I don’t know whether it’s an especially Australian thing, but we always had peanut butter and honey sandwiches as kids. There was something really magical as a child about pulling out your lunchbox to find that the honey had soaked into the bread and crystalised in the summer heat. Of course, the accompanying semi-fermented banana and warm school milk are far less nostalgia-inducing memories, but we’ll leave those aside for now!
Never having made a pull-apart, all I knew is that it is a loaf constructed in such a way that you can tear portions off with your hands, so I searched the interwebs for inspiration and settled on this beautiful form (where you will also find loads of great step-by-step pics).
For the dough, I adapted a recipe for challah because I wanted something rich and soft and shreddy. If you don’t sourdough, you can make a yeasted version – just halve the linked “easy challah” dough recipe to make one loaf and use those rise times.
Dough
120g 100% hydration starter, room temperature
120ml tepid water
320g all-purpose (plain) flour, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
4 tbsp granulated (white) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Filling
6 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp extra honey for glazing
Directions
Combine starter and water in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add half the flour and beat with a wooden spoon to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
Add the egg, sugar and salt to the dough and beat together.
By hand or with your dough hook, knead in the remaining flour until soft and elastic, about 7 minutes with a mixer or 10 minutes by hand.
Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about three hours, depending on ambient temperature.
Punch down dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth.
Roll out to a rectangle about 40 × 25cm (16 × 10″). Stir together the peanut butter and honey and spread over the dough, leaving a small border on the long edges.
Roll the rectangle tightly from the long edge and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring that it is seam-side-down. Use a sharp knife to cut it into 2.5cm (1″) segments, 3/4 of the way across, at a 45° angle. Take every second segment and fold it back, so the loaf is staggered.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 190°C (375°F) and bake for about 18 minutes longer, until golden.
Transfer to a wire rack. Heat the extra honey in the microwave and brush onto the warm loaf, then allow to cool completely.
pizzarossa 
I’m very impressed by the staggered challah trick: good job!
Thanks! I loved the look of it, reminded me of wheat 🙂
This is really beautiful! What a lovely glossy surface too. I wouldn’t have put peanut butter and honey together, but it sounds like a winning combination!
You must try it – it’s a great combo! 🙂
Love the way you cut it to break it into chunks – so pretty! Don’t think I’ve ever had peanut butter with honey but it sounds much better than peanut butter with jam!!
I’m starting to feel like a freak! LOL! It must be something confined to a small minority, but it is worth trying! And so it peanut butter and grated carrot on a sandwich 🙂
I love this bread, it’s sort of a pull-apart épi
well done, it’s gorgeous
Have a nice day
Lou
Thanks Lou 🙂 I’ve never made an épi… why not?! You’ve inspired me 🙂
épis are dead easy to shape and are so nice to put on the table!
I am looking so forward to see your version 🙂
What a wonderful bread! I have those same memories of the crystallized honey soaked into the bread. I might have to have that for lunch now!
Thanks Rebecca! Mmmm, honey is so good!
What could be better than a beautiful bread with a sweet memory link? Mmmmm, crystallized honey IS irresistible.
I love cooking and baking memories – lots of fun 🙂 And honey. I love honey!
Beautiful! And I love peanut butter and honey, I could make a meal out of this!
Thanks Robyn! So good to know I’m not the only lover of this combo! 🙂
Gorgeous! I like the honey glaze idea, so glossy and photogenic!
Thanks so much! I love shiny 🙂
What a great combination. I have to confess I have never tried a honey and peanut butter sandwich, but I am definitely going to try one for lunch! Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Thanks Lynn! I hope you love it as much I do! 🙂
It’s a gorgeous bread! I’ve seen honey peanut butter being sold so I am sure that others love that combo too. It sounds better than peanut butter and jam to me too.
Thanks! It’s a great combo – highly recommended 🙂
Your bread looks so beautiful, in a sticky golden way! And I bet it must have tasted really good as well.
Thanks Agos! It was awesome!
Oh man, I love peanut butter and honey sandwiches (yes, even now!). This pull apart bread looks so amazing! I love that you used a challah base, and the almost “wheat sheaf” design of the bread is spectacular! A+ for you!
Yay, Jenni! I still have PB&H on toast for breakfast most days 🙂 Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂
First, I love the new look of your blog Rachael! Second, I LOVE the sound of this bread! PB and honey is a great combo, and I love the way you shaped it. A+ my friend!
Also it now appears that I’ve been following Jenni around from blog to blog, repeating all her comments… but I swear I didn’t actually read what she wrote until I hit publish on my own comment, ha! A+ for me, too… 😉
LMAO! Great minds think alike 😀 Thanks so much for the lovely comments 🙂 Been working on this whole blogging thing a bit more and having a ball 🙂
A gooey challah pull apart bread with peanut butter. What a great idea! Beautiful photo. I’m drooling.
Thanks so much Cathy! 🙂
Beautiful form, indeed. And I think it is an Australian thing. My classmate from Australia does a lot of pb and honey combos. Also, nutella. Ick!
Oh no, that’s just wrong! LOL!
Peanut butter and honey is SO yummy! To totally bring it back to childhood, we have peanut butter and honey on sliced bananas as a snack sometimes! (Or sunbutter for my son…). This bread looks amazing and beautiful and delicious and all kinds of perfect. GREAT choice!!
Ooooh, that sounds delicious! 😀