pumpkin spice pull apart bread

Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread baked from scratch

The key to this recipe is browning the butter every step of the way; the added nuttiness adds a rich flavor that really makes the pumpkin and cinnamon spices shine.

If Starbucks can bring back their Pumpkin Spice Lattes early, then it must be okay to break out the Fall recipes. Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread was one of my favorite new recipes last Fall and I am looking forward to pairing it with a Pumpkin Spice Chai (even better than just a latte!) in short order. There is a wee bit of prep and rising time involved in this recipe so it won’t exactly be your last minute Sunday morning breakfast, but with a little planning and an overnight rise you can eliminate most of your morning prep time.

PUMPKIN SPICE PULL APART BREAD
 
INGREDIENTS
Bread dough
  • ½ cup milk
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 2½ cups bread flour
Filling
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
PREPARATION
Bread Dough
  1. Brown butter in a saucepan over medium heat until roughly the color of maple syrup. Stir occasionally to ensure the butter browns evenly and does not burn. Remove from heat and pour into stand mixer to cool.
  2. Return saucepan to heat and warm the milk just until it bubbles. Pour into browned butter and stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool until slightly warm to the touch. (Approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
  3. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and stir in the sugar and yeast and allow mixture to proof for ten minutes. It should be a bit bubbly/foamy when ready.
  4. Mix on low with a dough hook and add pumpkin, salt and flour in small increments until all ingredients are combined.
  5. Allow the mixer to pull the dough until smooth and elastic to the touch. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour until it roughly doubles in size.
  6. Punch dough down, lightly knead and chill dough in refrigerator if not baking immediately.
Filling
  1. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
  2. When ready to assemble, brown butter following previous instructions.
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Allow dough to come to room temperature if needed and knead a few more tablespoons into the dough to allow for a less tacky rolling consistency. Roll out dough into a large rectangle approximately half an inch thick.
  3. Brush entire surface of dough with browned butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
  4. Cut dough into 5 inch wide strips and stack on top of each other.
  5. Cut the strips in half, stack and repeat until your dough rectangles are the approximate size of the ends your loaf pan.
  6. Press all rectangles one at a time into your loaf pan and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes.
  7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until top edges are nice and dark. Remove from oven and allow to cool before inverting out of the pan.
  8. Pull apart slices and serve warm.

Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread made from scratch