Why isn't my yeast frothing in the milk?

Three things could be happening: 1. Give the yeast an additional 5 minutes to sit and see if it starts to froth (we're not looking for like a head of beer here, just few little bubbles is all we need). 2. If nothing is happening, you may have dead yeast - check the expiration date. 3. Your milk is not the right temperature. Too cold and the yeast will take longer to wake. Too hot and your may have killed your yeast. The milk should be barely warm to the touch.

Do I need to wait overnight to bake?

Nope! Instead of placing in the fridge, allow the dough to rise in the pan in a warm spot and bake once it has doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

How do I store this pull-apart bread?

This is best the day of, but store any leftovers covered in the fridge and allow to come back to room temperature before enjoying.

What is the heavy cream for?

Pouring heavy cream over the top of the bread gives an extra bit of soft, ooey-gooey-ness. I use the same trick in my cinnamon rolls!

Can I make this with a smaller loaf pan?

This recipe is made for a 9"x5" loaf pan. If you have a standard 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" pan, you can totally still make this, you may just not need all the dough. You don't want to cram the squares into the pan as you want some room to rise and bake without spilling over the top. Leave one or two squares out of a smaller pan to have the dough fit loosely in the tin initially.

Orange Pull-Apart Bread | Quiet Baking Day

Description

This Orange Pull-Apart Bread is light and soft with a sweet orange and cinnamon filling and an easy cream cheese glaze.

Equipment: 9″ x 5″ Loaf Pan*

Ingredients

Units

Pull-Apart Bread Dough

3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 105°-110°F
7g (1 packet) active dry yeast
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
56g unsalted butter, softened
75g granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
390g – 420g (3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Zest of 2 oranges

Filling

99g granulated sugar
Zest of 2 oranges
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
56g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup heavy cream, slightly warm

Orange Cream Cheese Glaze

56g cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 1 orange
113g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

To make dough in a stand-mixer: Place warmed milk in the bowl of a stand-mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top and a pinch of the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until frothy. Add in eggs, butter, remaining sugar, and salt and mix with a dough hook until combined. Add smaller amount of flour and orange zest and mix on medium-high for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Only add more flour if needed, dough should be sticky.
To make dough by hand: Place warmed milk in a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and a pinch of the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until frothy. Add in eggs, butter, remaining sugar, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add smaller amount of flour and orange zest and mix until dough comes together with spoon, transfer to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Only add more flour if needed, dough should be sticky.
Place dough in a greased bowl and cover lightly with clean towel. Let rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours depending on temperature.
To make filling: While dough is rising, place sugar in a small bowl and add orange zest and rub together with finger tips to release the oils. Stir in cinnamon and cardamom and set aside.
Filling & slicing dough: Once dough is doubled, tip onto a floured surface and roll into a 12″x20″ rectangle. Brush dough from edge to edge with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with spiced sugar mixer. Slice into 15 – 4″x4″ squares: 3 rows and 5 columns.
Working one square at a time, fold in half, sugared sides together, and place folded edge in the bottom of a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Repeat with each square, placing in a row across the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in fridge overnight.
In the morning, pull loaf out of fridge and let come to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
Baking: Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Once ready to bake, pour heavy cream over the top of the loaf.
Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown and a knife comes out clean, or 190°F. Keep an eye on the loaf, if it browns too quickly, cover lightly with aluminum foil after 15 minutes.
Let cool in pan, then turn out onto cooling rack.
To make glaze**: Whip together cream cheese and butter. Add orange zest and confectioners’ sugar. Add orange juice and vanilla extract. Drizzle over cooled loaf.

Notes

*If you have a smaller 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pan, you may not need all the dough. When placing squares of dough into the tin, they should loosely fit to allow for rising. Leave 1-2 squares out of a smaller pan.
**This is enough glaze for a drizzle on top, plus some extra for serving on slices.
To make same day: Do not place filled loaf pan in fridge. Cover in plastic wrap and let rise on counter for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Continue with step 7 as above.
Store glazed loaf covered in the fridge. Unglazed loaf can be stored in an airtight container on counter, or wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.
To adjust glaze consistency: add more confectioners’ sugar to thicken, add more orange juice to thin.

Keywords: Citrus, brunch