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Double Apple PUll Apart Bread Recipe

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This Double Apple Pull Apart Bread Recipe comes to you thanks to a magazine article I saw. I loved the way it was put together in slices rather than balls. And the combination of a simple yeast dough, covered with apple butter, brown sugar and grated apples is the crowning touch.

The Apple Cardamom Pull Apart Bread sits on a cream colored tray with an apple, apple butter, and cinnamon sticks in the background.

I have to be really honest and tell you this is a mess to put together. But it is so worth it. Wait till you taste it. I substituted apple butter for the usual butter in these types of sweet breads then added grated apples to intensify the apple taste. The only caveats here is to make sure the apple butter is thick and just before adding the apples to squeeze all of the liquid from the apples. I used the Reinneck Ranch Apple Butter. My usual one hadn't hit the market yet.

Looking for a few more sweet breads or rolls, well, here they are: Best Cinnamon Crunch Rolls, 60 Second Brioche Anyone Can Make, Swedish Cardamom Sweet Rolls and Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

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What's Not to love about this recipe

  • It's actually easy to make as you will see in the photos below.
  • For the yeast dough you simply mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ones and beat for about 4 minutes.
  • While I already told you it is a bit messy to shape and finish, it's not difficult
  • The dough is a dream to work with if you refrigerate it overnight.
  • It doesn't spring back when you roll it out.
  • Spread the apple butter, then top with the brown sugar and spice followed by the grated apples
  • Cut and stack - that's it!

Recipe Ingredients

Double Apple Pull Apart Bread Dough

Ingredients for the Apple Cardamom Pull Apart Bread are milk ,insant yeast, egg, unsalted butter, salt and all-purpose flour.

FRONT ROW: Instant yeast, salt

MIDDLER ROW: Honey, unsalted butter,egg

BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, milk

Apple Filling

Ingredients for the apple filling are Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, apple butter, shredded apples, cardamom

FRONT ROW: Cardamom (or cinnamon), apple butter

BACK ROW: Granny Smith apples, brown sugar

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

The first collage for the Apple Cardamom Pull Apart Bread shows the milk, honey and butter in a small saucepan, heated to melt the butter and honey, the egg added and finally the instant yeast.

Step 1. Place the milk, honey and butter in a small saucepan and heat just until the butter and honey are melted. Step 2. Remove from the heat. Cool to lukewarm.Step 3. Whisk in the egg. Step 4. Add the yeast and whisk to combine.

This collage shows the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, the wet ingredients added, the dough mixed and the put in a container to rise.

Step 5. Place the all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Step 6. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl. Step 7. Beat on medium or the speed your mixer suggests until the dough forms a ball. Beat for 3 minutes to activate the gluten. The dough should clean the sides of the bowl and be soft but not sticky. Step 8. Place the dough in a container that has been sprayed with a non-stick-baking release. Turn it over and cover with film. Place the top on or cover with a towel and mark the time. Let it rise until doubled. Deflate and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days,

This collages shows the apples being shredded, the dough being dented to male it easier to roll out, the dough rolled out and spread with apple butter.

Step 9. Shred the apples with a box grater on the largest hole. Shred one side, turn the apple 90°, shred another side and continue turning and shredding until the appleis done. Repeat to make 1 1/2 cups after the liquid has been squeezed out. Step 10. Remove the dough from the fridge and place it in front of you on a lightly floured surface Shape it into a rectangle and dent the dough several times to make it easier to roll out . Step11. Roll it out into a 20" x 12" rectangle. Step 12. Spread it with the apple butter.

This collage shows the brown sugar and cardamom being mixed, the shredded apples on top of the apple butter, then all of the apples distributed, the dough cut in half lengthwise with one stack of cut pieces and both stacks cut in thirds.

Step 13. Combine the cardamom or cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle it evenly over the apple butter. Press it down lightly Step 14. Sprinkle the apples over the brown sugar covering the dough completely. Step 15. Cut the dough in half from top to bottom. Cut each half into 5 6"x 4" strips. Stack in to 2 piles. Step 16. Cut each of these stacks into three 4"x2". stacks.

The last collage shows the first 2 stacks, staggered in the loaf pan, then all of the stacks in the pan, the pan covered loosely with plastic wrap and the baked bread turn out upside down on a rack.

Step 17. Stagger the sections in the loaf pan. Step 18. Add the remainder in the same manner. If all of them won't fit, just push those in the pan together. Step 19. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to double. Bake as directed. Step 20. After cooling in the pan for about 15 minutes, go around the edges and turn out onto a rack upside down. The apple butter and brown sugar will have made a glaze for the cake.

Recipe FAQ'S

What does cardamom taste like in apple bread?

Cardamom has a warm, fragrant flavor with subtle citrus and floral notes. It pairs especially well with sweet-tart apples and gives this pull-apart bread a distinctive Scandinavian-inspired flavor.

What are the best apples to use for Apple Cardamom Pull-Apart Bread?

Granny Smith apples are the best hands down. They don't add sweetness and with the apple butter and brown sugar no more is needed. They also don't become mushy even when grated.

What if I don't have cardamom?

Substitute cinnamon. It's always a good choice with apples.

Expert Tips

  • After shredding the apples squeeze all the liquid from them to make 1 1/2 cups
  • Squeeze them again just before spreading them over the brown sugar.
  • Light or brown sugar can be used.
  • The apple butter needs to be thick. If yours it a bit loose, place it in a strainer over a bowl while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
  • Always form doughs in shape you want them rolled into. If they are thick, dent them 3 or 4 time with a rolling pin.
  • The dough can be made and held in the fridge up to 3 days.
  • I definitely suggest refrigerating it overnight. It will be much easier to roll out without a lot of spring back.
  • It may appear all of the stacks will not fit in the pan. Just push them together as necessary.
The Apple Cardamom Pull Apart Bread sits on a cream colored tray with an apple, apple butter, and cinnamon sticks in the background.

Four More great Sweet Breads

A lot of work goes into each of my recipes and my only ask is that if you like the recipe or even the looks of it, please leave me a star rating to help me rank better.  It’s important and I appreciate it and I appreciate you.  

The Apple Cardamom Pull Apart Bread sits on a cream colored tray with an apple, apple butter, and cinnamon sticks in the background.

Double Apple Pull Apart Recipe

Helen S. Fletcher
This Double Apple Pull Apart Bread Recipe begins with a simple yeast dough, covered with apple butter, brown sugar and grated apples. I love the way is put together in slices rather than balls.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
rising time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Apple Sweet Bread, Sweet Bread
Cuisine Sweet Bread
Servings 10 servings
Calories 282 kcal

Equipment

  • 9x2" loaf pan

Ingredients

Double Apple Pull Apart Bread Dough

  • 3/4 cup milk, whole or 2%
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (58 grams or 1/2 stick)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (7 grams)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (420 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Double Apple Filling

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded apples, squeezed dry
  • 1 cuo thick apple butter
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar (135 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom or cinnamon

Instructions
 

Double Apple Pull Apart Bread Dough

  • Combine the milk, cut up butter and honey in a small saucepan. Heat over medium just until the butter is melted. Stir everything together and let cool to lukewarm.
  • Whisk in the egg. Sprinkle the yeast on top and whisk it in.
  • Combine the all-purpose flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Pour the wet ingredients over and beat for 3 to 4 minutes to develop the gluten and it comes together in a ball.
  • Spray a container at least twice as big as the dough with a non-stick baking release. Shape the dough into a ball and add it to the container, turning it over so both sides are coated with the release. Cover directly with plastic wrap. Put the top on the container or cover with a towel.
  • Let double at room temperature or put in in the oven with the oven light on and the door closed. Check the temperature of the oven abut 30 minutes in and make sure it does no exceed 90°F. If it does, prop the door open with a wooden spoon.
  • While the dough can be used immediately, it is infinitely easier to roll out if it is refrigerated overnight or up to 3 days.

Double Apple Filling

  • Peel the apples and grate them on the largest hole of a box grater. Squeeze all the liquid from them. Measure 1 1/2 cups after the water is squeezed out. Set aside.
  • Measure the remaining ingredients and sst them aside also.

Assembly - all of the cutting can seem confusing. Look at the pictures where it will be clear.

  • Line the bottom of a 9"x5" loaf pan with parcment paper. Spray the whole pan with a non-stick baking release.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, shape it into a rectangle. Dent the dough several times with your roling pin to make it easier to roll out . Roll the dough into a 20" x 12" rectangle.
  • Spread the apple butter over the dough.
  • Combine the brown sugar and cardamom or cinnamon and sprinkle over the apple butter.
  • Squeeze the apples again to extract as much water as possible and sprinkle them over the brown sugar.
  • Cut the dough in half to make 2 pieces 20"x6".
  • Cut each 20"x6" piece into 5 6"x4" strips. Stack the 5 pieces up together.
  • Cut each 6"x4" stack into 3 4'x2' strrips.
  • Stagger the strips in the pan, cut side up. You will most likely have to push them together to get them all in.
  • Cover lightly with plastic wrap. if you follow me, you know I don't usually like to use plastic wrap, but these are a bit messy and a towel is not a good idea. Allow to almost double. If the ends rise above the rest, push them down to even the loaf up.
  • About 15 minutes before the Double Apple Pull Apart Bread is to go into the oven preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until nicely browned and 200°F inside.
    Be sure to tent it lightly with foil as it starts browning. The combination of the apple butter and brown sugar will burn easily.
  • If the ends have risen higher than the middle, immediately push the even with middle using a pancake turner.
  • Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Go around the edges with a metal spatula and turn it out. Cool on a rack. Serve it upside down as it makes it own glaze.
  • Any yeast dough is best the day it is made but it will keep, covered, for a couple of days at room temperature.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.  If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article.  Many of them will be answered there. 
As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency.  Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume.  For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted  all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.
­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
___________________________________________
After shredding the apples squeeze all the liquid from them to make 1 1/2 cups. 
Squeeze them again just before spreading them over the brown sugar.
Light or brown sugar can be used.
The apple butter needs to be thick. If yours it a bit loose, place it in a strainer over a bowl while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Always form doughs in the shape you want them rolled into before starting. If they are thick, dent them 3 or 4 time with a rolling pin.
The dough can be made and held in the fridge up to 3 days.
I definitely suggest refrigerating it overnight. It will be much easier to roll out without a lot of spring back.
It may appear all of the stacks will not fit in the pan. Just push them together as necessary.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 10servingsCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 138mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 207IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @helensfletcher or tag #pastrieslikeapro!
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