Monkey Bread

Before you start

Monkey bread is a brunch centerpiece made of dozens of small dough balls that are dipped in butter, rolled in cinnamon sugar and packed into a Bundt pan with a brown sugar and butter sauce. In the oven the sugar melts into caramel that coats every piece, and after unmolding everyone pulls off sticky bites with their fingers.

A homemade enriched dough tastes far better than canned biscuits and holds up to all that sugar without turning gummy. Timing at the end matters: invert the pan after about 5 minutes. If you flip it too soon the caramel runs off; leave it too long and the caramel sets and glues the bread to the pan.

Ingredients

• Dough450 g (3¾ cups) all-purpose flour
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 7 g (1¼ tsp) fine salt
• 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk — warmed to about 38°C (100°F)
• 1 large egg
• 55 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Coating150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted, for dipping
• Caramel100 g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
• ¼ tsp fine salt

Method

1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the warm milk and egg, mix on low until shaggy, then add the soft butter and knead on medium-low for 8 minutes, until smooth, soft and elastic.
2. Cover and let rise until doubled, 60 to 90 minutes.
3. Butter the Bundt pan well. Mix the coating sugar and cinnamon in one shallow bowl and put the melted butter in another.
4. Press the dough into a rough square and cut it into about 40 pieces of 21 to 22 g. Roll each into a ball. Dip each ball in butter, roll it in cinnamon sugar and drop it into the pan, staggering them in loose layers.
5. Melt the 85 g caramel butter with the brown sugar, salt and any leftover cinnamon sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth and bubbling, about 1 minute. Pour it evenly over the balls.
6. Cover and proof until the dough rises to about 2.5 cm (1 in) below the rim, 40 to 50 minutes. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower-middle position.
7. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until deep golden and bubbling. The bread in the middle of the ring should read 88°C (190°F). Tent with foil after 20 minutes if the top is browning fast.
8. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Place a large plate over the pan and invert it in one quick motion, wearing mitts. Scrape any caramel left in the pan onto the bread. Serve warm.

Tips for success

• Make it ahead: assemble the pan, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning let it sit at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy, then bake as directed.
• Small, even pieces cook through better than large ones, which can stay doughy in the center of the ring.
• Glaze is optional. A drizzle of 60 g powdered sugar whisked with 1 tbsp milk adds sweetness and shine.

Substitutions

Homemade dough

Two 16-ounce cans of refrigerated biscuit dough, each biscuit quartered. The texture is softer and more cake-like, and the bake time drops to about 30 minutes.

Light brown sugar

Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses caramel. Granulated sugar works but tastes plainer.

Whole milk

2% milk or unsweetened soy milk. The crumb is slightly less rich.

Variations

Pecan monkey bread

Scatter 60 g chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan and between the layers.

Cream cheese centers

Flatten each ball, wrap it around a 5 g cube of cold cream cheese, seal it, then coat as usual.

Troubleshooting

Middle is raw while the outside is dark

The ring was too tightly packed or the oven too hot. Bake on a lower rack at 175°C, tent with foil and check the internal temperature.

Caramel stuck the bread to the pan

It sat too long before unmolding. Invert after about 5 minutes; if it sticks, warm the pan bottom briefly in the oven.

Caramel ran off and pooled on the plate

It was flipped too soon. Wait the full 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly.

Storage

Monkey bread is best warm, within a few hours. Cover leftovers and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days, then rewarm in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 8 to 10 minutes. The cream cheese version must be refrigerated.

Safety notes

Raw dough contains raw flour and egg and should not be tasted. Hot caramel can burn; invert the pan carefully. Contains wheat, milk and egg.