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Delicious pieces of homemade bread dough, covered in cinnamon and a yummy glaze! The best part is, this Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread comes together in less than an hour!!

Bread is way more fun to eat when you can pull it apart! If you like this sweet version (inspired by cinnamon rolls), you should try a savory one like our buffalo chicken pull apart bread.

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread sitting on a cutting board, drizzled with glaze


just like cinnamon rolls, but quicker!

My family LOVES recipes with cinnamon—especially in breakfasts—and they request Cinnamon Rolls frequently. As much as I love cinnamon rolls, I HATE how much prep they require!

This recipe for Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread is like taking cinnamon rolls & smashing them together in a loaf pan. Same flavors, less prep time!

My cinnamon loving family definitely enjoys it, and I love how much easier it is to make! After lots of experimenting, I found the perfect rapid rise method to create this pull apart bread from scratch in just over one hour.

That’s with just 25 minutes of rest & rise time & about 25 minutes of baking. So not too bad, and definitely worth it. It’s absolutely DELICIOUS!

process shots of dough rising, being rolled out, covered with cinnamon sugar, sliced, and placed in pan

making Cinnamon Pull Aparts:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In your mixer bowl, whisk sugar, yeast, salt and flour. In a separate bowl, combine water, milk & butter.

Heat the bowl of wet ingredients in the microwave for about 1 minute or until it reaches 115 degrees (any hotter & you will kill your yeast).

Pour into the dry mixture, and use a dough hook to knead for 3-4 minutes or until smooth & elastic (add more flour if necessary). Cover tightly with plastic & let rest about 5 minutes.

Drop rested dough on lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. Melt butter for filling and brush onto your dough. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.

Cut dough lengthwise into 4 large strips, stack each strip on top of each other, and then cut into squares. Loosely place squares standing on end in a prepared loaf pan.

Note: This bread is supposed to look a bit irregular so don’t worry if the stacks and squares are not exactly the same size.

Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon and sugar you may have over the top. Place in your 180 degree oven, then turn oven off and allow the dough to rise for 20 minutes (don’t open oven door!). Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 25 -30 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool in pan while you make your glaze. Drizzle over your cooled pull apart bread loaf, serve, and enjoy!

Variations:

Here are some ideas for extra add-ins and toppings!

  • Top with chopped pecans or walnuts
  • Add raisins to the layers
  • Drizzle with caramel
Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread in a bread pan, drizzled with a glaze

Tips for the perfect pull apart bread

Yeast: Making bread that doesn’t rise is one of the most frustrating things. One of the reasons this happens is because the yeast was too old, not activated correctly, or killed.

To be certain the yeast will work its magic, you can activate it before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate bowl add warm water (105-115 degrees F), yeast, and a pinch of white sugar. Let it stand for 5 minutes. The yeast will begin to bubble and become frothy. Add it to the other wet ingredients. And follow the recipe as written.

Storing: Store in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. Do not refrigerate as the bread will dry out faster.

Freezing: Allow the bread to cool. Wrap the bread with plastic wrap and then again with foil. Label and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat: allow the bread to thaw and heat in the oven for 10 minutes or so, then add the glaze.

Close up of cinnamon pull aparts

For more delicious bread recipes:

5 from 1 vote

Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This recipe for Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread makes a tasty breakfast treat! Delicious pieces of homemade bread dough, covered in cinnamon and a yummy glaze! The best part is, it comes together in less than an hour!!
Servings: 8
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Dough

  • 4-4 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp rapid rise yeast
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup cool water
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter diced

Filling

  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tsp cinnamon

Glaze

Instructions 

Dough

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees
  • In your mixer bowl, whisk sugar, yeast, salt & 4 cups of flour
  • In a separate medium bowl, combine water, milk & butter
  • Heat in microwave about 1 minute or until it reaches approx 115 degrees (any hotter & you will kill your yeast)
  • Pour into dry mixture & use dough hook to knead 3-4 minutes or until smooth & elastic (add more flour if necessary)
  • Cover tightly with plastic & let rest about 5 minutes
  • Spray loaf pan with cooking spray- set aside
  • Drop rested dough on lightly floured surface & press & shape into a large rectangle
  • Melt butter for filling & brush on your dough
  • In a small bowl combine cinnamon & sugar & sprinkle evenly over buttered dough
  • Cut dough lengthwise into 4 large strips & stack each strip on top of each other
  • Cut into squares & loosely place on end in loaf pan
  • Sprinkle any remaining cinnamon & sugar you may have over the top
  • Place in your 180 degree oven- turn oven off & allow to rise for 20 minutes (don’t open door)
  • Remove after 20 minutes & preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Bake 25 -30 minutes or until deep golden brown
  • Remove & allow to cool in pan while you make your glaze

Glaze

  • Combine milk & confectioners sugar in small bowl & whisk to combine
  • Drizzle over baked bread & enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 500mg, Potassium: 112mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 27g, Vitamin A: 390IU, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 3.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
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For more great recipes from Gina, head over to Kleinworth & Co.



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Lil’ Luna is the place to find all things creative. From recipes to home decor to gift ideas and crafts, you can find unique, simple and fun ideas for your home, kitchen and for any occasion.

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2 Comments

  1. Gina, this looks amazing, and it’s getting me all excited for fall! My family would LOVE this, it’s so perfect for breakfast! 🙂

    1. I agree, Joan!! I have a feeling it would last all but 2 minutes here in my home. 😉