Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread with Rum Glaze!

This recipe is for my mother-in-law because she LOVES rum sauce! I have never made anything with rum sauce but this was AMAZING!! You can also use vanilla if you don't have rum flavoring.

Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread with Rum Glaze!

I stumbled across this recipe at Pinterest and had to make it! I have changed the recipe a little to make it less confusing. 

Ingredients:

For Bread
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup milk

2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

For Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Buttered Rum Glaze:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp rum (or you can use 1 tsp rum extract or 2 tsp vanilla)

Directions for bread:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black). Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). You may have to put it in the fridge for a minute.

Once it is no warmer than 110 degrees add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).

Add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
 
Make the filling:
Toward the end of the rising time, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter for the filling in the saucepan over medium-high heat and brown it as directed above. Whisk in the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Shape and bake pull-apart bread:
When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20x12 inch rectangle, lifting corners periodically to make sure it’s not sticking. Don't try using wax paper to roll it out. Just use your counter and a rolling pin. I usually spray my counter and pin with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. If it seems to be snapping back, cover it with your damp towel and let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing (I had to do this twice during the process).

Once it is rolled out sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the dough, like you would do with cinnamon rolls. Be sure to press it into the dough with palms of your hand or a spoon to ensure it mostly sticks.

Forming loaf:
With the long edge of the rectangle toward you, cut it into 6 strips. Do this by cutting the rectangle in half, then cutting each half into equal thirds. I think using a pizza cutter is about the easiest way.

Stack these strips on top of one another, like stacking blocks! Then cut the stack 3 times to make even portions, (again, cut it in half, and then cut the halves into equal thirds). Place these portions one at a time into your greased loaf pan, pressing them up against each other to fit them all in. Cover the pan with your damp cloth and place it in a warm place for 30-45 minutes to double in size. After it rises, you can put it in the fridge overnight to use it in the morning, but let it sit out for 10 minutes or so before putting in the oven.

Bake it:
While dough rises, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 if you have a glass loaf dish instead of a metal pan). When it’s risen, place the loaf in the center of the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until dark golden brown on top. If you take it out at light golden brown, it’s liable to be raw in the middle, so let it get good and dark. As soon as you take it out use a butter knife to loosen all sides of the bread from the loaf pan and gently turn it out onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip it to turn it right side up. If you let it sit in the pan you the cinnamon mixture turns into a candy and it is a real pain to get out of the pan.

Making the glaze:
In your saucepan, that you rinsed out from making the sugar mixture, bring the butter, milk, and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove it from heat, add the powdered sugar and rum (or vanilla), and whisk it to a smooth consistency.

Pour the glaze over the bread and serve! Be sure you get a piece otherwise if you wait to long there may be nothing left!