Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Snowflake (Printer View)

Soft, golden dough swirled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with vanilla icing in a festive snowflake shape.

# Components:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 3/4 cup warm milk (approximately 110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 1 large egg, room temperature

→ Filling

08 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

→ Icing

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes until frothy.
02 - Add melted butter, egg, and salt to the yeast mixture. Gradually incorporate flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm environment for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
05 - Punch down the risen dough and divide into three equal portions. Roll each portion into a 12-inch circle.
06 - Place one dough circle on the baking sheet. Spread half the softened butter over it, then evenly sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the second dough circle using remaining butter and cinnamon sugar, then top with the third circle.
07 - Place a small glass in the center of the stacked dough. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 equal strips radiating outward from the glass without cutting through it.
08 - Twist each pair of adjacent strips twice, away from each other, and pinch the ends together to form pointed tips. Repeat for all pairs to create the snowflake pattern.
09 - Remove the glass. Cover the shaped dough with a towel and allow it to rise for 15 minutes.
10 - Bake the dough for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown.
11 - Cool the baked snowflake for 10 minutes. Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to create icing, then drizzle over the warm pull-apart bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks impossibly fancy but requires no piping skills or baking expertise whatsoever.
  • The dough rises while you're doing other things, so there's built-in downtime instead of constant work.
  • Everyone gets their own bite-sized pieces without needing to slice, which somehow makes eating it feel more fun and less formal.
  • The smell while it bakes is the kind that makes people wander into the kitchen asking if you made it professionally.
02 -
  • The dough needs warmth to rise, and a cold kitchen will double your rise time—if it's freezing outside, use warm milk instead of room-temperature milk, or turn your oven to 200°F, turn it off, and let the dough rise inside.
  • The cinnamon sugar filling looks small until you spread it, and then suddenly you wonder if you're using too much—you're not, keep going, the cinnamon is what people remember.
  • Twist the strips gently because they're tender dough, not rope, and aggressive twisting can tear them and mess up the shape.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for the flour—volume measurements vary so much that weight guarantees consistent dough every single time you make it.
  • The glass in the center isn't just decorative; it's your guide for cutting straight strips, and it comes out before baking so there's no risk of it shattering from heat.
  • Don't let the dough over-proof on the second rise or the twists will be weak and might not hold their shape— 15 minutes is plenty, and slightly under-proofed is safer than slightly over.
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