3 Part-Pull Apart Bread

My New Love....

I LOOOVE bread, so I had to make me some pull aparts. It all began like this...

This bread is the reason why I wanted to start a food blog. Let the pictures do the talking.



The Ooeey Gooey Stickiness

I got the idea from Joy the Baker. But it is my own recipe/creation, and let me tell you~WOW! I am going to toot my own horn here...toot toot! I done good.

So, I started to think...'well, gotta add whole wheat in bread, that is always a MUST'. And then my imagination started to talk to my taste buds for the stickiness...'Ooooo you should add Pumpkin'. AND 'Honey Orange'. Just look at this:

3-Part: Cinnamon, Honey Orange, and Pumpkin

This is where my 3-Part-Pull-Aparts came from. And let me tell you, after eating it....I was doing my happy dance!

Bread is Heaven. Sticky Buns are Glorious. Therefore, 3 Part-Pull Apart Bread=Out of this world Glory!

I am an honest person, you have GOT to try this recipe. It trumps all other sticky bread!

1st. Don't let bread overwhelm you. It is something you need to practice at. I make bread in some form or another at least 2x-4x a week. By hand. But you can use your Kitchen Aid or Bocsh.

2nd. There are tips and tricks to make what I call "Happy Bread". That is, bread that has risen and fluffed to perfection. You can tell that the bread has risen enough because after it has baked and cooled, you cut it open and you can see holes, or air pockets.

And when your "Happy Bread" is finished...baked...and out of the oven it is=Out of this world Glory! And your house smells GOOD!

So here is the recipe:

For the Bread:

2 cups warm water

1 can evaporated milk

2 Tb instant dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

5 to 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 to 2 1/2 cups wheat flour

For the Ooeey Gooey Stickiness: aka: "The Glory"

Cinnamon and Sugar:

Softened Butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon (or more to taste...Cinnamon is one of my faves, although you don't want to add too much cinnamon. It will be overpowering.)

You can also add a pinch of Nutmeg and Ground Cloves for added spice!

Honey and Orange:

Softened Butter

1/2 cup honey

1 Orange: zest...Oh yah, zest that entire orange! Cut it in quarters and squeeze one quarter of the orange into the mixture while you are at it, pulp and all.

Pumpkin: (Have to admit...this one is my favorite of them all!)

Softened Butter

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree

2 Tb brown sugar (or more to taste...gotta taste it!)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp Pumpkin Spice

Pinch of Ground Cloves (now when I say pinch, do just that. Take your fingers, pinch the spice and throw it in the bowl!)

*The Pumpkin Pull Aparts is like taking Pumpkin Pie and shoving it into the bread. Mmmmm Goodness!

To make:

Now don't get overwhelmed. This will be fun! Turn on some tunes and rock and roll while you bake. 1st you need make the dough. Take cold water from the tap, measure it in a glass measuring cup. Stick it in the microwave. Push the buttons for 1 min and 20 sec. It makes the perfect temperature for your water. I do it EVERYTIME! Don't worry about getting out a silly thermometer to check the temperature of your water. I am not against thermometers, however less stress and easy is always better.

Pour the warm water in a large bowl with the yeast sitting in the bowl waiting to be activated. I am sure the yeast is thinking 'Come on, lets get this party started!'

So, now you have your warm water blending with the yeast.

*NOTE: Sugar activates yeast, salt does the opposite. Wait to put in your salt until a little later.

To your yeast and water add your sugar. Just pour it in, I shake the sugar over the water yeast mixture for the benefit of the yeast. To activate. Add your can of milk. You can dump that in too! Right now it is liquid. Doesn't look too appetizing to drink or anything. Wouldn't recommend that.

After the milk add your softened 1/3 cup butter. Cut the butter and dump it in. Add your egg. Then add 2 cups of white flour. Like this...

*Tip: Always add your white flour first. It has more gluten in it for the bread to jive and rise better. I have tested this theory. Always add white flour first.

Mix with wire wisk. Ok, I am going to tell you how to make this by hand. Come on, it is not bad. Just think, you will be gaining muscles while you mix. (Oh snap, that makes me want to break out in song 'whistle while you work').

