Apple Pull Apart Bread

Apple Pull Apart Bread has chipped pieces of apple between layers of slightly sweet cinnamon dough.  Fun to make and worth all the effort.

Green Apple Pull Apart Bread Using Frozen Dough

Green Apple Pull Apart Bread is made using Rhodes thaw, rise, and bake white bread dough.  One of the most rewarding and most mouthwatering breads that you can make at home for your family.

By now, I think almost everyone knows about Pull Apart Bread on Pinterest.  I don't think I have opened up my Pinterest and run through my followers' pins without someone pinning a recipe for pull-apart bread in a loaf pan.

I decided I needed to find out what all the fuss was about, so I made my own spin on it, Green Apple Pull Apart Bread.  I decided to follow up with the ingredients I use in my Apple Cinnamon Rolls.  

Now I clearly see why some people say you should call the law when this happens. Ha! Ha! You haven't truly lived until you've made some of this amazing pull-apart bread.  

Hope you get to make some real soon.  

Enjoy!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR APPLE PULL APART BREAD

Below, under the next heading, I provide a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Apple Pull Apart Bread, as well as similar recipe ideas you can try.

Or, you can scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and complete instructions with notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS FOR THE BEST APPLE PULL APART BREAD

Choose the right apples.  Use firm, crisp apples that hold their shape well and do not get mushy when baked.  A good option is the Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Braeburn apple.  If the apples release too much juice, strain them after cutting them.   Avoid softer varieties like McIntosh or Red Delicious.

Prepare apples just before using.  Chop the apples into small, uniform pieces and mix them with the cinnamon sugar mixture right before assembling the bread.  This prevents the apples from releasing too much juice prematurely.

Roll and stack evenly.  When cutting the dough, try to cut uniform strips and stack them as neatly as you can.  This will help them bake and brown evenly.  If possible, use a pizza cutter, although a sharp knife can give the same results.

Bake to temperature.  If you have trouble seeing if the bread is done, use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.  The bread should read at least 190 degrees F. internally when finished.  It will help ensure the center is fully cooked and not doughy.

Cover with foil.  If the bread begins to brown too much, place a sheet of foil over the bread.

Cool on a wire race.  It is essential to cool the bread on a wire rack so the bread cools underneath, circulating the air and preventing a soggy bottom crust.

Topping ideas.  Cream cheese glaze is rich and complements the flavors.  Streusel topping creates a delicious, crunchy texture using flour, butter, brown sugar, oats, and pecans, which is then sprinkled over the bread before it is placed in the oven.  Caramel drizzle takes the flavor over the top with a drizzle of your favorite store-bought or homemade caramel sauce after the bread is baked.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE APPLE PULL APART BREAD

Rhodes White Bread,

Butter, melted (divided)
Sugar
Cinnamon
Granny Smith apples
Powdered sugar
Half and half
Vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)

HOW TO PREPARE APPLE PULL APART BREAD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and grated apple (see note); set aside.  Butter a loaf pan.  Any loaf pan will work (my loaf pan is a 9 x 5); set aside.

On a well-floured surface, roll the thawed bread dough into a 12x16-inch rectangle.

Smear 1/2 cup melted butter evenly over prepared dough all the way to the edge of the dough.

Sprinkle the cinnamon apple mixture evenly on top of the butter, all the way to the edge of the dough.

There have been some comments about the difficulty of understanding the instructions: I have rewritten them for better clarity.

1. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 8 strips from the rectangle, 2 inches wide, starting at the long end. You will end up with about 8 strips, 2 inches wide.

2. Using a spatula to lift dough strips if the dough is too sticky; take one strip and lay it on top of another, and then another strip and lay it on top of the two strips, and another one on top of the three.  Now you have 4 strips stacked all together.  You do this two times.  Now you have two stacks of 4 layers of strips, totaling 8 individual layers.  Don't try to stack too many at one time; they will not cut evenly.  Only stack 4 strips together at a time.  

3.  Remember the strips are 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.  Now cut the layered (4 strips) into squares about 2 inches wide (my loaf pan is about 5 inches wide).  They need to be smaller than the loaf pan to have room to rise. Now you will have 6 square stacks of 4 layers (that are 2-inch squares) = 24 individual (2-inch) layers

Now, to load or place them in the loaf pan, follow from here:
1. Grease the loaf pan with butter.

2. Pick up a stack of 4 layers (2-inch squares) and lay them sideways in the loaf pan with the layers showing on top.  Continue until all the stacks of 4 layers are in the loaf pan.  You should see 24 layers across the top.

The dough will rise and expand (This is why they need to be smaller than the loaf pan).  When I got all of the stacks in the loaf pan, I had 24 layers across the pan, but if, for some reason, you have more layers than 24, do not try to cram a lot in the loaf pan and crowd the layers.  This will cause them not to bae right if you have.  28 layers are the maximum you need in the loaf pan.

Cover the loaf pan with a towel and let it rise until almost doubled.  Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and the center is done.  If the dough begins to brown too much, place aluminum foil over the dough.  Be sure not to take it out too soon.  It will not come out of the pan successfully if the dough is not fully cooked.

Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes on a cooling rack.  While cooling, prepare the glaze.

Mix in a bowl, using the reserved 1/4 cup melted butter, add powdered sugar, vanilla, and half and half.  Using a wire whisk, cream thoroughly.

After the bread is cooled slightly, drizzle with glaze.  Serve warm.

WHERE YOU MAY SEE THIS RECIPE

Metamorphosis Monday

Busy Monday

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Originally published August 2014.  Updated August 2025.