Plum Pull-Apart Bread

Mix flour, salt and sugar together. If using dry active yeast, mix it with the flour as well; if using fresh yeast, dissolve it in the lukewarm water first, then pour this mixture over the flour mixture. Knead the dough in the food processor or with a handheld mixer with kneading attachments until dough is smooth and doesn’t stick anymore. Add a little more flour if dough is too sticky, or a little bit more water if the dough is too though. Knead the dough briefly on the working surface, then place the dough in a bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until double in size.

Butter a loaf pan (about 23 cm/ 9 inches) if you are using a normal one. You don’t need to butter it if using a silicone pan.

Halve the plums and slice the halves very thinly. Mix 1/4 cup soft butter with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Knead dough briefly on the working surface. Divide dough into equal-sized balls, about as large as a golf ball. I had 14 of them. Roll each ball into an oval slice (you can lightly flour the working surface if you find it necessary; I didn’t need to). Spread a little of the butter-sugar mixture on each slice, place a few plum slices on top and sprinkle with some cinnamon. Spread some butter-sugar mixture on the last one as well, but do not add plums anymore.

Stack about 3 slices of dough over each other, leaving the one without the plums aside. When all of them are stacked into small groups, take one group at a time and place it in the buttered loaf pan, the way you would put books in a bookshelf. Close the row with the plum-free slice, with the buttered side facing the previous slice. Cover the pan with the kitchen towel and let rise again for about 20–30 minutes, until visibly risen.

While the bread rises, preheat the oven to 170ºC (340ºF).

When the bread has risen, melt the remaining butter and pour evenly on the bread. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of brown sugar and some more cinnamon.

Bake for about 25–30 minutes until bread is cooked through but still soft. It should be nicely browned as well. Check the bread after half of the baking time; if it gets dark too soon, place a baking tray between the bread and the upper source of heat in your oven.