Description
A soft, sweet pull‑apart bread layered with tart cranberries and crunchy almonds — perfect for breakfast or a festive treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all‑purpose flour
- 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup warm milk (about 110 °F / 43 °C)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted + extra for brushing
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds
- Optional: powdered sugar glaze (powdered sugar + milk) or honey for drizzling
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk with a pinch of sugar; let sit until foamy, about 5‑10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, egg, and vanilla to the dry ingredients; stir until a soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5‑7 minutes.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough, then roll it out into a rectangle (roughly 12×16 inches or size you have). Brush with butter, sprinkle with cranberries and almonds.
- Slice the rectangle into strips, then stack and cut into cubes (or fold & layer them) to create pull‑apart sections.
- Place the pieces into a greased loaf pan (or bundt / ring pan), allowing bits to overlap but leave room for rising. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Brush top with butter.
- Bake for about 30‑35 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through (an inserted tester comes out clean).
- Let cool slightly in pan, then invert or remove; drizzle with glaze or honey if using. Pull apart and serve warm.
Notes
- You can soak the dried cranberries in warm water or orange juice for 10 minutes before using to plump them up.
- If you like more almond flavor, add a drop of almond extract along with vanilla.
- Make sure not to overbake—pull‑apart breads dry out quickly once cooled.
- This bread freezes well. Slice first, then freeze. Reheat slices or pull‑apart pieces in a warm oven or toaster.
- For a richer texture, substitute half the milk with buttermilk or add a little sour cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (of 8)
- Calories: ≈ 250‑300 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 8‑12 g
- Sodium: ≈ 150‑250 mg
- Fat: ≈ 10‑12 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 3‑5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 6‑8 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 0‑1 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 35‑40 g
- Fiber: ≈ 2‑3 g
- Protein: ≈ 5‑7 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 30‑40 mg
