Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread
Make this once and you'll make it over and over! Imagine cinnamon rolls + pumpkin pie + an irresistible cinnamon glaze and you have this pull-apart pumpkin bread! This recipe makes 2 loves and you will love the make-ahead option.
Serving: 2 loaves
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Pumpkin Bread:
¾ cup warm milk (not hot)
½ Tbsp active dry yeast
¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
4 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
3½ cups all-purpose flour + 1-2 Tbsp (465 grams) *See note on measuring
1 large egg, room temp
2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, divided (1 Tbsp for batter, 1 Tbsp to grease pans)
½ tsp salt
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread Filling:
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided (6 for the filling and 1 Tbsp to brush tops)
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed (64 grams)
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
Ingredients for Cinnamon Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
5-6 Tbsp heavy cream or half and half
What You'll Need:
2 Bread Pans, An electric stand mixer (or knead by hand), Rolling Pin
Instructions
How to Make Pull-Apart Pumpkin Bread:
In bowl of a mixer, add ¾ cup warm milk, sprinkle top with ½ Tbsp yeast and let sit for 7 min.
Whisk in ½ cup flour and 2 Tbsp sugar then whisk in ¾ cup pumpkin puree. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 25-30 min or at room temp 35-45 min. It will be puffy.
Whisk in 1 egg, 1 Tbsp melted butter, remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, and ½ tsp salt.
Using dough hook on speed 2, add remaining 3 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time allowing it to incorporate). Dough should feel barely sticky to the touch but should not stick to fingertips or the sides of the bowl while mixing. You may need an extra 1-2 Tbsp flour. Once all flour is in, continue kneading on speed 2 for 10 min. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm oven** for 1 hour or at room temp 2 hours. Dough should double in size.
Generously dust flour over a clean work surface and place dough in the center. Sprinkle dough with flour (just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking) and roll into an even 16″x10″ rectangle. Dot the top of dough with 6 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out gently with a spatula.
Stir together ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon and ½ tsp pumpkin spice and sprinkle it all evenly over buttered dough.
Roll the dough up starting with the longer side, keeping a tight roll. Push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice in half. Slice both halves into 1" pieces, keeping the dough rounds connected at the base (don't cut all the way through). Butter 2 bread pans with ½ Tbsp butter each then transfer the sliced dough halves into buttered pans, connected side down. Gently pull the sliced rounds into opposite directions to create a layered effect. Cover with plastic and let rise in a warm oven** for 30-45 min or at room temp for 1 to 1½ hours or until puffy.
Brush each loaf with ½ Tbsp melted butter and Bake at 350˚F for 22-25 min. I think it's perfect at 23 min. Bread will be a light golden brown. Let bread cool in pan 10 min then apply glaze generously over the top of each loaf while inside the pan.
How to Make the Cinnamon glaze:
Stir together the glaze ingredients, adding cream to reach desired consistency. Pour/spread generously over your two warm pumpkin loaves
Notes
*On Measuring Flour: Fluff up flour then spoon into a dry measuring cup. Scrape off the top with the back of a knife. **Oven should not be hotter than 100˚F or you will cook and ruin the yeast. ***For make-ahead overnight pumpkin bread: Once dough is in the pan and before the last rise, cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Dough may be refrigerated up to 18 hours prior to baking. Remove from refrigerator and keeping them covered, let cinnamon rolls rise in a warm oven** for 35 min or at room temp 1½ hours or until puffy then proceed with step 8.
