Easy Pull-Apart Cinnamon Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my cinnamon bread hard? ›

If you continue adding flour beyond the point of the dough absorbing it, you'll end up with hard, dry cinnamon rolls. But with time, practice, and attention, soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls are sure to become a staple in your weekend breakfast repertoire.

Baking temperature

Some ovens run hotter than its settings, some cooler. If the oven is too hot the loaf will be brown and crispy on the outside but doughy in the middle and may collapse as it cools. When bread is baked at too low a temperature it will not rise enough in the oven resulting in a dense and sunken loaf.

Depending on the shape, we call this bread pull-apart bread, or bubble loaf, or monkey bread. The Brits call it “tear and share,” and I think they're onto something with that name.

Cinnamon rolls are generally baked at a lower temperature than other breads — if the rolls are close together, the tops will begin to brown before the edges and centers are done. If the rolls begin browning too soon, cover pan with foil. 11. After approximately 30 minutes, test for doneness.

The distinction between soft and hard bread can be understood in terms of the interplay between starch and water molecules. Specifically, soft bread is characterized by a significantly higher content of both these molecules, resulting in an increased level of amylopectin, which produces a more cohesive dough.

water - Water is necessary for hydration when reheating leftovers. Adding a little water will soften and rehydrate a hard cinnamon roll. butter - Adding a bit of butter will soften stale rolls that have been around for a couple of days.

The first time I made this recipe the swirls completely separated from each layer. In researching how to prevent this, I found a tip by Cooks Illustrated. Very lightly misting the cinnamon sugar with water after sprinkling on the dough helps to prevent major separation.

But what's it called? The proper term is “heel,” according to the Cambridge Dictionary. Some may call it just “the end piece” or “the butt” when going with true informality. Some Redditors even refer to them as the “crusts,” a double whammy for both the outside of each slice and the end of the loaf itself.

Scoring is the technique term for slashing bread dough before baking with a sharp knife or lame. Slashing creates weak spots in the bread's crust, allowing for expansion instead of burst seams.

Why is pull apart bread called monkey bread? ›

Monkey bread gets its name by the method in which it is eaten: picking off chunks of buttery, gooey dough with your fingers not unlike a monkey grooming his buddy (which is actually a weird thing to name a food after, if you really think about it.)

Julie Clark, the blogger behind the website, notes that after years of research, she discovered that the key to getting perfectly gooey rolls is to “pour heavy cream over the cinnamon buns before baking. THIS is the secret ingredient and what makes the rolls rich and gooey.”

Use bread flour: bread flour is available at most grocery stores and it makes ALL the difference in achieving softer, fluffy, perfect cinnamon rolls. JUST TRUST ME. Make sure you flour your work surface and the rolling pin: this is to prevent the cinnamon rolls from sticking to the surface or to the rolling pin.

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

The Oven Method:

This method is my personal preference if I have plenty of time. Preheat the oven to 275F and place a cup of water in a shallow baking dish on a lower shelf of the oven. Place the cinnamon roll on a baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the roll is warmed through.

The first is using sugar in the formula, sugar (or honey or malt extract) provides the golden appearance of bread but it also hardens during heating in the oven. The second probable cause is the use of water inside the oven or as a spray upon the introduction of the loaf in the oven.