Monkey bread is, in essence, a brilliantly chaotic idea: simultaneously a bread, a dessert, and a centerpiece for everyone to share. To make the most of that chaos, we start with our Dinner Roll Dough and divide it into 70 pieces. Small pieces mean more surface area, more caramelized edges, more of those lacquered, sticky-sweet bits that everyone fights over. The warm cream poured over just before baking is the move that elevates this from good to genuinely extraordinary: It seeps into the gaps between the dough and creates a sort of self-basting situation in the oven. The result is a delight that is deeply soft on the inside, sticky and bronzed on the outside, and best served warm, pulled apart at the table, with no apology whatsoever.
Monkey Bread
Makes 1 (15-cup) loaf
- 1½ cups (330 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 teaspoons (8 grams) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Dinner Roll Dough (recipe follows)
- ½ cup (120 grams) warm heavy whipping cream (105°F/41°C to 110°F/43°C)
-
Spray a 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with fl our.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt.
-
Punch down Dinner Roll Dough, and divide into 70 portions (14 to 18 grams each). Using very lightly floured hands, roughly roll any remaining bits of dough into a smooth cohesive shape. (Keep dough covered to prevent it from drying out.) Working in batches, dip dough balls into butter mixture, turning until well coated. Place in prepared pan. Drizzle any remaining butter mixture onto dough in pan, lightly shaking pan, letting mixture fall into any openings. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, about 30 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
-
Pour warm cream onto dough.
-
Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers 190°F (88°C), 45 to 50 minutes, covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes.
-
Invert loaf onto desired serving plate, and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Store, covered, for up to 3 days.
Dinner Roll Dough
Makes 40 rolls or 1 (15-cup) loaf
- 4¾ to 5 cups (594 to 625 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons (14 grams) instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon (9 grams) kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 grams) water
- ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
- 1/3 cup (76 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg (50 grams), room temperature
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
-
In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup (240 grams) water, sour cream, and melted butter over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C). Add hot sour cream mixture to flour mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined. Beat in egg until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 3¼ cups (406 grams) flour, beating just until a shaggy dough forms.
-
Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, 10 to 12 minutes, stopping to scrape dough hook and sides of bowl; add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until dough is puffed up, 20 to 30 minutes.
