This Cranberry Grapefruit Roll Pull Apart Bread is easy to eat and absolutely delicious!

With winter still upon us, grapefruit is abundant! With this, I had to create a flavorful, moist, tart sweet bread. Oh yes, the slight sweetness it delivers comes from the grapefruit rather from just sugar and the tartness of cranberries. Using grapefruit zest in the dough and draping it with a citrus glaze, the grapefruit shows up enough to show its presence but is not too brash. This Cranberry Grapefruit Bread is ridiculously good. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Prep Time:

2 hours

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hours 30 mins

Makes 2 delicious breads!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons grapefruit zest

8 cups of sifted flour

1/2 cup melted butter

Filling:

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 tablespoons grapefruit zest

1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped in food processor

Glaze:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Instructions:

Make the bread using the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast and warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until yeast is dissolved. I usually add a pinch of sugar to give the yeast a boost and also checking if my yeast is good.

Add the milk, sugar, salt, eggs, grapefruit zest and 2 cups of flour. Mix on a low speed with the paddle attachment until the dough is smooth.

Slowly add 3  more cups of flour, increasing the mixing speed until the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and glossy.

Add the melted butter and mix well.

Mix in the remaining flour until a stiff dough forms and  begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be firm and smooth but still a little sticky. DON’T OVER FLOUR.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Toss the dough to lightly coat with flour. Place it back in standing mixer, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using the dough hook on the standing mixer, knead until the dough is smooth and pliable. Place dough in a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll one part into a large rectangle, about 11×14 size. Spread 2 tablespoons of melted butter on dough. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of brown sugar and top with 3/4 cup of chopped cranberries and half of the grapefruit zest.

Roll the prepared dough into a log starting on the long side. Place seam side down on a lined baking sheet. Cut diagonal slices, with scissors, about 1 1/2 to 2″ apart. Cutting almost to the bottom of the log but leaving the dough attached.

Arrange cut sections so they can  lean to alternating sides. Let rise for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats to 375 degrees.

Beat one egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush egg mixture over the dough. Bake for 20-30 minutes. You will want to check the bread to prevent overbaking. Check the inner rolls to make sure they aren’t still doughy. Remove from oven when the outside is golden brown and all the inner layers are cooked. Let cool slightly.

Glaze:

Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice. Drizzle over the slightly cooled loaves.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Eileen

Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum