If you are a frequent visitor of my website, you will have noticed that lately I have been into making these “crazy breads” aka “pull-apart breads”. While really no different than any other sweet breads for breakfast, I think that they are visually pleasing and actually, I like the texture as there are some bits that are crunchy and some that are soft. This one went a little overboard on the “going crazy” part though and over-ran the pan. All’s well that ends well though and it was no worse for wear.
Ingredients
for the bread dough
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
for the filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup maple syrup
Directions
First make your dough as it will need time to rise. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the water and the sugar. Let cool to a maximum of 110F and a minimum of 100F (check with an instant-read thermometer) and before stirring in the yeast. Set aside for about five minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer with the dough attachment. Add the vanilla and beaten egg to the yeast mixture and turn the mixer on low. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. Turn the mixer up to medium and let knead until a sticky dough has formed. Grease a large bowl, place dough inside, and cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Note that at this point, you can refrigerate overnight; just bring up to room temperature before moving to the next step.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat the butter in a small sauce pan until melted. Once melted, remove from the heat and add the maple extract and vanilla paste. In a work bowl, combine sugars and spices.
Prepare a parchment paper sling for your 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and spray liberally with baking spray. Pour about half (1/8 cup) of maple syrup in the bottom on the pan.
Turn the dough out onto a well floured board and knead it a few times. Roll out a 12×20 rectangle with the dough (this doesn’t need to be exact). Using a pastry brush the entire surface of the rolled out rough, then sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the bread into thirds from one end of the long side to the other (about 20×4 pieces). Next, slice the bread into fifths on the short side until the whole thing is cut like a pizza you were slicing into squares. Stack the slices on top of each other and transfer sideways to your prepared loaf pan (the same way sliced bread lays in a pan) and repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or your tea towel and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the bread with the remaining maple syrup, trying to get it into the uneven crevices as well. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Check often and remove from oven once the top is crispy and the inside is cooked all the way through (the inside temperature should be around 180F). If the top is getting too dark, cover lightly with aluminum foil. Let cool for a minimum of 20 minutes in the pan before removing with the sling. The maple syrup that was in the bottom of the pan may either be absorbed, or will run off, so be careful when inverting (both because it will be hot and it may be messy).
