Homemade Monkey Bread Delight

Indulge in the cozy warmth of Homemade Monkey Bread Delight, a scrumptious pull-apart bread that combines the sweetness of cinnamon sugar with a rich, buttery finish. This recipe ditches the ready-made dough, opting instead for a freshly made sweet dough, ensuring your treat is as satisfying as it is delicious.

Key Ingredients and Alternatives

• Sweet Dough: Forget about store-bought options; this easy-to-make sweet dough takes only about 15 minutes to prepare and elevates this classic dessert to new heights.
• Cinnamon Sugar: Essential for creating that classic Monkey Bread flavor, this simple blend is what gives the bread its signature sweet and spicy crust.
• Brown Sugar Butter Glaze: The bottom of the bundt pan is generously coated with a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar, creating a caramelized topping that makes each bite heavenly.

Preparing in Advance

Dough Preparation: If you’re planning ahead, you can prepare the dough the day before. Simply let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, then allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.

Tips for Perfect Monkey Bread

1. Preventing Over-Browning: If the top starts to darken too quickly while baking, loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil.
2. Unmolding the Bread: Let the Monkey Bread sit in the bundt pan for no more than 5 minutes after baking. Waiting longer might cause the sugar to harden and stick to the pan.
3. Serving Suggestion: Although Monkey Bread is delightful on its second day, serving it fresh allows you to enjoy its full texture and moistness.

Monkey Bread Variations

• Fruity Twist: Incorporate slices of bananas, or mix in fresh blueberries or raspberries for a burst of fruitiness in each bite.
• Nutty Add-On: For a crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans over the brown sugar butter layer before adding the dough pieces.

Storage Tips

Keeping it Fresh: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, and simply reheat in the microwave when ready to serve again. For longer storage, freeze the baked Monkey Bread and thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Water: ¾ cup (177 mL), warm (about 110°F or 43°C)
• Dry Yeast: 1 tablespoon
• Evaporated Milk: 1 cup (252 mL)
• Salted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g), cubed
• Granulated Sugar: ½ cup plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• Bread Flour: 5 ¼ cups (667 g), divided
• Vegetable Oil: 1 tablespoon, for coating the dough

For the Topping

• Light Brown Sugar: 1 cup (200 g), packed
• Salted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g), cubed

For the Cinnamon Sugar

• Granulated Sugar: ½ cup (100 g)
• Ground Cinnamon: 4 teaspoons

Recipe Instructions

Dough

1. Prepare the Yeast Mixture: In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Let it stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Heat Milk and Butter: In a saucepan, warm the evaporated milk and butter just until the butter melts and small bubbles form at the edges.
3. Mix Dough: In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the foamy yeast, milk mixture, sugar, and gradually add bread flour until the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball.
4. First Rise: Coat the dough lightly with vegetable oil, cover with a cloth, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Assembly

1. Prepare the Pan: Grease a 10-inch bundt pan and prepare the brown sugar butter mixture as directed, pouring it into the bottom of the pan.
2. Shape the Dough: Punch down the risen dough, and form into small balls. Roll each in cinnamon sugar and layer over the brown sugar mixture in the pan.
3. Second Rise: Let the shaped dough rise again until puffy and just reaching the top of the pan.
4. Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) until golden and cooked through, about 35-40 minutes.
5. Invert and Serve: Let cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate to reveal the gooey caramelized bottom now on top.

Enjoy your Homemade Monkey Bread Delight warm, ideally pulled apart by hand and shared among friends or family for a truly comforting treat.