apple cinnamon streusel pull-apart bread {giveaway}

(This giveaway is closed.)

It’s a big day, you guys.

Not only am I sharing a recipe with you that is, quite honestly, the best thing I’ve baked all season, it’s also the day I get to share with you the awesome partnership between Red Star Yeast and Stop Hunger Now and their joint campaign to bake the world a better place.

Oh, AND there is a giveaway at the end. AND it’s Friday. Let’s dance the Carlton for all o’ that.

Sometimes I think the food that I make doesn’t really matter or make a difference. I mean, yes, there is nothing I love more than to provide a meal to my family and to anyone who comes over — it’s what I love most about food, really, that it brings people together in a joyful and intentional way. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel like my enchiladas are going to save the world, just my hangry-ness.

That’s why Red Star Yeast and Stop Hunger Now are coming together to raise awareness of their mission: To end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-saving aid to the world’s most vulnerable and by creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources. Did you know that 842 million people in the world do not have enough to eat, and that every day, more than 25,000 people die abroad of hunger and hunger-related causes? It is why Stop Hunger Now aims to provide nutritional, filling meals worldwide. In 2013, roughly 125,000 volunteers worldwide packaged more than 42 million meals for recipients in 30 countries. Also in 2013, Stop Hunger Now sent more than $9 million worth of donated goods — including antibiotics, birthing kits, water filters, school desks, projectors, fabric and solar lights — to countries in need.

In 2014, they — and we — want to make those numbers even bigger. And it can happen starting with the food we make in our homes.

Red Star Yeast asked a few bloggers to share a double-batch recipe — one to keep, one to give away or share — using their yeast as a way to share the collaborative mission to end hunger, whether abroad or right in our communities. Their goal is to provide 200,000 meals annually through Stop Hunger Now, and to do so, a portion of Red Star Yeast’s proceeds will go toward providing those meals and life-saving aid to families in need.

All of this to say — what we make in our kitchen really does matter. It matters that you buy that package of yeast to bake your own creations in your kitchen, because not only does your purchase go toward ending hunger, you are also providing a meal or a treat for those you love in your own home, and that means something. Little by little, baked good by baked good, we really can help end hunger now by baking the world a better place.

So in the spirit of that message, I decided to bake this apple cinnamon streusel pull-apart bread. To me, it’s the most comforting baked treat I could think of — cozy fall flavors of apple and cinnamon, a sweet, buttery, homemade streusel and of course, bread (because everyone knows carbs = love). I like that it’s pull-apart, too, so it’s easier to share: Just pull off a generous piece, still warm and soft from the oven, and enjoy it alongside a cup of coffee with those you love. Few things are better than those moments — except knowing that this time, you’re also doing good outside of your home, too.

So where do you come into all of this? First, you can make a purchase on Red Star Yeast’s website (they’re currently offering a Buy One, Get One Free coupon for a 3-package strip of their yeast, which you can find at the end of this post!). You can also visit Stop Hunger Now’s website and consider making a donation to their cause. And finally, you can make your own double batch of this recipe and share it with someone you care about, whether that’s your family, your neighbor or one the local community centers.

And because you all are so amazing and generous (and just read through the most epic post of all the posts), there’s a giveaway for you! Red Star Yeast is generously gifting one lucky reader with the following: a bread basket with a warming stone, a signed copy of “The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day” book and a Red Star Yeast mixing bowl, towel, dough whisk, apron and yeast.

To enter the giveaway, visit the Red Star Yeast Baking the World a Better Place Pinterest Board. Then, leave a comment below on which “Bake & Share” recipe(s) you plan to make!

For additional entries:

1) Follow Red Star Yeast on Facebook
2) Follow Red Star Yeast on Twitter
3) Follow Red Star Yeast on Pinterest
4) Follow Red Star Yeast on Instagram

Be sure to leave a comment below for each extra entry stating you did so!

The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, November 7, and is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Update: David L. is our winner. Thanks for playing, everyone!

OK, one more side note thingy slash a request! Red Star Yeast is hosting a Pinterest contest for the bloggers participating in their Stop Hunger Now campaign. The first place winner gets two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental U.S. (warm-weather states, I’m looking at you)! So if you could pretty, pretty please go visit my recipe pin on the Red Star Yeast group board and repin it (which counts as your vote) any time between now and 7 p.m. CST on November 7, I would be forever grateful. You’re awesome, thank you times a million and let’s group hug.

