Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

This soft pull apart bread has pumpkin puree in the dough and a buttery, sweet pumpkin pie spice filling, making it the perfect autumn treat for all the pumpkin spice lovers. Make sure to leave plenty of time to prepare since the dough will need to rise twice before baking, but I promise it’s worth it!

Prepare the Dough

The base of this recipe is a soft, buttery bread. To make the dough, follow these steps:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, gently whisk together instant yeast, sugar, warm whole milk (~110°F). Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy on top.

2. Add softened butter, one egg, pumpkin puree, flour, and salt and mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 3 minutes. At this point you should have a soft dough that pulls away from the edges of the bowl.

3. Continue to mix the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 5 minutes.

4. Check the dough to see if the gluten has properly developed by doing the "windowpane" test. To do this, pull off a small amount of the dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can stretch the dough so it is thin enough to see light through without it tearing, it is ready. If not, knead the dough for another 2 minutes and check again. Repeat as many times as needed.

5. Roll the dough into a ball and place in it a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a slightly warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Make the Filling

While the dough is rising, make the filling. In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until full combined. The mixture should have a paste-like texture like in the image below.

Assemble the Bread

Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down to release the gas. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter or ring mold, cut out 12 circles of dough, combining the scraps and re-rolling out the dough as needed.

Spread the filling onto each dough circle.

Fold the dough circles in half and place them in a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan with the open side up (see the left image below). Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or foil and let the dough rise in a slightly warm place for 45 minutes. The dough should get puffier and start to fill out the pan (see the middle image below for reference).

Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and pumpkin pie spice.

Bake the Bread

Bake the bread at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until the top is a nice golden brown. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.

If desired, make an icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add another tablespoon of milk for a thinner texture. Drizzle the icing over the bread.

Yield: 12

Author: Laura's Bake Lab

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Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

Pull apart bread made with pumpkin puree with a sweet pumpkin spice butter between the layers.

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 H & 15 M

Ingredients

Dough

• 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to ~110°F
• 2 tsp dry instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (plus a little more for greasing the pan)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Filling

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Topping

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Icing (optional)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, gently whisk together the yeast, sugar, and warm milk. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes. The mixture should be frothy on top.
2. Add the butter, egg, pumpkin puree, flour, and salt and mix with the dough hook attachment on low speed for 3 minutes. At this point you should have a soft dough that pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
3. Continue to mix the dough on medium speed for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 5 minutes. Check the dough to see if the gluten has properly developed by doing the "windowpane" test. To do this, pull off a small amount of the dough and stretch it between your fingers. If you can stretch the dough so it is thin enough to see light through without it tearing, it is ready. If not, knead the dough for another 2 minutes and check again. Repeat as many times as needed.
4. Roll the dough into a ball and place in it a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in slightly warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Make the Filling

1. In a small bowl, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until full combined.

Assemble the Bread

1. Brush a 9x5 inch loaf pan with softened butter.
2. Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down to release the gas. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter or ring mold, cut out 12 circles of dough, combining the scraps and re-rolling out the dough as needed.
4. Spread a generous layer of the filling on a dough circle and fold it in half. Place the half-circle into the prepared loaf pan, open side up. Repeat for the rest of the dough circles.
5. Cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap or foil and let the dough rise in a slightly warm place for 45 minutes. The dough should get puffier and start to fill out the pan.

Bake & Finishing Touches

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Once risen, brush the top of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle on the sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
3. Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.
4. If desired, make an icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp of milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add another tablespoon of milk for a thinner texture. Drizzle the icing over the bread.
5. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://www.laurasbakelab.com/blog/pumpkin-pull-apart-bread

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