Lemon Pull-Apart Bread

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 300 g flour, maybe a little more
• 60 g sugar
• 1 pack of yeast, fresh
• 80 ml milk
• 1 pinch of salt
• 60 g butter
• 60 ml water, plus some for the yeast
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, or vanilla sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200 g sugar (maybe more, since 1 cup = 225 g)
• 4 lemon(s), the peel
• 60 g butter
• 90 g cream cheese
• 1 lemon(s), the juice
• 50 g icing sugar, possibly more

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 15 minutes

Lemon tear-off bread

Put 200g of flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Mix the yeast with a few tablespoons of water. Heat the milk and butter slightly until the butter just melts (careful not to overheat!). Add the water and let it cool slightly, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla. Pour the milk mixture and dissolved yeast into the bowl with the flour and sugar and mix. Stir in the eggs and the remaining 100g of flour. I use a mixer with a dough hook first, then by hand. The yeast dough should form small bubbles on the inside, which means it’s well kneaded. Now place a film and a cloth over the bowl and set it in a warm place (oven at 50°C or radiator). Let it stand for one hour, using the time to prepare the rest of the dough. For the filling, mix the sugar and lemon zest by hand. Once the yeast dough is ready, roll it out into a rectangle measuring approximately 50 x 30 cm. Heat the butter in a saucepan and melt it. Spread the butter over the dough with a brush. I use the rest of the butter to grease the pan (30 cm loaf pan). Now divide the dough into approximately 10 cm wide strips (they should fit into the rectangular cake pan), sprinkle the first strip with the sugar and lemon mixture, place the next one on top, and repeat. When everything is ready, cut the strips into small (10 cm) squares and then place them vertically in a loaf pan. Once everything is used up, everything will be lined up in the pan and tightly packed. Now let the whole thing rise for another 40-50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Then place the whole thing in the oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden brown. While the pan is baking, prepare the glaze. Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Add the lemon juice, then the powdered sugar, and mix everything thoroughly until there are no lumps. When the cake is ready, brush on the icing and serve (it tastes best lukewarm). It’ll be a bit sticky when eaten or torn off, but it’s a hit at any party. It’s also truly delicious with tea or breakfast.