Easy Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

I needed a quick bake for my regular Coffee Morning, we have a shared breakfast once every Half Term.  I had 90 minutes before I had to leave for work so had to think up something low faff but tasty.  I did ponder Chelsea Buns or Apple Brioche Swirls but didn't have enough time.  I used a bread dough, dipped balls of bread dough in melted butter and cinnamon sugar then plonked them into a cake tin to prove then bake.

I took the bread along to my Coffee Morning and warmed it gently in the oven before serving.  One of the lovely ladies at the coffee morning, who is Canadian, was suddenly rather excited and exclaimed "Oh my goodness, who bought along the Monkey Bread!".  I had no idea what she was on about, however a quick Google on my phone determined that my bread was similar to Monkey Bread which is largely an American breakfast bread treat.  Who knew?!

I baked this bread again and took it on the school run on Friday afternoon.  Several teachers snaffled pieces of it and my 3 children, along with those I was child minding that afternoon, devoured the rest.  I am sure that I will be baking it quite often as it is so easy to make and very moreish and tasty.

Easy Cinnamon Sugar Bread

350g strong white bread flour

40g caster sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

150ml luke warm milk, I used semi-skimmed

125g pot greek yoghurt with honey

1 medium free range egg

1 small dollop vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp vanilla extract

Dip/Topping

75g unsalted butter

80g caster sugar

1 or 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Line a 20cm springform cake in with a paper liner or grease then line the bottom with baking parchment.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a bowl.  Warm the milk in the microwave or a saucepan until luke warm.  If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast.  Mix in the yoghurt, egg and vanilla.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the milk  mixture then mix until a soft dough forms.  Either knead in a stand mixer for 5 - 7 minutes or knead on a lightly floured surface for 10 - 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and glossy.  Try not to add extra flour to the surface when kneading, persevere through the sticky and annoying stage, keep kneading and the dough will become smooth.

Melt the butter in the microwave or in heat a saucepan on the hob until just melted.  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Divide the dough into roughly 12 portions, form into balls then dip in melted butter followed by cinnamon sugar. Put the dipped balls of dough into a cake tin, don't worry about arranging them too precisely.  Cover with clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size.  This took about an hour in a fairly warm room.  Gently brush any remaining butter over the proved dough and sprinkle over any remaining cinnamon sugar.

Preheat your oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

Bake the bread for 25 minutes, I covered the top of the cake tin with non-stick baking parchment after 10 minutes to stop the top from browning too quickly.  Turn out onto on a wire rack and leave until cool enough to eat safely.