monkey bread

The recipe for monkey bread (or pan de mono, as we know it here) is pure addiction. A caramelized and cinnamon-flavored cake built with patience and love, ball by ball. Without a doubt, it is worth it, especially following the wise instructions of Virginia, author of Sweet&Sour , leaves you the recipe here.

Monkey bread is a sweet bread of American origin, which is coincidentally better known outside its borders. It is a kind of pull apart bread, caramelized, with a cinnamon flavor. The dough itself is not excessively brioche-like, because it does not use much butter or sugar. The sweetness and butter content is found in the coating of the dough balls that are placed one on top of the other, generally in a tube mold .

In this case, I have used a quality mould, such as all Nordic Ware moulds, which allow for easy unmoulding and, as in this case, a caramel crust forms. I have opted for the traditional Anniversary mould, which, in my opinion, allows for a better view of the crown shape.

For the dough I used my KitchenAid , it really saves a lot of time, but you can do it manually.

KitchenAid Artisan food processor and monkey bread made with the Nordic Ware Anniversary pan

Ingredients (For a 25cm bundt cake pan approx.)

For the dough:

• 630g of all-purpose flour*
• 280ml whole milk
• 40gr of white sugar**
• 20gr of inverted sugar**
• 1 organic "M" egg
• 70gr of warmed melted butter
• 1 sachet of dry yeast (approx. 8g) or 1 cube of fresh yeast (approx. 25g)
• 1 teaspoon salt

*Extra flour for the counter

** If you don't use inverted sugar, add only 60g of white sugar

For the batter:

• 350gr brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 150gr of warmed melted butter

Spoon for Bérard flour and monkey bread made with it Nordic Ware Anniversary mold

Preparation

1. We melt the butter in the microwave and set aside.
2. Warm the milk to no more than 35-38 degrees (you can easily check this with a digital thermometer ), add the yeast and mix until dissolved. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, add the flour and salt and mix. Make a hole in the centre and add the warmed melted butter, the milk with the yeast, the beaten egg, the sugar and the inverted sugar if necessary. I used my KitchenAid , but if you don't have an electric mixer you can do the whole process by hand. It will take more time and work, but the result is the same.
4. If using the KitchenAid, mix all ingredients well with the paddle attachment, switch to the hook attachment and knead until you have a smooth, shiny dough.
5. Dust the table with a little flour, turn the dough out and form it into a ball. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place until it doubles in volume. This will take about 1 hour and a half at a temperature of about 23-24 ºC.
6. Prepare a bundt cake pan about 10 inches in diameter and spray it with nonstick spray or butter. Set aside.
7. When it has doubled in volume, prepare two bowls. In one, put the melted butter and in the other, the brown sugar mixed with cinnamon.
8. Flour the table again and roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/2 centimeter thick. This dough is a bit soft, so don't skimp on the flour, or it will stick to the table.
9. Using a sharp knife , cut strips and each strip into squares of dough that are not too small, like the ones you see in the photo. Form a ball with each one and coat each ball in the melted butter first and then in sugar. Place the coated balls inside the mould, one next to the other but not tightly, creating layers of balls until the mould is almost full, as you can see in the image below.
10. Cover and let rest for another 30-40 minutes.
11. Preheat the oven to 180ºC and bake for about 35 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes on the counter. Then turn the mould upside down and carefully remove it from the mould.
13. Serve it warm or lukewarm, it is tastier than cold, but in any case it is delicious.
14. It can be cut like any other cake, but it is ideal to take it by removing each ball with your fingers.

Laura Ashley porcelain bowls and Nordic Ware Anniversary bundt pan

Enjoy.

Virginia