Monkey Bread

Ok, so this is really good. I made it last night for the first time because I wanted something like cinnamon rolls for dessert. And this was one massive gooey, sweet cinnamon roll! Yum! I mean who wouldn't want little dough balls dipped in butter and then rolled into cinnamon sugar? Have I sold you on the idea yet? All in all this is definitely a keeper recipe in the baking department. I'm sure it will be a family favorite! Let's get started!

Monkey Bread
Recipe Source Here.

Dough:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted
1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees F)
1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees F)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 package instant yeast
3¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 teaspoons salt

Brown Sugar Coating:
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk

1. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside. (As you will see I did not have a bundt pan and was not going out to buy one so I used a round glass backing dish and used a glass cup for the center while the dough was rising)

2. In a small bowl, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Then slowly add milk mixture while stirring. 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. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm area of the house 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. Put melted butter in a 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.

As you can see I got a little distracted while the pastry was baking. My son and I got into a reading marathon and it over baked. But it was still delicious. Well, now's the time to stop reading this blog and start baking:) Enjoy!