AND FINALLY (whew), about that coupon: Red Star Yeast is offering a Buy One, Get One Free coupon below to all y’alls for a 3-pack strip of Red Star Yeast so you, too, can bake and share.

Happy baking, friends; and know that even the little things you do matter.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Pull-Apart Bread

• Author: Girl Versus Dough
• Prep Time: 2 hours 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hours
• Yield: 2 9-by-5-inch loaves 1x

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Ingredients

For the dough:

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup warm water (about 110 to 115 degrees F)
• 4 1/2 teaspoons (2 packets) Red Star active dry yeast
• 5 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

For the filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

For the streusel topping:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat butter and milk just until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool mixture to 115 to 125 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons sugar with the warm water until dissolved. Whisk in yeast and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
3. In a large bowl, whisk remaining 6 tablespoons sugar with 4 cups of flour and salt until combined. Add butter-milk mixture, yeast mixture and eggs. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a dough forms.
4. Add another 1 1/2 cups of flour and continue to stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a smooth, but rather sticky dough forms (it will be a little stickier and looser than normal; this is OK). Shape dough into a loose ball in bowl; cover bowl with plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm place and let dough rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling until well combined.
6. Punch down risen dough. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour and knead into dough, either in the bowl or on a countertop. Let dough rest 5 minutes, covered with a clean kitchen towel. At this point, you can return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight – just let it sit out at room temperature for about 40 minutes the next day before rolling out the dough.
7. Otherwise, proceed with rolling out the dough. Divide dough into 2 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape one piece of dough into a rough rectangle. Use a floured rolling pin to roll out dough to a 20-by-12-inch rectangle.
8. Brush dough with half of the butter, then sprinkle evenly with half of the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut dough north to south in 6 even strips. Stack strips on top of each other (if some of the filling falls off, just spoon and smooth it back on top as best as you can). Cut stack into 6 even stacks of squares.
9. Line two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with parchment paper, then spray with baking spray or brush with butter. Prop up loaf pan and carefully stack a few squares into pan at a time, tucking a few slices of apple between dough squares as you go (you’ll want to divide the apple evenly between the two loaves).* Unprop loaf pan and cover with a clean kitchen towel while you prepare second loaf the same way with remaining butter, sugar-cinnamon mixture and sliced apples.
10. *NOTE: Depending on how many apple slices you have/use, you might not be able to use all of the dough between the two loaf pans. You can either use the extra dough to make a third loaf, or just discard it.
11. Cover both prepared loaves with a clean kitchen towel and let rise 30 to 45 minutes until doubled.
12. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for streusel topping except for butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place bowl in fridge until loaves are doubled and ready to bake.
13. Uncover risen loaves. Sprinkle streusel evenly over tops of loaves. Bake loaves 40 minutes until tops of loaves are a deep golden brown (you want them to be well-baked on top so the center is baked through).
14. Transfer baked loaves to a cooling rack and let cool 30 minutes in loaf pans. Then, carefully lift loaves out of pans, using parchment paper as handles. Serve warm or room temperature (loaves taste best the day they are made, but they can be stored, covered with plastic wrap and foil, at room temperature up to 3 days).

P.S. Check out all the yums the other bloggers created for the Stop Hunger Now campaign:

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Knots from A Kitchen Addiction
Pumpkin Challah from Bakeaholic Mama
Apple Crisp Sweet Roll Coffee Cake from Barbara Bakes
Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls from Completely Delicious
Chocolate Glazed Pumpkin Donuts from Foodness Gracious
Cream Cheese Filled Brioche Sweet Rolls from Miss in the Kitchen
Sourdough Sandwich Bread from My Kitchen Addiction
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel Icing from Roxana’s Home Baking
Fluffy No Knead Refrigerator Rolls from Stephie Cooks
Snickerdoodle Bagels with Cinnamon Crunch Topping from The Law Student’s Wife
Apple Honey Pecan Sticky Buns from Tutti Dolci

Disclosure: I received compensation from Red Star Yeast for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.