![I made it! First yeast bread ever!
Lemon-Orange Pull-Apart Bread
Based on this recipe
Makes 2 loaves (because who wants to go through all that work for only one loaf?)
For the sweet yeast dough
About 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
About 2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 envelopes) yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup 2% milk
4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs , at room temperature
For the lemon paste filling / icing
1/2 cup granulated sugar
about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
Make the sweet yeast dough
1. Stir together 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until warm (120 to 130°F [49 to 54°C]), about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.
2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1 cup of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.
3. Sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and center the dough on the flour. Knead gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place (about 70°F [21°C]) until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. While the dough is rising, make the filling.
Make the lemon paste filling
4. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the lemon juice and orange zest. Set the wet mixture nearby.
Make the loaves
5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Or, lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.
6. Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter generously over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 by 4 inches. With a pastry brush, spread the zest-sugar mixture over one of the buttered rectangles. Top with a second rectangle and spread with zest-sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles and zest-sugar mixture, ending with a stack of 5 rectangles.
7. Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 by 2 inches. Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up and side by side. (While there is plenty of space on either side of the 6 strips widthwise in the pan, fitting the strips lengthwise is tight. But that’s fine because the spaces between the dough and the sides of the pan fill in during baking.)
8. Bake the bread until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. While cooling, spread any remaining zest-sugar and melted butter on the tops of the loaves.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve, you can pull apart the layers, or you can cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices on a slight diagonal with a long, serrated knife.](http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lob083FQbo1qgp4leo1_500.jpg)
I made it! First yeast bread ever!
Lemon-Orange Pull-Apart Bread
Based on this recipe
Makes 2 loaves (because who wants to go through all that work for only one loaf?)
For the sweet yeast dough
- About 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- About 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 envelopes) yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup 2% milk
- 4 ounces unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs , at room temperature
For the lemon paste filling / icing
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
Make the sweet yeast dough
1. Stir together 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water, and set aside until warm (120 to 130°F [49 to 54°C]), about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract.
2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and, using a rubber spatula, mix until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Attach the bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add 1 cup of the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add 2 more tablespoons flour and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 45 seconds.
3. Sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon flour and center the dough on the flour. Knead gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute, adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place (about 70°F [21°C]) until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. While the dough is rising, make the filling.
Make the lemon paste filling
4. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and the lemon juice and orange zest. Set the wet mixture nearby.
Make the loaves
5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Or, lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.
6. Gently deflate the dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter generously over the dough. Cut the dough crosswise into 5 strips, each about 12 by 4 inches. With a pastry brush, spread the zest-sugar mixture over one of the buttered rectangles. Top with a second rectangle and spread with zest-sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles and zest-sugar mixture, ending with a stack of 5 rectangles.
7. Slice the stack crosswise through the 5 layers to create 6 equal strips, each about 4 by 2 inches. Fit these layered strips into the prepared loaf pan, cut edges up and side by side. (While there is plenty of space on either side of the 6 strips widthwise in the pan, fitting the strips lengthwise is tight. But that’s fine because the spaces between the dough and the sides of the pan fill in during baking.)
8. Bake the bread until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. While cooling, spread any remaining zest-sugar and melted butter on the tops of the loaves.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature. To serve, you can pull apart the layers, or you can cut the cake into 1-inch-thick slices on a slight diagonal with a long, serrated knife.
