Pull Apart Monkey Bread

 

Ingredients

Yeast Dough

1/4 c. warm water
1 pkg yeast or 1 Tbs. dry yeast
1 1/4 c. warm milk
1/3 c. butter, melted and cooled
2 egg, room temperature
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp  salt
5 c. flour

Coating

1 1/2 c.  sugar
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter

Topping

1/4 c.  butter, melted and divided
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Grease two 9 x 5-inch bread pans or a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan. 

Combine warm water and yeast together in a large bowl.  Set in a warm location for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.

Add warm milk, butter, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. You can also use a mixer with the dough hook. Continue to knead in the remaining flour, until it gets too hard to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out on a floured surface. Knead in the rest of the flour, using more or less flour as needed, depending on the day. If there is a lot of moisture in the air, you will need more flour. Knead the dough until smooth for about 8 to 10 minutes. You will want a dough that is slightly sticky.

Lightly grease the bowl that you prepared the dough.  Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with a tea towel or a sheet of plastic wrap. Place in a warm location and let rise for about 2 hours. 

Prepare the coating. 

Place 1/2 cup melted butter in a bowl. In another bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon together.  Set aside.

Divide the dough into 40 to 45 balls. Roll each ball in the melted butter, and then roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place the balls evenly between the 2 loaf pans.

Cover the loaf pans with a tea towel or a sheet of plastic wrap.  Set aside in a warm location to rise for about 20 minutes. 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour over the pull apart balls in the loaf pans, dividing the mixture between the two pans.

Preheat oven to 350°.  See note below. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until done, and the top is golden brown.  If the tops brown too fast, cover loosely with a sheet of foil. Leave the bread to cool in the pans for 5 to 8 minutes.  Then invert the pans onto a serving platter.

Serve warm. You can mix up a thin glaze of 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk and pour over the warm monkey bread.

 I usually don't preheat the oven when making bread. I put the pans in the oven and then turn the oven on. It also helps give the bread a little more rising time.