Lemon and Raspberry Pull Apart Loaf

This Lemon and Raspberry Pull Apart Loaf is full of sweet-tart flavour and equally perfect to make for brunch or afternoon tea. This loaf sits somewhere between a tea cake and a cinnamon roll. It’s bursting with raspberries and lemon sugar. Lashings of lemon glaze drip in between all the layers. I also love extra fresh raspberries on top to serve. Place it in the middle of the table, tear off slices and enjoy with your favourite cup of tea. Sounds just perfect to me.

Before we start, let me just say – don’t be intimidated! I know it has yeast, but this dough is a dream to work with. You don’t need a mixer or any strenuous kneading for this one. It has a lovely soft texture due to the addition of oil and milk to the dough. It rolls out gorgeously without being too sticky. I also know it requires some cutting and assembling but trust me, this loaf will look beautiful no matter what. No special skills required here!

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What is a Pull Apart Loaf?

A Pull Apart Loaf invites sharing, it’s any kind of bread you tear or pull apart by hand, meant to be enjoyed together. You could use different kinds of bread dough from pizza, to focaccia, to brioche, for different effects. You can make pull aparts in a loaf shape, round tin, ring, or even in a bundt pan for maximum crisp surface area. They’re usually flavoured, but can be sweet or savoury. On the sweet side, you could use flavours like cinnamon, chocolate, and dried or fresh fruit. Or for savoury options – pesto, garlic butter, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or the Aussie classic – cheese and bacon.

While there are so many options, I’ve tried two different ways to get the “pull apart” or “tear and share” effect. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, roughly 30x40cm. Top it with your desired filling. Then you have options. When I made this Hot Cross Bun Pull Apart, I rolled it up lengthwise to enclose the filling, cut into “scrolls” and arranged in the loaf tin. They pulled apart like mini cinnamon buns.

This time I topped the dough with some melted butter, lemon-scented sugar and fresh raspberries. Then I cut it into squares, stacked them up and placed them vertically into the lined loaf pan. After another short rise, I baked until golden.

Originally, I got out my ruler and tried to make all the squares equal sized but it was really not necessary! Having some irregular squares that stick out a bit means they become lovely and crisp in the oven, and give some variation in height and shape. Plus, the glaze is a must! And it covers any and all imperfections in sweet lemony goodness.

You can also experiment with different flavours in this loaf. I found an insane bargain on raspberries last week! I couldn’t resist the special and then I had 4 punnets to use. Lemon and raspberry is a personal favourite combo but you could try blueberries or blackberries here too.

The raspberries released quite a bit of juice but it still baked up very nicely. I just added an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time and popped a flat tray underneath the loaf tin because the liquid did bubble up and turn syrupy while baking. Just be careful because this syrup is extremely hot. Make sure to let the loaf cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing. Serve it warm and dig in—just be careful not to burn your fingers!

This Lemon and Raspberry Pull Apart Loaf is most delicious on the day it’s baked and glazed. You can store in an air-tight container for an additional 1-2 days. Just a quick note – as the glaze and raspberries soak into the bread, the layers don’t “pull apart” as cleanly as they do when fresh. However it’s still delish at room temperature or slightly warmed.

This Lemon and Raspberry Pull Apart Loaf is the perfect sweet treat for brunch or afternoon tea! Add lots of sweet lemon glaze, tear off pieces and share with your friends!

Course Afternoon Tea, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword Afternoon Tea, Bread & Yeast, Breakfast, Brunch

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 45

Rising Time 1 30

Total Time 2 55

Servings 8

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup (260ml) milk, warmed
1/4 cup (55ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (130g) caster sugar
1 packet (7g) dry yeast
3 cups (465g) plain flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder

Filling

1 cup white sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
30 g butter, melted
250 g fresh raspberries, plus extra to serve

Glaze

1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Place the warmed milk, oil and sugar into a bowl. Sprinkle over the yeast and 1 cup of flour. Fold in carefully, cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour.
Add the remaining flour, plus baking soda and baking powder to the yeast mixture. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
In a separate bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together between your fingers.
Place the raspberries onto a plate and gently crush with a fork.
Brush dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with the lemon sugar. Top with crushed raspberries.
Working quickly, cut the dough into rough squares/rectangles (the size will depend on your own loaf tin). It doesn’t have to be even or perfect. Stack 5-6 pieces and then place them vertically in a well-greased loaf tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Repeat until all the dough pieces are in the pan.
Set aside for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. The raspberries may release some juice into the pan but this isn’t a problem.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place loaf into the oven with an additional flat pan underneath to catch any overflowing juice. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is crisp, golden and puffed. Allow to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes.
To make the glaze, combine icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to combined.
Serve Pull Apart Loaf drizzled with glaze and topped with a few additional fresh raspberries. If not serving straight away, store in an air-tight container and add glaze just before serving.

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What is a Pull Apart Loaf?