Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

I absolutely love baking bread. I suppose I'm a little odd, but I take great delight when I see my yeast bubble and foam or a beautiful lump of dough all doubled in size. All these things just hint at the yummy bread that will soon be baking up in my oven.

This time, I decided to try a sweet bread and boy what a sweet bread it was. I've been seeing a recipe for Lemon Pull-Apart Bread and really wanted to try it, but lemons are not exactly on sale right now. I soon got to thinking that an orange version might work. Then, to my absolute glee, that is exactly what appeared on Lizzy's blog, "That Skinny Chick Can Bake." Her pictures were all I needed to see and I decided to proceed, full steam ahead.

I will tell you in advance that this recipe does take a lot of time, effort, and preparation. It also caused me a little stress because I once again decided to try rolling it out on waxed paper. You would think I'd have learned my lesson from when I made cinnamon rolls. Word to the wise, it doesn't matter how much you flour the waxed paper, in the end it will still STICK. A cookie sheet or your counter is probably a much better idea. I also forgot to grease my bread pan, so halfway through the second rising, I began sticking an oiled knife into the sides, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. Luckily, the bread still popped out in the end.

But, is all of this worth it? Of course it is!!! In the end, you will be rewarded with this soft brioche type bread in which every piece is infused with a delicious orange flavor. And do not even think about skipping the cream cheese icing on top. It is an absolute must!!! It takes everything up to the next level and will truly make your bread the piece de resistance of any table.

Believe me, this is one of the ultimate breads. One bite and you will swoon. You may want to shout about it from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not cause then you'd have to share. But, your tastebuds will definitely do a little happy dance

Orange Pull-Apart Coffee Cake
(adapted from That Skinny Chick Can Bake)

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1/3 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. salted butter
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest (I just used all orange zest)

Cream Cheese Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese (I used 4 oz. cream cheese)
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. orange juice

Grease a standard loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 inches).

Heat milk and butter just in microwave or on stove until butter melts. Add water, then allow to cool till just warm (110-115F). Add the yeast and 2 tsp. sugar. Let sit until foamy, about 5 min. Add the vanilla.

Combine the flour and the rest of the sugar. Add to the yeast mixture and mix till flour is just moistened. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till incorporated. Add 1/2 c. flour and mix till dough is smooth. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and mix till smooth.

Lightly flour a work surface and knead dough for about a minute. Add the last 2 Tbsp. flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place till doubled, about 1 hour.

Rub the orange zest into the sugar until it is orange and fragrant. Combine with the melted butter and set aside.

Punch down the dough and roll into a 12x20 inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling on the dough. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 5 strips, each 12x4 inches (use a ruler to get this as accurate as possible). Carefully stack the strips on top of each other, so you have a stack of five 12x4 inch rectangles.

Cut this stack into 6 equal rectangles, each 2 inches wide. Carefully place each of these smaller stacks into the loaf pan, cut side up. Cover and let rise in a warm spot till doubled, about 45 min.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake for 30-45 min. (mine took 30 min.). Cool on rack about 10-15 min., then remove from pan to rack to continue cooling.

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar till smooth. Add the milk and juice and mix till combined. Ice warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe is linked to:
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Rook 17
Full Plate Thursday
Fat Camp Friday
Sweet Tooth Friday
What's Cookin' in the Kitchen
Your Recipes My Kitchen
Let's Break Bread Together
Themed Bakers' Sunday