Cinnamon pull-apart bread

One of the most delicious breads I have made to date is cinnamon pull apart bread . Its texture is slightly reminiscent of brioche and the layers that form in the bread are fun and make this bread perfect for sharing. The crumb is soft, juicy and very flavorful. Bring it to the table and it will disappear in the blink of an eye.

This cinnamon bread is cute and handsome beyond belief. But don't let that make you think it's difficult to make. Not at all. The recipe is very simple and within everyone's reach. Mix the ingredients, knead and let rise. Then you just have to roll out the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, cut into squares and place inside the mould. The oven will do the rest. The oven and the mould, because the baking of this ceramic mould from Emile Henry ensures that any bread, brioche or cake you want to make will be fabulously baked.

Ingredients (for 6 people)

• 330 g of strong flour
• 4 g of dry bakery yeast
• 125 ml milk, warm
• 2 large eggs
• 75 g of sugar
• 1/2 cc of salt
• 60 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 cc ground cinnamon

Emile Henry ceramic mould and WMF bamboo wooden board

Preparation

1. Place the strong flour and dry baking yeast in a mixing bowl . Make a hole in the centre and add the lightly beaten eggs, the warm milk, 30 g of sugar (reserve the rest) and the salt.
2. Beat the liquid ingredients with a fork while gradually adding the flour and yeast mixture. Stir until the dough allows it, then transfer it to a clean work surface and knead for 10 minutes. You should have a smooth dough.
3. Next, add the butter, cut into small cubes, and continue kneading until well incorporated. This is a sticky dough, so you can use a scraper to keep it from sticking to the surface. It is not necessary to add more flour.
4. Grease a deep, wide bowl with a pinch of oil and let the dough rest inside, covered with a clean, dry cloth (a Gefu cotton mesh will do), for about 90 minutes or until it doubles in volume. The time will depend on the room temperature.
5. Meanwhile, line the Emile Henry ceramic mould with baking paper and set aside.
6. After the first rising, we deflate the dough by pressing it with our fist several times. We spread the dough on a sheet of greaseproof paper, forming a rectangle half a centimetre thick.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and ground cinnamon.
8. Using a sharp knife, a scraper or a pizza cutter, divide the dough into squares that are slightly narrower and taller than the pan.
9. We place the squares of dough inside the mold, vertically.
10. We cover the mold with a clean, dry cloth and let it rise again for approximately 60 minutes or until it almost reaches the edge of the mold.
11. Place the mould in the oven, preheated to 180ºC with heat from above and below, and bake for 45-50 minutes. If it browns too much, cover it with aluminium foil.
12. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before unmolding and serving.

Emile Henry ceramic mold

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Things you might like to know:

• We have used a 23.5 x 10.5 cm Emile Henry ceramic mould to make this cinnamon pull apart bread, but you can also use the Emile Henry rectangular wavy mould , which will also be perfect for you.
• To sprinkle icing sugar and cinnamon on brioches and cakes, it is always a good idea to have a sugar sprinkler, especially if, like me, you often make pastries. You have the one from De Buyer . You can also use a mesh strainer or have a sifter , which you will also use for flour and everything else.