Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

If you are embracing apple season, this Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Pull Apart Bread is an absolute must make! It’s incredibly soft, loaded with apples and tons of cinnamon. A dreamy Fall treat!

I cannot explain why, but there is just something about pull apart bread that makes it superior to regular bread! It’s insanely soft, you get gooey, flavourful pieces through out and it looks beautiful too. This Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Pull Apart bread is a Fall treat that no one will be able to resist.

This bread looks complex, but it’s quite simple to make. You start by mixing together a soft buttery sweet dough. Let that rise over night until soft and stretchy. Then, you roll it out thin, and slather over a butter, brown sugar and cinnamon filling. Cut the dough into squares, then pile fresh chopped apple onto each square of dough. Finally, fold each square in half then layer all the dough pieces in a loaf pan. Let that rise a final time, and then baked until golden brown.

Once you have this bread baked you can enjoy it on its own or do a little icing sugar glaze or caramel drizzle over the top! I love this bread because it isn’t too sweet, but still tastes like a decadent treat. A great loaf to bake as a gift, enjoy with brunch, or an afternoon sweet snack.

Tips for Making Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Pull Apart Bread

1. Make sure you are using a nice strong and active fed sourdough starter. I always recommend feeding a 1:4:4 ratio for a nice strong starter.
2. For the bulk rise, do not expect this dough to rise like a classic sourdough loaf. It will rise about 50% in size but will nowhere near double in size. It should feel nice and soft to the touch when it is done rising.
3. When placing the dough in the loaf pan, you want to squeeze the dough layers in size and tight. If you cannot fit it all in your loaf pan, you can bake the remaining pieces in a muffin tin.

Cinnamon Apple Sourdough Pull Apart Bread Ingredients

Sourdough Starter– As mentioned above, you want it to be fed and active.

Flour– Unbleached all purpose or bread flour.

Milk- This helps give flavor and a nice soft bread.

Egg– Just 1 and do not worry about it being in the dough while it sits at room temp to rise.

Butter- You want it softened but not melted.

Sugar– Granulated sugar goes in the dough, and brown sugar goes in the filling.

Vanilla Extract– I like a touch of vanilla in the dough for a little extra flavor.

Cinnamon– It seems like a lot, but I promise it’s the perfect amount.

Apple– Use fresh chopped apple of almost any kind you like.

The Steps

MIX & RISE

1. Start by adding the first 8 ingredients to a bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Mix with a dough hook until a soft dough forms. If you want to do this by hand, stir together all the ingredients excluding the butter, then knead the softened butter into the dough after.
3. Once the dough is combined, continue to let it knead for about 6-7 minutes. With the mixer or by hand.
4. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise over night for about 12 hours or so. Mine took about 14 as it’s cool in our house. The dough will not double in size, but should rise about 50%, get puffy and be nice and soft to the touch.

SHAPE & BAKE

1. After the dough has risen, dump it onto a clean surface, then roll it out into a large rectangle, so that the dough is about 1/8 inch thick.
2. Next, take the 1/2 cup softened butter and stir it together with the brown sugar and cinnamon until nice and smooth. You want the butter soft enough so that it is easy to spread.
3. Take this filling, and spread it evenly all over the rolled out dough. Then, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into roughly 10-12 squares. You want the squares to be about the same width as the loaf pan you are using.
4. To the middle of each square of dough, place and small handful of the diced apples. Take the bottom half of each square and fold it over the apples.

1. Grease your loaf pan, then tightly layer all the folded pieces of dough into the pan, with the folded edges at the bottom of the pan.
2. Cover the loaf pan with a tea towel and let rest for a final 3-4 hours or until the dough has become soft and puffy again.

1. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350F. Bake the loaf for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
2. Remove the bread from the oven, and allow to cool slightly before topping with your choice of icing or caramel!Serve the bread warm and enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or a recipe review below!