Apple Dumpling Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
3 pounds medium Honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DOUGH:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
3/4 cup warm whole milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons salt
3-3/4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
CIDER SAUCE & GLAZE:
4 cups apple cider, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

Method:

1 In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add next six ingredients; stir to combine. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until apples have softened and released their juices, 10-12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer apples to a 15x10-in. rimmed baking pan; spread into a single layer. Add cider to Dutch oven and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until juices thicken and reduce to 1/2 cup, 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat; add vanilla extract. Pour over apple slices; cool completely. (Filling can be made 24 hours in advance and refrigerated.)
2 For dough, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, oil, salt and 1-1/4 cups flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
3 Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
4 Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into an 18x12-in. rectangle; spread apple mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Cut into twenty-four 3x3-in. squares. Make 4 stacks of 6 squares each; place stacks on edge in a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°.
5 Bake until well browned, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. For cider sauce, bring 3-1/2 cups cider and brown sugar to a boil. Cook, stirring, until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 25 minutes. For glaze, beat confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and enough remaining apple cider to reach desired consistency.
6 Add remaining butter and vanilla to cider sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Cool slightly. Drizzle sauce and glaze over bread.

Helpful Hints:

I converted a basic sweet dough into this incredible apple-filled pull-apart loaf. The results are anything but basic. It takes time, but I guarantee it's worth it. You can choose one of the sauces, but using both is twice as tasty.
Total TimePrep: 45 min. + rising Bake: 1-1/2 hr.
Makes 12 servings
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 544 calories, 20g fat (10g saturated fat), 42mg cholesterol, 633mg sodium, 88g carbohydrate (54g sugars, 3g fiber), 6g protein.


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