflated. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.
- On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about 12-inches x 20-inches. Use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture and top with the mini chocolate chips.
- Slice the dough vertically, 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. Stack all the squares on top of each other and set into the prepared loaf pan. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and place it in a warm area for 30 to 45 minutes until almost doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.
- Allow the loaf to rest for about 20 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and carefully turn the loaf out, transferring to a serving plate. Serve warm.
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson
YUM!
Whoa!! Love!!
This is a dream breakfast! Or snack, or dinner as far as I’m concerned. 😉 What a lovely loaf!
Best recipe I’ve seen all day! YES to chocolate in pull apart bread!!
So screaming delicious. How could you ever stop eating this?
I am embarrassed to say I have never tried to make pull apart bread. I can see now, that this needs to be rectified immediately!! This looks delicious and sure to be a crowd pleaser!!
this looks SO goood! I’m drooling!
Oh yes pleasee!
swooooon…….
This looks so delicious. Perfect for the holidays, when calories don’t count!!
Holy Cow! Gaby, This looks amazing!
MOVE OVER salad. There is a way cooler kid in town. My Monday just became 110% better, gooey buttery chocolatey bread-style.
Yes, please!! It almost reminds me of one GIANT cinnamon roll! I might have trouble sharing it!
OMG Gaby – these look PERFECT!! I would eat like 3/4 of a loaf…actually, no. I want the whole thing, haha
Yummy! That looks awesome, can’t wait to try 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
I’d take this over a salad any day lol! But honestly, this looks insanely delicious!
This looks amazing!!! I’d push the salad to the side and eat this instead for sure!
Oh this is totally worth pushing aside the salad for! Gorgeous!
This looks amazing. Unfortuately, #lazy applies to me too, but you never know…
Everything about this is calling my name! Great looking bread, Gaby!
Dear Gaby,
This recipe looks incredible, i’m trying it later today. Do you think it would be ok to do a longer second prove? As I wont be able to bake it for 4 hours afterwards. Will that damage the loaf in any way? Thanks!
Hey Shanna!
I haven’t tried it with a longer proof – but I think it would be okay. Maybe proof it in a place that’s not quite as warm as you would normally!
Love this recipe! Am definitely going to try 🙂
Thanks Gaby
just wanted to say i made this today! it’s awesome! the best pieces are the ones in the middle because those pieces are so soft and gooey….. mmmm……!
the only comments i have are that for me, the chips fell off when trying to stack the pieces so i would brush on the butter then the chips then the sugar to try and help them stick. once assembled in the bread pan it was easy to also slip some of the lost chips in between the pieces. also, i cut the amount of sugar as it was too much.
i also may have brushed the leftover browned butter on top before baking… may my arteries forgive me…
If i wanted to make this for xmas morning can i do it the day before and bake in the morning? Would the dough do ok in the fridge overnight?
yes that would totally work
Hi Gaby, this looks divine! Perfect for Christmas Day Breakfast, do you think it can be made to the point of being oven ready then kept in the fridge over night and baked in the morning?
yes!!
Thank you! Should I wait to proof it when I take it out of the fridge?
Hi Gaby, sorry to keep asking questions, but when I remove it from the fridge tomorrow should I let it proof, or do I proof it today and then pop it straight in the oven tomorrow morning?
I’d proof it today and then pop it in the fridge and bake tomorrow
Are you using active or instant yeast?
This looks amazing, I will make it today 🙂
active
Thank you!
This look intimidating, but you make it seem pretty easy. I guess I will be trying this!
This is so dangerous to make, because I would just sit and eat the entire thing!!
Does the yeast need to be mixed in water or just add to dry ingredients? I’ve never worked with yeast.
Thanks!
just like the recipe says for this!!
Gaby, I’m not sure what you mean by slicing the strips “vertically” Do you mean slice the strips on the short side from the top to the bottom? Thx!
What about being totally short-cutting a need using store bought pizza dough?
haven’t tested it that way!
What do you think about chopped pecans instead of chocolate chips??
totally would work if that’s what you prefer
Oh. My. God. Make this now. It’s insane.
Can I use instant yeast?
haven’t tested it with instant yeast so I’m not sure how that would change timing
What would the stopping point be to bake off the next morning?
Absolutely delicious! I put it together the night before and let it sit out about an hour. I covered the loaf pan with plastic wrap and a dish towel and refrigerated until about 9 the next morning. I let it sit out about an hour and then baked it. I’ve made cinnamon rolls for years, but even tho’ this was my first time for a pull apart bread, we agreed this may be even better!!