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Sweet Leavened Breads

Monkey Bread

Monkey bread is a pull-apart ring of buttery dough balls rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon, baked in a Bundt pan for Christmas morning.
Recipe Monkey Bread
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 45 minutes
  • Cooking 35 minutes
  • Servings for 8 people

Monkey bread is a sweet yeast bread made of dozens of small balls of dough dipped in melted butter, rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon and piled into a ring pan. In the oven the sugar melts into a sticky caramel that holds the pieces together, and at the table everyone pulls them off with their fingers.

Its roots are in aranygaluska, the Hungarian golden dumpling cake that immigrants brought to the United States, while the origin of the playful American name is unknown. In the 1980s Nancy Reagan made it part of Christmas at the White House, and it is now a favorite for breakfast on Christmas morning in many American homes.

This is the from-scratch version, finished with a light drizzle of glaze.

Ingredients for 8 people

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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 95 °C (200 °F), then switch it off: it will be a warm place for the dough to rise. Grease a 25 cm (10 inch) Bundt pan with the softened butter.
  2. In a jug, stir together the warm milk and water, at about 43 °C (110 °F), the melted butter, the sugar and the yeast. Put the flour and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and, on low speed, pour in the liquid. When the dough comes together, raise the speed to medium and knead for 6 to 7 minutes, until smooth and shiny. By hand, knead it for about 10 minutes on a floured surface.
  3. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the turned-off oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until doubled. Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar and the cinnamon in one bowl and pour the melted butter for the coating into another.
  4. Turn the dough out onto the counter, pat it into a square about 20 cm (8 inch) wide and cut it into 64 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, dip it in the butter, let the excess drip off and roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Layer the balls in the pan, staggering them like bricks.
  5. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and put it back in the turned-off oven for 50 to 70 minutes, until the dough has puffed up and stands 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) above the rim.
  6. Take the pan out and preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is a deep mahogany brown and the caramel is bubbling at the sides of the pan.
  7. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes only, then turn it out onto a platter and let it cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk for the glaze until smooth, drizzle it over the warm bread so it runs down the sides, and serve. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

The common shortcut uses canned refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into quarters and coated in the same way. Some families scatter chopped pecans or raisins between the layers, or skip the glaze and serve the bread with just its caramel.

Tips

The dough should be soft and a little sticky: add up to 2 tablespoons more flour only if it is too wet to come together. Use light brown sugar, as dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses taste that can cover the bread. Do not leave the baked bread in the pan for more than 5 minutes, or the caramel hardens and it comes out in pieces. To bake it first thing in the morning, you can shape it the evening before, cover the pan and keep it in the fridge overnight; the next day let it rise in a warm place until puffy before baking.

Storage

Monkey bread is best warm, on the day it is baked. Leftovers keep, covered, at room temperature for 1 to 2 days: warm them for a few seconds in the microwave, or wrapped in foil in a 150 °C (300 °F) oven for about 10 minutes.

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