I made this scrumptious dessert over a week ago, and decided to share the recipe before I forgot. This is an extremely good variation of the classic cinnamon roll, and fun to make as well! I made the monkey bread using our KitchenAid stand mixer; to date I had been using our bread machine to mix yeast dough prior to the final rising stage. No big deal, I remember Grandma Thora making bread using a similar mixer, but after years of making cookies and cakes using this mixer, it was neat to use it to make bread dough.
Monkey Bread
The dough should be sticky, but if you find it's too wet and not coming together in the mixer, add 2 tablespoons more flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass. After baking, don't let the bread cool in the pan for more than 5 minutes or it will stick to the pan and come out in pieces. Monkey bread is at its best when served warm.
Dough
4 Tbs butter, divided, 2 Tbs softened and 2 Tbs melted
1 C milk , warm (about 110 degrees)
1/3 C water , warm (about 110 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)
3 1/4 C all-purpose flour , plus extra for work surface
2 tsp salt
Read the extended entry for the full recipe. It's less work than it first appears, and grandkids should enjoy helping to make the dough balls.
Brown Sugar Coating
1 C light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
8 tsp butter melted
Glaze
1 C confectioners' sugar
2 Tbs milk
1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
2. In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk 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. 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 warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. For the sugar coating: While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.
4. To form the bread: Gently remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.
5. Roll each dough piece into ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.
6. Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.
7. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
8. For the glaze: While bread cools, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.
Based on a Cook's Country recipe.