Animal Crossing: Pull-Apart Bread

I recently had Animal Crossing: New Horizons on my mind and remembered how much I enjoyed my time with that game. I am really fond of games that have you always working towards massive collection goals and the Animal Crossing series is always filled with large checklists to complete. It has been a long time since I’ve booted up the game. I almost decided to launch the game but I’m a little hesitant to have all my island neighbors yelling at me for being gone for so long. Hopefully, Chadder and Coach have been keeping each other entertained while I’ve been elsewhere.

It may have been a long while since I’ve adventured back to my Animal Crossing island, but I do constantly think about all the delicious food they added into the game. A lot of the recipes in the game are pretty basic, especially in terms of required ingredients, but they still look incredible. For example, this week we will be making the Pull-Apart Bread and the only ingredient required is 2 bags of flour. Now, in my experience, if I only put flour in a bowl, mix it around, and then put it into the oven to bake, I’m not going to be making bread. I’d end up with burnt flour!

The benefit of games only having a small ingredient list means I can fill in the gaps to make this delicious bread my own. Since we are staying on an island and coconuts are a pretty common resource, I figured I’d use coconut milk to flavor these buns. The coconut and cardamom give these a nice sweet flavor that makes this bread a great compliment to any spicy, saucy dish you would like to pair it with. Or you can just enjoy these by themselves as a little cheeky snack.

Dough
1 cup coconut milk, heated to 100°F
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 ½ cups + 3 tablespoons bread flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1 egg
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Egg Wash
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut milk

Combine 3 tablespoons coconut milk and 1/3 cup bread flour in a small pan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes together, about 1 minute. Set aside and allow to cool.

Combine the yeast and remaining coconut milk and let it rest for 5 minutes, allowing the yeast to become active. Combine the remaining bread flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the mixture in the pan, the yeast milk mixture, vanilla paste, and egg to the bowl and mix until it just comes together.

While the dough begins to knead, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of milk at a time.

Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, punch down and knead. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, shape into a ball, and cover with a kitchen towel.

Take one of the portions and roll it out into an oval shape. Take the dough and tightly roll it up.

Shape into a round ball and place back under the kitchen towel. Repeat this and the previous step until all the portions have been shaped into balls.  

Prepare a 9 inch cast iron pan by rubbing the interior with butter. Place one of the balls in the center of the pan. Place the remaining 7 around it, spacing them evenly. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Remove the kitchen towel from the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and coconut milk until well combined. Brush the top of the rested buns with the egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Print Recipe

Pull-Apart Bread

Inspired by Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Servings: 8 buns

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup coconut milk heated to 100°F
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 ½ cups + 3 tablespoons bread flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk

Instructions

• Combine 3 tablespoons coconut milk and 1/3 cup bread flour in a small pan. Heat over medium-high heat and whisk until it comes together, about 1 minute. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Combine the yeast and remaining coconut milk and let it rest for 5 minutes, allowing the yeast to become active. Combine the remaining bread flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the mixture in the pan, the yeast milk mixture, vanilla paste, and egg to the bowl and mix until it just comes together.
• While the dough begins to knead, add the butter one tablespoon at a time. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it is too dry, add one tablespoon of milk at a time.
• Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover, and let rest for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, punch down and knead. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions, shape into a ball, and cover with a kitchen towel.
• Take one of the portions and roll it out into an oval shape. Take the dough and tightly roll it up.
• Shape into a round ball and place back under the kitchen towel. Repeat this and the previous step until all the portions have been shaped into balls.
• Prepare a 9 inch cast iron pan by rubbing the interior with butter. Place one of the balls in the center of the pan. Place the remaining 7 around it, spacing them evenly. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest for 30 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Preheat an oven to 350°F. Remove the kitchen towel from the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and coconut milk until well combined. Brush the top of the rested buns with the egg wash. Place in the oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.