Recipe: Monkey Bread

Based on a recipe from the April 2005 Cook's Country. Makes many servings, up to 64 if you have a lot of self control.

Read the story behind this dish in Sunday, Dinner for Two.

Ingredients 

Dough
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk
⅓ cup water
¼ cup sugar
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
16¼ ounces (3¼ cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons table salt
Brown Sugar Coating
1 cup packed light brown sugar (do not use dark brown sugar)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Glaze
1 cup powdered (confectioners') sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Dough: With a rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 200° then turn it off and keep the oven door closed.
2. Soften 2 tablespoons butter and melt 2 tablespoons butter.
3. Combine the milk and water in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave to about 110°.
4. Stir in the melted butter, sugar, and yeast.
5. Using a standing mixer, mix together the flour and salt using the dough hook.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add the milk mixture and stir until the dough comes together.
7. Increase speed to medium and knead the dough until it is shiny and smooth, 6-7 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand briefly to form a smooth, round ball.
9. Put the dough ball in a large bowl coated with vegetable spray, turning to coat all sides of the dough with the oil.
10. Cover the bowl and place it in the warm oven until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
11. Coat the inside of a Bundt pan with the 2 tablespoons of softened butter and set aside.
12. Sugar coating: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.
13. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in a bowl and set aside.
14. Form the loaf:  After the dough has risen, remove it from the oven.
15. Heat the oven again to 200° and then turn it off with the oven door closed.
16. Working gently, remove the risen dough from the bowl and pat it into a rough 8-inch square.
17. Cut the dough into 64 pieces. (Cut it into quarters, then cut each quarter into 16 pieces.)
18. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, dip it in the melted butter allowing the excess to drip off,  roll the ball in the brown sugar mixture, and place it in the buttered Bundt pan.
19. Cover the Bundt pan with plastic wrap and place it in the warm oven until the dough balls are puffy and have risen to the top of the Bundt pan, about 1 hour.
20. Remove the pan from the oven and heat the oven to 350°.
21. Bake the loaf until the top is deep brown and caramel is bubbling around the edges, 30-35 minutes.
22. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes then turn the loaf out onto a plate and cool for another 10 minutes.
23. Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth.
24. Drizzle the glaze over the warm bread.
25. Serve warm.

Mix together warm milk and water, melted butter, yeast, and sugar.

Mix together flour and salt then slowly pour in the yeast solution with the mixer on low.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead the dough until smooth and shiny.
(The towel helps keep the mixer from walking around the counter.)

Form the dough into a ball and place it in an oiled bowl to rise in a warm oven.

Raise until the dough has doubled in volume.

Gently pat the dough into an 8" square, cut into 64 pieces, roll each piece into a ball, coat with butter and cinnamon sugar.

Place the seasoned dough balls in a buttered Bundt pan.

Cover and let rise in a wam oven until the balls are puffy and fill the pan.

Bake until dark brown.

Turn the loaf out onto a plate, drizzle with glaze, and enjoy it while it is still warm.