It took me a few tries to find a from-scratch monkey bread recipe that was blog-worthy (aka really, really good!), but I found one!! I feel like monkey bread recipes can be broken into two general categories – caramel monkey bread that is more like sticky buns and monkey bread that is more like cinnamon roll bites. This recipe falls into the later category for sure, so I’m still on the hunt for a from-scratch caramel monkey bread recipe. If you have a great one, send it my way! This monkey bread was a hit with all my taste-testers (i.e. my family haha), and so much better than the canned biscuit version. The yeast dough is definitely worth the extra effort and time! Give it a try! Enjoy!
Monkey Bread
for the dough:
4 tbsp butter, divided (2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted)
1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees)
1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3-1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tsp salt
for the brown sugar coating:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tbsp butter (1 stick), melted
for the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp milk
1. Butter bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes or until frothy. In bowl of stand mixer with dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the melted butter, sugar, milk, and activated yeast mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Place dough in oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. For the sugar coating: While the dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.
4. To form the bread: Gently remove the dough from the bowl, and pat into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.
5. Roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip the balls into the melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl. Roll in the brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in the bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.
6. Cover the bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in draft-free area until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
8. For the glaze: While the bread cools, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl until the lumps are gone. Using a whisk, drizzle the glaze over the monkey bread, letting it run over top and down the sides of the bread. Serve warm.
*from Cook’s Illustrated
