Vegan pull-apart bread that is SO fluffy and perfect, packed with fresh orange flavor and the BEST sweet orange glaze!
This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. Thank you for supporting the brands who make this space possible!
Hello hello! It feels like it’s been quite a while since I’ve gotten a fresh new post on the blog! I’ve been in this weird in-between mode of having a new job (I’m working for the BEST people), adjusting to working from home full-time, and finding a new routine. It sounds like it’s WAY easier to work from home all the time, right? Don’t get me wrong, it’s so nice and I love it. But, I’ve had to get into a routine where I actually get ready for the day and don’t become a hermit all the time. On top of that, I’m trying to find my groove with blogging again and just fitting everything in, so I’m getting there! Anyway, I’m back again with a partnership with Red Star Yeast. I happen to love them anyway and they are local to Wisconsin, so I’m super excited to have them as a partner again this year. The first recipe in our series is a vegan pull apart bread with orange and cinnamon!
I’ve actually been meaning to do a vegan pull apart bread for years now, but it always got away from me and other things came up (like this, and these, and this too). Making vegan pull apart bread is actually SUPER easy but takes just a little time and effort. I always think yeasted bread is going to take all day and be a big thing to make, but they actually aren’t that difficult, outside of the rise time. I baked this orange pull apart loaf over the course of a Saturday morning, in-between yoga classes and doing weekend things with our friends, so it was a perfect passive thing to have going on amongst all the other things. I think the most complicated part of this pull-apart bread is the cutting and stacking part, which really isn’t that hard once you think about it!
I made a note in the recipe, but here are a few tips for working with yeast and yeast bread:
- Don’t skip the two rise times! They are going to seem time-consuming (two hours, I know!), but it’s going to be the key to making sure the bread is fluffy, light, and rises high. I recommend having it rise while you are doing other things, so you can keep it going but not just be waiting around for it to be ready. Better yet, do the first rise the night before and the second the day that you are baking it.
- If orange isn’t your thing, feel free to swap it out for any other citrus fruit! I would recommend using the zest in all three parts of the recipe, or you aren’t going to get the orange or citrus flavor you really want.
- Make sure your yeast is fresh. If you have old yeast, the bread won’t rise and you will be left frustrated.
- Don’t use super hot water in the dough! This will kill your yeast and ensure that your bread will be flat and sad.
- Don’t let it over proof! I know more rising may seem better, but trust me (because I’ve done it before), it doesn’t. If your bread rises for too long it’s going to get super puffy and then fall, which makes for a flat, weird textured bread. Keep your rise time right around an hour and you will be good to go.
Vegan Orange Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf 1x
- Category: Breads
Description
Vegan pull-apart bread that is SO fluffy and perfect, packed with fresh orange flavor, cinnamon, and the BEST sweet orange glaze!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons Red Star Active Dry Yeast
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and yeast. Mix until combined.
- Add the almond milk, olive oil, water, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, salt, and orange zest. Mix on medium until the dough starts to come together. You will probably need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as you are mixing. Once the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer. The dough is going to be very sticky, that’s good!
- Lightly oil your mixing bowl with olive oil and place dough back into the bowl. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for at least an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and place onto a well-floured surface. Grease a loaf pan and set aside for your dough later.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest in a small bowl. Set aside for your filling.
- Roll into a rectangle that is 20 inches by 12 inches. If dough becomes really sticky as you are rolling out, sprinkle on more flour and keep rolling.
- Brush the rolled out dough with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the filling mixture, spreading it all over the rolled out dough.
- Once the rectangle is rolled out and filled, cut the dough into 5 strips from top to bottom. Stack these strips on top of one another and then cut the stack of strips into 6 equal squares.
- Place all the stacks of dough squares together end to end in the greased loaf pan. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for another hour.
- Once the dough has risen the second time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake the dough for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- While the dough is baking, whisk together all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Allow the bread to cool for at least 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and top with the glaze. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I know the two rise times seem excessive, but trust me, it makes for the best bread. I’ve tried making yeast doughs without two rises and they come out flat and not nearly as fluffy.
- Make sure to remove the bread from the loaf pan while it is still a little warm. If you let it cool too much, the filling will harden and become very hard to remove from the pan.
Jan Thompson says
It looks very tasty! Please make this when we come!
Jack @ BBQ Recipez says
Oh my goodness, this looks delicious! I’m definitely making this! thanks for sharing!
Peggy Mc says
Unfortunately we are not into the vegan style of cooking and baking. How would I make this (cause we love all things orange and cinnamon) non vegan? Thanks for your delicious recipe and it’s variations.
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Peggy, I haven’t made this non-vegan, so I’m not sure how it would turn out otherwise!
Camillionaire says
First of all, this recipe is excellent.
Second, this comment is ridiculous. I wonder if this person puts lard on everything just to make it non-vegan because she “unfortunately” doesn’t like vegan cooking, which doesn’t alter the flavor or ease of a recipe at all. I was vegan For 10 years, including the first time I made this recipe (I had to quit because I developed a legume intolerance– so weird), and I still came back to this vegan recipe. I think one of the silliest things about this comment is that making this non-vegan is literally basic knowledge. Use dairy milk (probably 1% because of the fat content) instead of almond milk, butter instead of olive oil, and slather it in bacon grease just to really stick it to the vegans. Also, maybe less obvious, use buttermilk instead of the almond milk and vinegar in the dough. Alternatively, go to a different blog that isn’t for vegan baking, maybe?
I’m going to make it as is, though. It’s a perfect recipe.
The comments on food blog posts are almost always a wreck, but this one takes the (vegan) cake. I feel like this comment won’t end up being posted, which is totally fine, I just couldn’t leave it be.
★★★★★
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you so much for your comment! You make a great point and I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Sarah says
Amazing recipe! Do you think it’d be the same if one were to use oat milk, instead of almond milk? I’d love to make this but definitely have an oat surplus.
Heart of a Baker says
I think that would work just fine!
Flora Allen says
I am very keen to make this recipe for my child. Absolutely delicious and easy to make! Your instructions are well explained for making this orange bread perfectly.
★★★★★
Rva says
Do you think I could use gluten free flour with this?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Rva! I haven’t tried it with GF flour so I can’t speak to if it would work.
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Rva! I haven’t used GF flour with these, so I don’t know if it would work.