Cinnamon pull-apart bread

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

This cinnamon bread is adorably handsome to an extreme. But don't let that make you think it's difficult to prepare. Not at all. The recipe is very simple and within everyone's reach. Mix the ingredients, knead and let rise. Then just roll out the dough, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, cut into squares and place inside the pan. The oven will do the rest. The oven and the pan, because the baking with this Emile Henry ceramic pan guarantees fabulous baking for any bread, brioche or cake you want to make.

Ingredients (for 6 people)

• 330 g strong flour
• 4 g dry baker's yeast
• 125 ml milk, lukewarm
• 2 large eggs
• 75 g sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60 g butter, at room temperature
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Emile Henry ceramic pan and WMF bamboo cutting board

Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl we place the strong flour and the dry baker's yeast. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, lightly beaten, the lukewarm milk, 30 g of sugar (reserve the rest) and the salt.
2. Beat the liquid ingredients with a fork while gradually incorporating 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 must achieve a smooth dough.
3. Next add the butter, cut into small cubes, and continue kneading until fully incorporated. This is a sticky dough; you can use a bench scraper to prevent it from sticking to the surface. There's no need to add more flour.
4. Grease a deep wide container with a pinch of oil and let the dough rest inside, covered with a clean dry cloth (you can use the Gefu cotton mesh), for about 90 minutes or until it doubles in volume. The time will depend on the ambient temperature.
5. Meanwhile, line the Emile Henry ceramic pan with parchment paper and set aside.
6. After the first rise, degas by pressing with your fist several times. Spread the dough on a sheet of parchment paper forming a rectangle about half a centimeter thick.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and the ground cinnamon.
8. With the help of a sharp knife, a bench scraper or a pizza cutter, divide the dough into squares slightly narrower and taller than the pan.
9. Place the dough squares inside the pan, vertically.
10. Cover the pan with a clean dry cloth and let rise again for approximately 60 minutes or until it almost reaches the rim of the pan.
11. Place the pan in the oven, preheated to 180ºC with top and bottom heat, and bake for 45-50 minutes. If you see it browning too much cover with aluminum foil.
12. Remove from the oven and let cool before unmolding and serving.

Emile Henry ceramic pan

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Things you'll like to know:

• We used an Emile Henry ceramic pan of 23.5 x 10.5 cm to make this cinnamon pull apart bread, but you can also use the Emile Henry fluted rectangular pan, it will also turn out ideal.
• To dust powdered sugar and cinnamon on brioches and cakes, it's always useful to have one in a sugar sifter, especially if like me you bake often. There's the one from De Buyer. You can also use a mesh sieve or have a sieve, which you'll also use for flour and everything else.