Pinterest Image is the loaf everyone screenshots: soft enriched dough rolled with cinnamon sugar, sliced into a grid, and baked in a pool of melted butter so every piece pulls away glazed and caramelized. It looks like a bakery centerpiece but comes together with a bowl, a whisk, and one loaf pan.
Advertisements1
The trick is stacking the buttered squares upright rather than flat, which lets the cinnamon sugar caramelize on all four sides of every piece. You get crisp edges, pillowy middles, and a sticky bottom layer that tastes like the best part of a cinnamon roll.
Serve it warm for brunch, as a coffee companion, or as a pull-apart dessert with a drizzle of cream cheese icing. It is built to be torn apart with fingers, so no slicing skills required.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
3 1/4 cups (406g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
All-purpose flour gives the loaf a tender but sturdy crumb. Bread flour works as a substitute for a chewier texture, but add 2 extra tablespoons of milk since it absorbs more liquid.
2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast
Instant yeast can be mixed straight into the dry ingredients, 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.
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)
Whole milk keeps the crumb rich and soft. Swap in oat milk or 2% milk if needed, but avoid cold milk straight from the fridge because it slows the rise.
3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
Sugar feeds the yeast as well as sweetens the dough. Honey can replace it one-for-one, though the loaf will brown a little faster.
4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted, for the dough
Melted butter makes the dough pliable and easy to roll. Salted butter works too; just skip the added salt in the dough.
1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt
Salt balances the sweetness and strengthens the gluten. Use fine sea salt rather than coarse flakes so it distributes evenly.
3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
Brown sugar melts into a gooey caramel layer between the squares. Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor if you prefer it.
2 teaspoons (5g) ground cinnamon
Use fresh cinnamon for the strongest aroma. A pinch of nutmeg or cardamom mixed in adds a warm, complex note.
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted, for dipping
This is the butter that coats each square before stacking. Clarified butter or ghee works well and resists burning at the pan's edges.
1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
Powdered sugar makes the quick icing that drizzles over the warm loaf. Sift it first to avoid lumps, or use a maple syrup drizzle instead.
2 teaspoons (10ml) whole milk or cream, for the icing
A splash of milk loosens the icing to drizzling consistency. Heavy cream makes it richer, and lemon juice makes a tangy alternative.
Tips & Tricks
Do not over-flour the dough
Add flour one tablespoon at a time and stop when the dough is soft and slightly tacky, because a dry dough bakes up dense and crumbly.
Butter the pan generously
The caramelized bottom is the best part, and a thin coating will glue the loaf to the pan. Use the full amount called for and brush up the corners.
- Let it rise somewhere warm and draft-free: A cold kitchen stalls the yeast, so proof near a warm oven or in a turned-off oven with the light on until the dough visibly doubles.
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. Stir in the sugar and instant yeast and let it sit 5 minutes until a light foam forms on the surface.
2. Mix the dough
Add the flour, salt, and 4 tablespoons melted butter to the milk mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead 6 to 8 minutes on a floured counter until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Let it rise
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in size. Press two fingers into the dough; the indentation should stay.
4. Roll and coat
Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the dipping butter and scatter the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface, pressing lightly so it adheres.
5. Cut the squares
Cut the dough into 5 strips lengthwise, then crosswise into 5 rows to make 25 squares. Dip each square in the remaining melted butter, then roll it in any loose cinnamon sugar left on the board.
6. Stack in the pan
Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan and stack the squares upright, cut edges facing up, in a slightly staggered row so they fill the pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes until puffy and nearly level with the rim.
7. Bake until golden
Bake at 350F (175C) for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the center reads 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the top darkens early, tent it loosely with foil.
8. Glaze and serve
Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle over the loaf while still warm. Cool 10 minutes, then pull apart and serve straight from the pan.
Delicious Variations
Apple Cinnamon
Layer thin apple slices between the dough squares for a juicy, fruity version that bakes in the same time.
Chocolate Swirl
Swap the cinnamon sugar for mini chocolate chips and cocoa sugar for a brownie-like pull-apart loaf.
Orange Cardamom
Add orange zest to the sugar and swap cinnamon for cardamom for a citrusy, aromatic twist.
How to Store Pinterest Image
Refrigerator
Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezer
Freeze individual pulled-apart pieces in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating
Reheat at 300F (150C) for 8 to 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil, to soften the crumb and re-crisp the edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make Pinterest Image bread ahead of time?
Yes, you can assemble the loaf through the final rise, cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight for up to 12 hours. Let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes before baking, then add 5 extra minutes to the bake time.
Q: Why did my pull-apart bread turn out dry?
Dry bread usually means too much flour was added to the dough. Measure flour by fluffing and spooning it into the cup, and stop adding flour as soon as the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Q: Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?
Yes, active dry yeast works if you dissolve it in the warm milk with the sugar first and let it foam for 5 to 10 minutes. The rise may take 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Q: What size pan do I need for this bread?
A standard 9×5-inch loaf pan is ideal for 25 squares, but an 8×4-inch pan also works for a taller, more tightly packed loaf. Avoid a wider pan because the squares spread and lose their stacked shape.
Q: How do I know when the bread is fully baked?
The center should read 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer and the top should be deep golden brown. If the top browns before the center is set, tent it with foil and continue baking.
Bake this Pinterest Image loaf this weekend and watch it disappear piece by piece – then snap a photo before it is gone and share your golden, sugar-crusted results.
Pinterest Image
Pinterest Image is a buttery cinnamon pull-apart loaf with a crackly sugar crust that bakes to golden perfection and tears into soft, shareable layers.
🧂 Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups (406g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to 110F (43C)
- 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted, for the dough
- 1 teaspoon (6g) fine salt
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (5g) ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted, for dipping
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) whole milk or cream, for the icing
📋 Instructions
- 1Warm the milk — Warm the milk to 110F (43C) – it should feel like a warm bath, not hot. Stir in the sugar and instant yeast and let it sit 5 minutes until a light foam forms on the surface.
- 2Mix the dough — Add the flour, salt, and 4 tablespoons melted butter to the milk mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead 6 to 8 minutes on a floured counter until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky.
- 3Let it rise — Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes until doubled in size. Press two fingers into the dough; the indentation should stay.
- 4Roll and coat — Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the dipping butter and scatter the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface, pressing lightly so it adheres.
- 5Cut the squares — Cut the dough into 5 strips lengthwise, then crosswise into 5 rows to make 25 squares. Dip each square in the remaining melted butter, then roll it in any loose cinnamon sugar left on the board.
- 6Stack in the pan — Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan and stack the squares upright, cut edges facing up, in a slightly staggered row so they fill the pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes until puffy and nearly level with the rim.
- 7Bake until golden — Bake at 350F (175C) for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the center reads 200F (93C) on an instant-read thermometer. If the top darkens early, tent it loosely with foil.
- 8Glaze and serve — Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk and drizzle over the loaf while still warm. Cool 10 minutes, then pull apart and serve straight from the pan.
