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Maple Glazed Apple Pull-Apart Bread

Maple glazed apple pull-apart bread with layered, cinnamon-sweet apple filling and a glossy maple drizzle. Soft, golden bread bakes in a loaf pan and turns pull-apart tender after a proper rise.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For dough
  • 0.75 cup warm milk
  • 2.25 tsp yeast
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 0.25 cup melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3.5 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
For apple cinnamon filling
  • 2 cup diced apple
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 cup softened butter
For maple glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make and rise the dough
  1. Warm the milk, then combine warm milk with yeast and sugar; let stand until foamy. Visual cue: the surface should look bubbly and active before you proceed.
  2. Add melted butter, eggs, vanilla, flour, and salt, then mix until a shaggy dough forms. Visual cue: flour should be fully incorporated with no dry pockets.
  3. Knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Visual cue: the dough should feel stretchy and look slightly satiny.
  4. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased container, and cover; let rise for 1 hour. Visual cue: the dough should roughly double in size.
Build the layered apple filling
  1. Prepare the apple cinnamon filling by mixing diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and softened butter until evenly coated. Visual cue: apples should look glossy from the butter-sugar coating.
  2. Roll the risen dough into a 12x18 rectangle and spread softened butter over the surface. Visual cue: butter should be thinly and evenly spread.
  3. Scatter the apple filling mixture over the buttered rectangle. Visual cue: apples should cover most of the surface in an even layer.
Shape and rise in the loaf pan
  1. Cut the rectangle into 5 long strips. Visual cue: strips should be even in width.
  2. Stack the strips, then cut into 6 square stacks. Visual cue: you should get 6 compact stacks that hold their layers.
  3. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and layer the stacks on their sides inside. Visual cue: cross-sections should be visible, showing distinct apple-studded layers.
  4. Cover and rise for 30 minutes. Visual cue: the dough should puff up noticeably in the pan.
Bake and glaze
  1. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until deep golden. Visual cue: the top should brown and the bread should sound hollow when tapped.
  2. Tent with foil halfway through baking if the top browns too quickly. Visual cue: foil should shield the surface while the interior continues to bake.
  3. Whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and cinnamon into a smooth glaze. Visual cue: glaze should flow and ribbon slightly when lifted.
  4. Drizzle the maple glaze generously over the bread while warm. Visual cue: glaze should soak into the pull-apart ridges and look glossy.

Notes

Pro tip: dice apples small so they distribute evenly through the layered cuts and don’t release too much liquid. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days; rewarm in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes. Freezing is yes—wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight then rewarm. For a lighter option, use half whole-wheat flour (replace 1/2 cup flour) for a slightly denser but still tender crumb.