Pull-Apart Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

These pull-apart gingerbread cinnamon rolls were born "for fans of cinnamon rolls and gingerbread," says recipe developer Kara Barrett. "I find that traditional cinnamon rolls are too sweet for my taste," Barrett says about her inspiration for this bake, which she instead describes as "buttery, with notes of ginger and cinnamon, and not overly sweet."

This pull-apart loaf comes together with a yeasted dough, which is technically possible to knead by hand if you're willing to put some elbow grease. However, Barrett highly recommends using a stand mixer. "Be patient as you are making the dough," she advises. "It takes time to come together and add the butter, but the payoff is worth it." Conveniently, she points out that you can essentially "cut the work in two" by prepping the dough at night, letting it rest while you sleep, and then shaping and baking the rolls in the morning. In the end, "you may find this recipe easier than traditional cinnamon rolls" since you're creating a loaf rather than perfect spirals, Barrett says. "A fluffy and tasty treat for a cold winter day," these pillowy pull-apart rolls are the ideal accompaniment to your morning cup of coffee.

Prepare a tangzhong: Add milk to a saucepan a place on the stovetop over medium heat.

Add tangzhong to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the remaining 300 grams flour, yeast, olive oil, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ginger powder, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar.

With the mixture still running, add 4 tablespoons butter, 1 pat at a time, to the dough until emulsified. This will take about 5-7 minutes.

Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Next, refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 tablespoons room-temperature butter, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and ½ cup brown sugar. Set filling aside.

Add dough to a lightly floured surface and pat it into a square.

Roll dough into a long rectangle, approximately 8x17 inches.

Cut into 8 even squares.

Spread a dollop of filling onto each square, leaving the edges clean.

Stack the squares, rotate the pile horizontally, and add it to prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 35 minutes until cooked throughout.

Let cool and garnish with sifted powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

When pulled apart, this gingerbread cinnamon loaf yields 8 generously sized rolls, so you may not be able to finish every last one when it's still warm and fresh from the oven. In that instance, you have a choice of how to store them. If you opt for room temperature, Barrett says they'll last for about 4 days in an airtight container, while if you refrigerate them, you can enjoy leftovers for up to a week as long as you've wrapped them well. If you'd like to freeze the rolls, do so after they've been baked, since Barrett doesn't recommend storing the dough in the freezer.

Leftover cinnamon rolls will taste great at room temperature or even with a slight chill from the refrigerator. If you prefer your cinnamon rolls to be warm, though, Barrett recommends that you "gently rewarm them in the oven or in the microwave."