Monkey bread

When I hear Monkey Bread, for some strange reason I have the urge to laugh.... i know, it doesn't take much  and for that reason only I decided to try making it. It is super easy but requires some planning ahead to let the dough rise. I made it for an afternoon snack one day and the presentation alone garnered some ohhhssss and ahhhsss and that was followed by more yummmmmmmmmmm when the kids bit into the warm, sweet, cinnamony bread.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why it is called Monkey Bread, it did not make me laugh when I ate it, but filled me with warmth in ma belly on a cold Minnesotan day.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup milk

2 tsp instant yeast

4 cups all purpose flour

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

5 tablespoons sugar 

1 egg, beaten, room temperature

salt

For the cinnamon sugar coating

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar with 3 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 cup, 1 stick, 113 grams, unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Generously spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small pan, warm your milk till it is just warm to touch and whisk the yeast in. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, salt. Use the hook attachment. Start the mixer on low and add the beaten egg slowly. Next, slowly drizzle in the warm yeast-milk mixture. Mix the dough on medium speed for 8-10 mins. it should mound together. Take the dough and oil the surface of it well and put it back in a bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest and double in size for about an hour.

After it has doubled in size, punch the dough and then divide into 4 equal parts. Out of each portion you should be able to pinch out 15 balls of equal size. Dip each one into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place it into the Bundt pan. When all the coated balls of dough are placed into the Bundt pan, Cover it with plastic wrap and let it double in size. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake without the plastic wrap for about 30 mins till top layer is deep brown. Cool in the pan for 5 mins and then over turn the bread onto a platter and dig in.

What I learnt from this: Its very easy and tastes great when still warm. Leftover taste best if reheated before serving.