Pull-Apart Bread

 

Cooking spray to grease pan

3 1/2

to 3 3/4 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour or Better for Bread™ bread flour

2

tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

package regular or fast-acting dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1

cup milk

1/4

cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)

1

large egg

1/4

cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)

• 1 Spray a 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan with the cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast until well mixed.
• 2 In a 1-quart saucepan, heat the milk and 1/4 cup butter over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until very warm and an instant-read thermometer reads 120°F to 130°F. Add the milk mixture and the egg to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, stopping frequently to scrape batter from side and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula, until flour mixture is moistened. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, stopping frequently to scrape bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is soft, leaves side of bowl and is easy to handle (dough may be slightly sticky).
• 3 Sprinkle flour lightly on a countertop or large cutting board. Place dough on floured surface. Knead by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you with a short rocking motion. Move dough a quarter turn and repeat. Continue kneading about 5 minutes, sprinkling surface with more flour if dough starts to stick, until dough is smooth and springy.
• 4 Place 1/4 cup butter in a small microwavable bowl; cover with a microwavable paper towel. Microwave on High 30 to 50 seconds or until melted.
• 5 Shape the dough into 24 balls. Dip each ball of dough into the melted butter. Layer evenly in the pan. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place 20 to 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if an indentation remains when you press your fingertips about 1/2 inch into the dough. Remove plastic wrap.
• 6 Move the oven rack to a low position so that tops of the pans will be in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
• 7 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool bread in pan 2 minutes. Place a heatproof serving plate upside down on pan; holding plate and pan with pot holders, turn plate and pan over together, then remove pan. Serve bread while warm, pulling it apart with 2 forks or your fingers.