Citrus Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Directions

1. Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and mix with a small spatula to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk to about 110°F/45°C over medium-low heat (you can also do this in a liquid measuring cup in the microwave, if you prefer).
3. Add the flour, dry milk, sugar, and salt to the mixer bowl, then add the warm milk, egg, butter, and sour cream (or yogurt/crème fraîche), and mix on low speed for 4 minutes, or until a soft dough comes together around the dough hook.
4. Scrape the bowl well, then mix on medium speed for about 3 minutes more, until the dough is very smooth. Transfer the dough to a medium bowl lightly greased with neutral oil or nonstick spray. Use both hands to gently turn the dough around so it’s coated on all sides, then gently tuck the dough under itself a few times to slightly round it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and a let the dough rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until visibly puffy and almost double in size.
5. While the dough rises, prepare the filling and finishing ingredients. In a small bowl, rub the sugar, brown sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla bean, and salt together to combine. Really rub the mixture together—the essential oils in the zest will release into the sugar, and the vanilla bean seeds will disperse. Set aside.
6. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ inch (1 cm) thick). The exact size/shape of the dough doesn’t matter, because you’ll be cutting circles out of the dough once you reach the right thickness. Cut the dough into circles using a 2 ½ inch wide round cutter. You should have 30 pieces of dough. Lightly grease a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan (at least 2 inches/5 cm) deep).
7. Working with one piece at a time, dip the dough into the melted butter, then into the citrus sugar to coat. Fold the dough in half, and place it into the pan, with the flat/folded side facing downward in the pan, and the rounded edges facing up. Repeat the process, placing the next folded circle right next to the first one you put into the pan. Start by creating a round of folded circles around the outer edge of the cake pan, then work inward and make another round of dough—more like a spiral shape—to fill in the remainder of the pan.
8. If there’s any remaining butter, drizzle it over the surface of the dough. If there’s any remaining sugar, sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the dough. Cover the dough and let it rise until visibly puffy, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Towards the end of rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with the oven rack in the center.
9. When the dough has risen and become puffy, transfer it to the oven and bake until the bread is evenly golden brown and the bread has an internal temperature in the thickest portion of the center reaches 200°F/95°C, 35 to 40 minutes.
10. Cool the bread for 10 minutes in the pan, then unmold onto a serving platter. Serve immediately, warm.