Monkey Bread

Makes 6 to 8 servings
An A merican classic (also called African coffee cake, bubbleloaf, golden crown, and pinch-me cake), this sweet pull-apart bread is like cinnamon rolls in bite size form, but with more cinnamon and sugar caramel with e very bite. The homemade dough t akes about t wo 1-hour rising times, but it will be worth the wait. You will be rewarded with gooey, sticky, soft bread after baking in the oven. ~ Joy

INGREDIENTS Dough

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted 1 cup milk, warm (about 110 d egrees) 1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees) 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 package rapid-rise yeast (or instant), about 2 teaspoons if measured from a jar 3 1/4 cups unbleached a ll-purpose flour, p lus extra for work surface 2 teaspoons table salt Cinnamon Sugar Coating 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 200F with the rack in medium-low position. Turn off when the temperature reaches 200F. Butter a Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. 2. For t he Dough: Combine milk, water, melted sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Using a Stand Mixer: Mix flour and salt in the bowl of the s tanding mixer using a wooden spoon. Place on the mixer fitted with a dough hook, turn to low and slowly p our milk mixture. Wait for the dough to come together and increase speed to medium. Wait until dough is smooth and shiny and pulls from the s ides and bottom of the bowl, a bout 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer onto a floured work area. By Hand: Mix flour and salt in a large bowl using a wooden spoon. Create a well in the flour, add the milk mixture into it and blend until dough b ecomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Transfer onto floured work area and knead until dough b ecomes smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. For Both: Apply cooking spray on a large bowl. Tuck dough into a ball and place in the coated bowl. Mist the surface of dough with cooking spray and cover the bowl with p lastic wrap. Place in the warmed oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, until the dough doubles in size.
Copyright 2010 Gourmeted This recipe was adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine (February 2005 issue) and was featured on Gourmeted.com last September 15, 2010: http://gourmeted.com/2010/09/15/monkey-bread/ Please email us at gourmeted@gmail.com if you have questions.

3. For t he cinnamon sugar coating: Mix brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Melt butter ( melting in the microwave is fine) in a s eparate bowl. 4. After the dough has risen, turn over onto your floured work surface, and flatten into an 8-inch square with your fingertips. Divide dough in 8 strips crosswise and lengthwise using a knife or b ench scraper, leaving you with 64 p ieces. 5. Tuck each piece into a ball, p inching together the ends. [Note: the original recipe instructs you to roll each piece into a ball, which could lead to a sticky mess. I prefer to tuck and pinch, they will not be circular balls once they are baked anyway. - Joy] 6. Dip each ball in melted butter; placing them on a fork ( not p iercing) works really well. Let the excess butter drip back into the bowl. Roll individual balls in cinnamon sugar and layer in the Bundt pan until evenly segregated at the top. 7. Cover Bundt pan with plastic wrap and place in (still turned-off) oven for 50 to 70 minutes, until balls become puffy and risen 1 to 2 inches from the top of the pan. 8. Remove pan from the oven. Heat oven to 350F with the rack in the upper middle position. Remove plastic wrap, and bake until the top becomes deep brown and caramel bubbles through the dough crevices, about 30 to 35 minutes. 9. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes b efore inverting onto a platter and cool for another 10 minutes before s erving. Monkey Bread is best served warm. It can be kept at room temperature for 2 days and w armed up in t he microwave for 15 m inutes. Slice and/or pick apart.

Copyright 2010 Gourmeted This recipe was adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine (February 2005 issue) and was featured on Gourmeted.com last September 15, 2010: http://gourmeted.com/2010/09/15/monkey-bread/ Please email us at gourmeted@gmail.com if you have questions.