If you do not want to mix by hand...get your kitchen aid or bosch or whatever else you like. Don't forget to use your dough attachment. But I am telling you, by hand is better.  Kitchen Aid or Bosch Instructions

Now where was I...Oh yes, flour. After you add 2 cups of white flour, mix. Then add your salt. I usually always forget this part, because I add it later. It sometimes gets forgotten (yes, I think the salt feels a little left out...'well, get over it salt'). Once I added the salt after I had kneaded the dough for a little while. The bread was good, but you could taste the salt~icky! Don't do that.

Now we are going to start adding the rest of our flour. Add in 2 more cups of white flour. Mix with wire wisk. At this point, you might want to switch to a wooden spoon, because it will get harder to mix with wisk.

After 4 cups of white flour are added, add your 2 cups of wheat flour.

Back to our recipe...after adding the wheat flour, you are stirring with spoon. Add the rest of your white flour. As you are mixing you will notice that the bread is wet or not so wet. If it is not so wet (wet=stir with spoon, not=get your hands in there), with your hands, start kneading. Lift the bread from underneath, scoop and fold and knead (or blend the dough) with the heal of your palm and your fists. I am telling you...muscles! Muscle time....

Knead until the dough starts to blend well and is no longer sticky. If you need to cover your hands in flour-do it. If you want to cover your hands in Pam spray to help from it sticking to you-do it.

Sometimes the bread has too much flour. You will know because the dough will act like it is choking. It will not want any more flour. It will not blend in. So take out any extra flour.

*You know when you are done: when you push the dough with your fingers (lightly, but not too light) and it bounces back...you are done kneading. Or give it a spank...if it bounces=done, if it flattens=knead more. Spank bread, not kids.

It really doesn't take to long. And remember...muscles!

It should now look like this:

Now put your bowl with dough in it, in a warm place. Cover it with a clean towel and let it get "Happy". Sometimes I turn my oven to the "warm" setting (about 170 degrees), when it preheats or beeps or whatever. Turn off your oven, leave it open for a minute and then put in your bread bowl in the oven and let it rise for about an hour or until double in size. This is important for it to rise. It makes it "Happy".

On to the Ooeey Gooey Stickiness. In separate bowls mix your separate blends. If you don't like pumpkin...sad :( then do extra Cinnamon and Sugar or whatever. Set aside. Don't add your butter to these mixtures. Save the butter for later. Ahhhh butter. Butter makes everything better.

Ok, your bread is now double in size. Take it out and punch down. I like to spank and punch my bread...he he. Divide into 3 large balls. To do this: pinch and twist to tear. Even though you punch and spank, you still need to be nice to your dough. Don't beat it up. From those 3 balls you will make 6 balls of dough. 2 for each flavor. Time to roll.

Take one of your six balls and roll out into a long rectangle. This rectangle does not have to be perfect, it does not have to be pretty. It will rise again and all will be well. Promise.

See, not very pretty.

After you roll into a rectangle, spread with some softened butter to coat. No, the coat of butter will not keep your dough warm, rather it will make it taste like heaven. Then sprinkle with one of your mixtures.

Cut long-ways into 4 strips. Place the strips on top of each other. Then cut into squares. Again...it does not have to look pretty.

Take a set of squares and stand up in your *Prepared Bread Pans. It might slide, just push back as you go.

Now do this with all mixes/flavors etc.

I made mine: Sampler Style...which is all three flavors in one bread pan. I think that is the way to go! And that is where you get 3 Part-Pull Aparts.

Put in your warm oven for about an hour longer to rise again. This is what it should look like....

Now doesn't that look good. Oh yah!

To cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bread for 30 minutes. Take out of oven and let rest in bread pan for a little while, so it doesn't all flop. Or if you insist on eating it right then and there, eat it out of your bread pan. Just don't burn yourself. Please.

*Note: you might want to place foil under your bread pans as they cook, just in case any of it falls overboard. And also, if you have extra mixture/sugarness (or if some of it falls out while you are cutting it)...sprinkle on top of your dough before it rises for the second time. Remember, that is "Glory", so don't waste it.

Hope you like this bread, as much as I do! Enjoy!