The Best Monkey Bread Recipe
the best monkey bread
Yeah, monkey bread. But what do you expect when other 1950s recipes had such names as “Cantaloupe Pickles” and “Clever Judy Filling”? Also called bubble loaf or golden crown, monkey bread is pull-apart layers of sinfully sugared yeast dough dripping in sticky caramel glaze and topped with sweet icing. So addictive, even Nancy Reagan served it regularly at the White House.
the best monkey bread
serves 12
ingredients
Dough- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 package dry active yeast (not rapid-rise)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 5 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/4 cups icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
directions
- In a small bowl, combine warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top, cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a glass dish, heat milk and butter in microwave until milk is warm and butter is melted. Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt and eggs. Pour in yeast mixture and using a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed just to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed. Once all the flour has been added, mix on medium speed for 3 minutes (or 8-10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured work surface) to knead the dough. Place dough into a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot to rise for 45 minutes.
- While the dough rises, butter the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan.
- For the sugar coating, in a small bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. In another small bowl, place the melted butter. Set aside.
- When the dough has risen, turn it out of the bowl on to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 1 minute. Cut off golf ball-size pieces of dough and roll each piece into a ball. You should have about 40 balls. Lightly dip each dough ball into the melted butter and then roll them in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. As you go, stack the balls of dough in the prepared Bundt pan. Once you’ve covered the bottom of the pan, start a new layer until all the dough is used up.
- For the glaze, in a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, butter and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has come to a boil, immediately remove from heat and pour over the prepared dough balls.
- Cover the pan with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, bake for 28 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to allow for easy removal. Carefully flip onto serving plate and allow to cool completely before icing.
- For the icing, in a medium bowl, whisk icing sugar and milk until smooth. Immediately drizzle over monkey bread.
“Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn’t mean the circus has left town.”
