Homemade Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread Recipe

Ingredients

1 package (2½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
½ cup warm water
2 cups mik, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
8-9 cups sifted white flour (lean towards 8)
½ cup melted butter
4 tablespoons solid butter
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1½ cup sugar
For the Glaze:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Make the Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the warm water; it should be frothy. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add mix the milk, sugar, salt, eggs, and 2 cups of flour and mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix at a slightly higher speed; the dough should be quite smooth and glossy in appearance. Add the melted butter and stir in well. Mix again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until a stiff dough forms.
Rest and Knead: Turn out the dough onto a surface dusted with flour. Gently toss it around a few times so it becomes lightly coated with flour. Place back in the mixing bowl, cover, and let the dough rest 15 minutes. Knead (with your mixer if possible) until smooth and satiny. KitchenAid says you should the dough hook on Speed 2 for four minutes for kneading bread, which is what I did. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk. It should be very soft and workable, like the picture in the post.
Roll and Cut the Bread: On a floured surface, divide the dough into 2 parts to make 2 loaves. For each loaf, take one part at a time and roll it into a large rectangle. I didn’t ever measure mine but it was probably 9×13, about ½ inch thick. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Spread 2 tablespoons butter onto each dough rectangle, sprinkle with just enough cinnamon sugar to cover, and roll into a log starting on the long side (short works too – just depends on how you want the loaf to be shaped and how long your baking sheet is). Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut diagonal slices like pictured in the post, almost down the bottom of the log. Arrange the cut sections so that they lean to alternating sides. Let rise for about 20 minutes to puff up a little bit. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Bake: Brush the loaves with the beaten egg. Bake for 20-30 minutes on a baking stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not overbake or the loaves will be too dry. Remove from the oven when a light golden-brown. Let cool slightly. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together to make a glaze. Pour over the loaf and let set. Slice or pull apart and serve.