Monkey Bread

I had never heard of Monkey Bread until I found this post over at Bakingsheet. It sounds like a great idea to me. I love cinnamon buns – but I really don’t like the crisp outside, just the fluffy, soft inside. And this Monkey Bread gives you pretty much just insides – since it’s baked in a pan. Great. Perfect, in fact. I decided to try the idea but using a regular old cinnamon bun dough recipe. I happened to have half a package of fresh yeast left over. It turned out wonderfully – it rose beautifully and made a big loaf tin full of delicious yumminess. I ate a few and stuck the rest in the freezer – it should keep well enough.

Monkey Bread
75 g butter plus 25 g
250 ml milk (1 cup)
25 g fresh yeast
70 g sugar
salt, a pinch
7-800 ml flour (about 3 cups)
white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon

Melt the 75 g of butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Combine with the milk, and bring to slightly warm temperature, about 40°C. Crumble the yeast in to a bowl, and combine with some of the liquid. Stir until the yeast is dissolved, then add the rest of the liquid, the sugar, the salt and most of the flour. Work either by hand or with a machine, until you have a silky dough. It shouldn’t be very sticky, but don’t put too much flour in it either, as that will make it tough. Add a little at a time, until you have it just right.

Let it rest in a clean bowl with a towel on top for about half an hour or until doubled in size.

Melt the remaining 25 g of butter. Combine equal amounts of white and brown sugar with a little cinnamon to make the topping.

Brush some of the butter in a loaf tin, and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar.

Gently knock the dough back, and pinch off golf-ball-sized pieces. Roll each gently into a ball, and dip into first the butter, and then the cinnamon sugar. It should be completely covered. Place into the tin. Repeat with all the dough.

Cover the tin and let it rise for about half an hour again, or until well risen. Heat the oven to 225°C. Bake the bread for ten minutes at this high temperature in the middle of the oven – then lower it to about 175°C, lower the bread to the lowest rack and bake for ten more minutes.

Monkey Bread