Warm, gooey Monkey Bread a real crowd-pleaser

Betty Jo Angell of Sandpoint wrote to us asking for a recipe for pull-aparts.

This gooey bread is a tradition in many homes and a sure crowd-pleaser when served warm. It is often called Monkey Bread. Kids can help shake the bread pieces in sugar and cinnamon and layer them in the pan.

If you don’t have a lot of time, you can put together a delicious bread using refrigerated biscuits. Although it was delicious as suggested, the next time I make the bread I’ll layer the butter and brown sugar mixture with the biscuit pieces so the thick caramel has a chance to penetrate the whole bread. I also made a glaze of confectioners’ sugar and milk to drizzle over the finished bread.

If you have the time make your own bread dough, you can’t beat this recipe we found in the new Cook’s Country magazine, from the editors at America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Illustrated. Rolling each piece of dough in melted butter or sugar ensures everyone’s fingers will be coated with sticky, delicious goo before the bread is gone.

Monkey Bread

From LuAnn Connolly and Allrecipes.com. This recipe also appeared in the Allrecipes “Tried & True Favorites” cookbook.

3 (12-ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9-or 10- inch tube or Bundt pan.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar and cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine or butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut. The bread just pulls apart.

Yield: 15 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 355 calories, 9.5 grams fat (4.7 grams saturated, 24 percent fat calories), 5 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrate, 16.5 grams cholesterol, 1.4 grams dietary fiber, 1,006 milligrams sodium.

Monkey Bread

From Cook’s Country magazine, May 2005

The dough should be sticky, but if you find it’s too wet and not coming together in the mixer, add 2 tablespoons more flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass. Make sure to use light brown sugar in the sugar mix; dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavor that can be overwhelming. After baking, don’t let the bread cool in the pan for more than 5 minutes or it will stick to the pan and come out in pieces. Monkey bread is at its best when served warm.

Dough:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted

1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees)

1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant)

31/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface

2 teaspoons table salt

Brown Sugar Coating:

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

For the dough: Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.

In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook, (see below for instructions without a mixer.) Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

For the sugar coating: While dough is rising, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.

To form the bread: Gently remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces.

Roll each dough piece into ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in brown sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.

Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the glaze: While bread cools, whisk confectioners’ sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.

Monkey Bread without a mixer: In Step 2, mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Using wooden spoon, stir until dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating shaggy scraps back into dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into taut ball and proceed as directed.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving (based on 8): 463 calories, 15 grams fat (9 grams saturated, 29 percent fat calories), 5.6 grams protein, 78 grams carbohydrate, 40 milligrams cholesterol, 1.5 grams dietary fiber, 612 milligrams sodium.