Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread for #PumpkinWeek

Pumpkin season is here, and we are celebrating our love of pumpkin with #PumpkinWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures. All week-long 26 bloggers will be sharing over 80 pumpkin-filled recipes for all your Autumn celebrations, including breakfasts, baked goods, savory pumpkin recipes, desserts, and drinks.

I love, love, love Pumpkin Week. I've participated several times before; here are few highlights! In 2017: Pumpkin Chili, in 2016: Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze, 2015: Chicken Mushroom and Pumpkin Stew and Pumpkin Carrot Cake, and in 2014: Pumpkin Scones. These recipes were all memorable and this week always gives me a fantastic "excuse" to try something new with pumpkin. I always try at least one or two savory items, in addition to crossing a few more "to try" items off the sweets / baked goods list.

And I have to say - of all the recipes I tried and shared this year the one I'm sharing today is probably my very favorite. I have had pull apart bread recipes in my radar to try for YEARS and this completely from scratch recipe is just amazing. It's so completely tender. The original recipe adds additional brown sugar to the filling layers - but I skipped it and we didn't miss it. It's not overly sweet, but just sweet enough with that delicious glaze soaking down into the warm bread. Serve this as a dessert treat, or a special breakfast and you cannot go wrong! It was absolutely delicious and I would gladly make this one again!

Come see our final day of Pumpkin Week recipes!    

Drink Recipes

• Iced Pumpkin Pie Drink by Palatable Pastime

Breakfast and Baked Goods

• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins by The Mandatory Mooch
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins by Our Sutton Place
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones by Veggies First Then Dessert
• Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread by Making Miracles
• Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake by Blogghetti

Savory Recipes

• Baked Pumpkin Goat Cheese Alfredo Pasta with Bacon by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Pumpkin Bacon Mac and Cheese by Our Good Life
• Pumpkin Corn Chowder by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Dessert Recipes

• Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies by Sweet Beginnings
• Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake byBig Bear's Wife
• No Churn Pumpkin Ice Cream by Caroline's Cooking
• Pumpkin Spice Latte Layer Cake by Love & Confections
• Vegan Pumpkin Spiced Muffins by Happily Curated Chaos

Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk

1 package active dry yeast (2.25 teaspoons)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3 Tablespoons butter - melted

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Pumpkin Filling:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3 tablespoon butter - melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 Tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a microwave safe medium to large bowl, and microwave 50-60 seconds until steaming warm, but not boiling hot. Stir the yeast into the warmed milk and allow to rest 8-10 minutes until yeast is activated and bubbling. 
2. Mix the 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, melted butter, 2 TBS sugar, egg yolk, and 1 tsp salt into the mixture and whisk to blend (I suggest a dough whisk, they're great for recipes like this)! Next whisk in 2 cups of the flour until incorporated, and then the final 1 cup of flour until dough begins to come together.
3. Lightly flour the counter, and knead the dough for about 3 minutes until a smooth and elastic dough forms (add a little additional flour as needed if dough begins to stick to the counter).
4. Scrape out the bowl if any dough / flour remains and pour a little bit of olive oil in the bottom. Place the dough ball atop the oil, then flip so both sides are coated. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place and allow to rise until doubled in size (about an hour or so).
5. Punch the dough down, and roll out into a large rectangle (about 20x12 inches). Combine the pumpkin filling mixture in a small to medium bowl until well blended and smear the filling all over the dough (similar to preparing cinnamon rolls).
6. Cut the dough into strips, about five 12x4-inch strips. Now cut them again into five 5x2.5-inch strips. 
7. Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Stack your strips on top of each other and carefully arrange in the prepared loaf pan. Cover the loaf pan with a tea towel and again set aside to rise, for about 45 minutes until it's gotten a little bit puffy.
8. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees once dough is ready to bake. Bake 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked all the way through in the middle. Set on a cooling rack to cool and prepare your cinnamon glaze.
9. Whisk together the sifted powdered sugar with the cinnamon, vanilla, and just enough milk to create a fairly thick glaze. Pour / scrape the glaze all over the top of the warm loaf and allow it to soak into the bread as it cools.
10. Serve warm as dessert or a special breakfast bread! 

Recipe adapted from Inspired By Charm