Cardamom and Orange Pull-Apart Bread
Why I Love This Recipe
This month's blogger Imrov features 2 of my favorite ingredients: Cardamom and Orange. And don't you think all of those pull-apart breads on Pinterest are just so pretty? Me too!
Ingredients You'll Need
Dough:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
3-3 ½ cups flour
1 t. salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Filling:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Frosting:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.; grease a large loaf pan (9")
Heat the milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange peel over medium/low heat until the butter begins to melt and the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and allow it to cool to 115 degrees F. (bathwater warm). Whisk the yeast into the milk mixture and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, or until it starts to foam.
In the mean time, whisk together 3 cups of the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs and the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and, using the paddle attachment, beat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is shaggy. Switch the paddle out for the dough hook and continue to knead the dough, adding additional flour as needed, for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a greased bowl, turning it over once. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour or until double in size.
Gently deflate the dough and let it rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface (I use a Silpat) roll the dough into a large rectangle. Brush the melted butter over the top. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom and sprinkle all of it evenly over the melted butter.
Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 strips, then carefully stack all of the strips into one stack. Cut the stack of strips into 6 slices. Place the stacks of dough, cut side up, into the greased loaf pan (I staggered mine). Allow the dough to rise for about 20 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes; cover with foil if it darkens too quickly. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Frost while warm.
