Monkey Bread

Dah lama aku tengok monkey bread recipe, tapi tak terbukak hati untuk buat. Tiba2 semalam, dalam facebook newsfeed aku banyak pulak pages yang aku follow that featured monkey bread. One of the recipe yang menarik is featured in sally's baking addiction. Tapikan, bila tengok butter yg digunakan tu untuk dip the dough about 1 1/2 cup, aku rasa sedikit nak pengsan. Takut berlemak2 badan aku nanti.

So I took my time, google few recipes. Pastu tengok the ones yang buat dough from scratch, and I found one perfect recipe. I tweak the recipe a bit, as usual. Sigh.. sesuka hati je aku ni ubah recipe orang. This monkey bread memang to die for. Kalau korang suka cinnamon pull apart bread yang aku buat dulu, this is better. Maybe sebab it's drenched in butter kot. Memang sangat tidak sesuai untuk orang yang diet.

Mula2 kan, lepas aku bake this bread, aku taknak rasa. Pastu Speda (my schoolmate) suruh rasa. Bila dah makan satu, takleh stop! Arghhh!!! sedap giler.. sob sob.. there goes my diet. Sedih la ni.

Sedap!!

Makan dengan kopi panas! peh!

Monkey Bread
Mel's Kitchen

Ingredients

Dough:
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, divided, 2 tablespoons softened and 2 tablespoons melted
• 1 cup milk, warm 
• 1/3 cup water, warm
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
• 
  
Brown Sugar Coating:
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup of salted butter, melted

Directions

1. Butter a Bundt pan with butter. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel or anything that will really help get inside all of those nooks and crannies. Set aside.
2. In a large measuring cup, mix together the milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix the flour and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (see below for instructions to make the dough by hand). Turn the machine to low and slowly add the milk mixture and softened butter. After the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. 
3. If you think the dough is too wet (i.e. having a hard time forming a cohesive mass), add 2 tablespoons flour at a time and mix until the dough comes together (it should still be on the sticky side, just not overly wet). Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat lightly with the cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled
4. While the dough is rising, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Place the melted butter in a second bowl or shallow pie plate. Set aside.
5. To form the bread, gently remove the dough from the bowl and press it into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the dough into 64 pieces.
6. Roll each dough piece into a ball (it doesn't have to be perfect, just get it into a rough ball-shape). