Monkey Bread
Ingredients
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- 1 tbsp unsalted butter – softened (for greasing pan)
- 1 cup whole milk – warmed to 105–115°F
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar – for dough
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 eggs – large, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter – melted and cooled (for dough)
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour – for dusting and adjusting dough as needed
- 1 cup granulated sugar – for coating
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – melted (for coating)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar – packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter – cut into pieces (for sauce)
Instructions
1. Grease a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan thoroughly with the softened unsalted butter (for greasing pan). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the warm whole milk with the granulated sugar (for dough) until dissolved, then sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top. Let stand until foamy, 5–10 minutes.
3. Stir in the eggs and the unsalted butter (melted and cooled, for dough), then add the fine salt and the all-purpose flour (4 cups). Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and only slightly tacky, 8–10 minutes, dusting in small amounts of the all-purpose flour (for dusting and adjusting dough as needed) only if the dough is sticking.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 60–90 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix the granulated sugar (for coating) and the ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Put the unsalted butter (melted, for coating) in a separate bowl.
7. Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 60–64 equal pieces (about 1-inch each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball.
8. Working one at a time, dip each dough ball into the melted butter (for coating), let excess drip, then roll in the cinnamon sugar. Layer coated balls evenly in the prepared pan, staggering seams and distributing them all around.
9. For the sauce, combine the dark brown sugar and the unsalted butter (for sauce) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, and cook until glossy and homogenous, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
10. Pour the warm brown sugar–butter sauce evenly over the dough balls in the pan. Tap the pan firmly on the counter to settle everything.
11. Cover the pan and let the assembled bread rise until puffy and the dough has risen 1/2–1 inch above the rim, 30–45 minutes.
12. Near the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
13. Bake until the top is deeply browned, the caramel is bubbling, and the internal temperature reads about 190–200°F, 30–35 minutes. If the top is browning too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
14. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes (no longer, or the caramel may stick), then invert onto a serving plate. Let the sauce cascade down, pull apart, and serve warm.
Monkey bread is a soft, pull-apart sweet bread made of bite-size yeasted dough pieces coated in cinnamon sugar, drenched in buttery caramel, and baked until gooey inside and crisp-caramelized on top. Eaten warm, it delivers tender, pillowy bites with a sticky, toffee-like glaze that invites sharing at the table. It is as much a tactile, communal experience as it is a dessert or breakfast treat, perfect for gatherings and celebrations.
The dish has roots in mid-20th-century American home baking, where it appeared under names like pinch-me cake and bubble loaf. While later versions popularized shortcuts using canned biscuit dough, earlier renditions were made from scratch with enriched yeast dough and a simple brown sugar–butter sauce. Over time, monkey bread became a beloved brunch and holiday staple in the United States, especially around autumn and winter festivities.