Monkey Bread

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So this is a yummy sweet bread that is baked during the fall in North America. A monkey bread is basically a sweet bread, made into small bite sizes pieces, covered in cinnamon and sugar and then out altogether into a bundt pan and baked. The best part of this bread is that its made in small bites and it becomes a pull-apart bread, so its meant for sharing! (Great for parties!) As I live in Sweden, I thought let’s bring this amazing treat here, on a rainy late summer day, and add a bit of of ‘Ammna’ touch to it. I also of course poured a whole bunch of slated caramel on top of it, well because i’m Ammna and I like to make things ‘extra’ 😉

This takes a little time to bake, only because of the proof’ing time, however its fairly easy and is SO worth it!

Here’s how you bake it!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus little extra for the bowl
⅓ cup full-fat milk
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
4 large eggs, (or 5 small ones) room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus a little extra for the pan
Salted Caramel Sauce – for drizzling over the monkey bread – extra tasty! Click here for the recipe – CLICK

A regular bundt pan, round with a hole in the centre. I used a plain bundt pan with a straight bottom. But you can use the beautiful shaped ones.

METHOD:

Dough –

In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and soft. Scrape the bowl clean and place it into a small bowl, place a side until we need it (which will be soon). No need to clean the bowl, its better if its buttered 😉
In a saucepan, slightly heat the milk until finger warm (37C). Then pour into a small bowl and add in the dry active yeast. Mix well, and leave sit fro 5 minutes until the yeast starts foaming up.
While the milk & yeast do their thing, in the stand mixer, add in the flour, sugar and salt. Mix until combined on slow with the same paddle attachment.
Then change the paddle attachment for the dough hook and add in the eggs, and the yeast mixture, and beat on low speed for 2 minutes then increase the speed until the dry ingredients come together, it should start attaching to the dough hook. Continue mixing on medium speed until the dough becomes smooth and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl (this should take roughly 5minutes).
While the dough still beating on medium speed, start adding in the butter roughly 1 tbsp at a time, – make sure to wait between each spoon full until the butter is completely incorporated before adding the next. This will take time (roughly 10 minutes), just be patient and work through this, it will be worth it! Once all the butter is in, then beat the dough on full speed for 2 minutes, until the dough comes together and is shiny and smooth. Pour the dough into a buttered large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit in a warm place for 50 minutes – or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, take it out and and pour it onto a clean table. Punch the dough down a few times and then grab a small tray (roughly 33x22cm) lined with plastic wrap – make sure to leave a good amount over hanging on each side, and place the dough onto it. Make sure you try your best to pat it down evenly and press it to each corner. Fold the dough with the over-hanging plastic wrap tightly so all air pockets are released. chill the dough in the freezer until firm – roughly 25 minutes. You have to chill the dough so it’s easier to handle when coating it – next steps.

Coating the dough –

In a medium sized bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Then butter your bundt pan of choice and pour some of the mixed sugar /cinnamon all over it – making sure its evenly coated, even the tube in the centre. place the remaining sugar/cinnamon into the medium bowl.
Take out the chilled dough, take off the plastic wrap, and with a brush, brush over half of the melted butter over your dough and then pour half of the cinnamon/sugar mix all over the dough. Then flip the dough over, and do the same to the other side.
then working fast, take a sharp knife, cut roughly 1 inch squares of the whole dough piece – this should give you roughly 48 squares , if you cut 6×8 – see below for video to better understand. Take each square and roll quickly and place into the bundt pan. Try to leave roughly 1/2inch in between each roll (this will be hard because there will be many and they are soft, so don’t worry, just try your best – see video below). Once all the balls are in the bundt pan, cover and place the pan into a warm place for roughly 40 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size. Pre-heat the oven at 175C.
once double din size, then bake in the oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown on the top. Take out of the oven and leave to cool int he pan for 10 minutes. Then take a spatula or a knife, and go around the edge of the monkey bread to loosen it from the pan. Flip over onto the wired rack and the flip back over onto a serving plate.
Pour over the salted caramel sauce for extra flavour (like I did) or just simple serve as is!