baked's monkey bubble bread

monkey bread has been on my to make list for a while now, but it somehow got shifted down the list as waffles and baked donuts and other good eats have taken over my saturday mornings. a quick breeze through baked explorations for something else (i have no idea what i was originally looking for) led me to this bread. the perfect way to wake up saturday morning.

there was just one problem with the recipe. i didn't want to get up really early or eat my bread mid-afternoon on saturday. so i made the dough friday night and tossed it in the oven saturday morning. and the two of us sat - watching giada whip up who knows what - fork in hand, plate balancing on a couch cushion between us, until we had each eaten through top to bottom of one side. yes, it's that good.

lucky enough to have leftovers? i covered the plate with my glass cake dome and left it out on the counter. all day saturday we picked at it. sunday morning i reheated it in the oven, which honestly, wasn't worth it. a quick 30 seconds in the microwave was much faster and easier.

and for those of you who haven't noticed, this is the first success of my 11 in 2011 challenge! well, at least the first one documented...

baked's monkey bubble bread
adapted from baked explorations
4 hours, serves 6

make ahead: the dough can be made in the evening, refrigerated, and baked the next morning. follow the recipe below through step 8. wrap the bundt tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. the next morning, take the bundt out of the refrigerator and place in a warm place for about an hour and a half. bake as instructed.

1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar (or 1 1/4 cups white sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. in a small saucepan, warm the milk to slightly above room temperature, remove from heat, and add the yeast. whisk to dissolve and set aside.
2. in a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork to break up the yolk and set aside.
3. in a large bowl, beat the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. mix in the egg until combined. keep the mixer on low and slowly add the warm milk. mix until the dough comes together.
4. using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough becomes tacky and smooth, about 10 minutes. if your dough is too wet, mix in all purpose flour, about 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. your dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl at all and should only be stuck to the very bottom of the bowl where the dough hook doesn't reach.
5. spray the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray. turn the dough out into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. let rest one hour until doubled in size.
6. combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a wide bowl or plate and set aside. melt the butter in a large bowl and set aside. spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray.
7. once the dough has doubled, line a sheet pan (or your countertop) with parchment paper. use your hands to punch down and deflate the dough. use your hands or a bench scraper to form the dough into dough balls the size of a quarter.
8. organize your assembly line: dough balls, butter, cinnamon sugar, and pan. take each dough ball, roll it in the melted butter, and coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. place in the bundt pan, making sure to evenly distribute the balls. the balls should fill the pan about half way.
9. wrap the bundt pan tightly in plastic wrap and place in a warm area for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
10. preheat the oven to 350F. remove the plastic wrap from the bundt and bake until the top layer is golden brown and the caramel is bubbling through the cracks in the balls, about 35 minutes. (i baked mine about 33 and they could have used a few more minutes.)
11. cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a serving platter. bread (and especially the caramel) will be very hot, so i suggest using forks to eat it. reheat leftovers in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds on high.

check out more sweet treats at sweets for a saturday!