Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread 

from the kitchen of Ellen, thanks to America’s Best Lost Recipes, by the Editors of Cook’s Country Magazine

Ingredients:

• Dough:
• 2 tbs unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tbs melted
• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 1 package rapid-rise or instant yeast
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• Brown Sugar Coating:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• Glaze:
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tbs milk

For the dough:

• Adjust an oven rack to the medium-low position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.  When the oven reaches 200, turn it off.  Lightly grease a large bowl with cooking spray.  Butter a Bundt pan with 2 tbs softened butter.  Set the bowl and pan aside.

Mix:

• The milk, water, melted butter, granulated sugar, and yeast together in a large measuring cup.  Stir the flour and salt together in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the milk mixture.  After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, 6-7 minutes.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly to form a smooth, round ball.  Place the dough in the greased bowl and coat the surface of the dough with cooking spray.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the warm turned-off oven until the dough is doubled in size, about 50-60 minutes.

For the sugar coating:

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

To form the bread:

• Gently remove the dough from the bowl and pat into a rough 8 inch square.  cut the square into quarters with a bench scraper or knife.  Cut each quarter into 16 pieces.  
• Roll each dough piece into a ball, and, working one at a time, dip the balls in the melted butter, allowing the excess butter to drip back into the bowl.  Roll in the brown sugar mixture, then layer the balls in the greased Bundt pan, staggering the seams where the dough balls meet as you build the layers.
• Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in the turned-off oven until the dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches, above the top rim of the pan, 50-70 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around the edges, 30-35 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on a platter and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the glaze:

• While the bread cools, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth and no lumps remain.  Using a whisk, drizzle the glaze over the warm monkey bread, letting it run over the top and down the sides. Serve warm.

Serves 6-8 (Or two or three hungry teenagers.)