This Pinterest Image loaf is the recipe behind those irresistible pull-apart bread photos: soft enriched dough brushed with melted butter, dusted with cinnamon sugar, then stacked into a loaf pan so every slice tears away in buttery layers. It looks like a bakery project but comes together with a bowl, a whisk, and about 20 minutes of hands-on time.
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The trick is a slightly sticky dough and a generous butter-sugar coat between the strips. As the loaf bakes, the sugar melts into a caramelized crust at the edges while the interior stays pillowy. Serve it warm and watch a whole loaf disappear before it cools.
It is a weekend breakfast, a brunch centerpiece, or a bake-sale showstopper that photographs as well as it tastes. No mixer required, though one makes the kneading faster.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
3 1/4 cups (410g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
Use a kitchen scale if you can, since spooned flour varies a lot. Bread flour works too and gives a slightly chewier pull; add 2 tablespoons extra milk if the dough feels stiff.
2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast (one packet)
Instant yeast goes straight into the dry mix, no proofing needed. If you only have active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk first and let it sit 5 minutes until foamy.
3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
This feeds the yeast and lightly sweetens the dough. Honey can replace it, but reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon since honey adds liquid.
3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)
Whole milk gives the softest crumb; 2% works fine. Stick to 110F (43C) – hotter milk can kill the yeast and colder milk slows the rise.
1 large egg, room temperature
Room-temperature egg blends into the dough more evenly. Out of eggs? Use 1/4 cup (60g) plain yogurt instead and reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons.
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and divided
You will use half in the dough and half for brushing the strips. Salted butter works; just skip the added salt in the dough.
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Salt balances the sweetness and strengthens the gluten. Do not add it directly on top of the yeast if you can help it – mix it into the flour first.
1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
Brown sugar caramelizes into a sticky, toffee-like crust. Dark brown sugar makes it deeper and more molasses-forward; coconut sugar is a good swap for a drier crumb.
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Fresh cinnamon makes a real difference here. Vietnamese or Ceylon cinnamon both work; Ceylon is milder and more floral.
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
A pinch of nutmeg rounds out the cinnamon. Pumpkin pie spice can stand in for both spices if that is what you have.
Tips & Tricks
Do not over-flour the dough
It should stay tacky and slightly sticky after kneading. Adding too much flour while dusting is the number one reason pull-apart bread turns out dry and bready.
Butter the strips generously
Brush each strip with melted butter before sprinkling the cinnamon sugar so the layers seal and caramelize instead of separating into dry flakes.
- Let it cool 10 minutes before turning out: The melted sugar is molten straight from the oven. A short rest lets the crust set so the loaf releases in one piece.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Warm the milk
Warm the milk to 110F (43C) – it should feel like a warm bath, not hot. Whisk in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and let it sit 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy.
2. Mix the dough
In a large bowl whisk the flour, remaining granulated sugar, and salt. Add the milk mixture, egg, and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Knead until smooth
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead 6 to 8 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when poked; it will still feel slightly tacky. Shape into a ball.
4. Let it rise
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in size. It is ready when a floured finger pressed in leaves an indentation that springs back slowly.
5. Mix the filling
Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with a little of the remaining melted butter.
6. Roll and cut strips
Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12×20-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with the remaining melted butter, scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly, and cut crosswise into 6 strips about 3 inches wide.
7. Stack and bake
Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack into 6 squares. Stand them in the loaf pan cut-side up. Bake at 350F (175C) for 32 to 38 minutes until the top is deep golden brown, the sugar at the edges bubbles, and the center reads 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Cool and serve
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a rack. Pull apart warm while the crust is still slightly crisp.
Delicious Variations
Apple Cinnamon
Tuck 1/2 cup (60g) of finely diced peeled apple between the strips for a juicy, fruity version.
Maple Pecan
Drizzle 2 tablespoons maple syrup over the strips and scatter 1/3 cup (40g) chopped toasted pecans with the cinnamon sugar.
Chocolate Swirl
Swap the cinnamon sugar for 1/2 cup (85g) mini chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for a dessert loaf.
How to Store Pinterest Image
Refrigerator
Store cooled bread tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days; reheat briefly to soften the crust.
Freezer
Freeze individual slices wrapped in foil for up to 2 months, then thaw at room temperature or warm in a 300F (150C) oven for 8 minutes.
Reheating
Warm the loaf covered in foil at 325F (165C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or microwave single slices for 15 to 20 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my pull-apart bread turn out dry?
Too much flour is almost always the cause, so measure by weight or spoon flour into the cup and level it. The dough should stay tacky after kneading, and pulling it from the oven at 200F (93C) keeps the interior moist.
Q: Can I make cinnamon pull-apart bread ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the loaf, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight before the final rise. Let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking, then add 5 minutes to the bake time.
Q: Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant?
Yes, but proof it first in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar for 5 minutes until foamy. If it does not foam, the yeast is dead and the dough will not rise.
Q: How do I know when the loaf is fully baked?
The center should reach 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer and the top should be deep golden with bubbling sugar at the edges. If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.
Q: Can I bake this in a different pan?
A 9×5-inch loaf pan gives the tallest, most dramatic loaf, but an 8×4-inch pan works with a few extra minutes of baking. Avoid a Bundt pan unless you double the recipe, since the strips need to be packed tightly.
Bake this Pinterest Image loaf this weekend and tag your photos – then leave a rating below to tell me how your layers turned out.
Pinterest Image
Pinterest Image is a buttery cinnamon pull-apart loaf with a crunchy sugar crust that bakes golden in 35 minutes and pulls into soft, shareable layers.
🧂 Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups (410g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast (one packet)
- 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
📋 Instructions
- 1Warm the milk — Warm the milk to 110F (43C) – it should feel like a warm bath, not hot. Whisk in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and let it sit 5 minutes until the surface looks foamy.
- 2Mix the dough — In a large bowl whisk the flour, remaining granulated sugar, and salt. Add the milk mixture, egg, and 3 tablespoons of the melted butter, then stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
- 3Knead until smooth — Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and knead 6 to 8 minutes until it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when poked; it will still feel slightly tacky. Shape into a ball.
- 4Let it rise — Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in size. It is ready when a floured finger pressed in leaves an indentation that springs back slowly.
- 5Mix the filling — Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with a little of the remaining melted butter.
- 6Roll and cut strips — Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12×20-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with the remaining melted butter, scatter the cinnamon sugar evenly, and cut crosswise into 6 strips about 3 inches wide.
- 7Stack and bake — Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack into 6 squares. Stand them in the loaf pan cut-side up. Bake at 350F (175C) for 32 to 38 minutes until the top is deep golden brown, the sugar at the edges bubbles, and the center reads 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer.
- 8Cool and serve — Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a rack. Pull apart warm while the crust is still slightly crisp.
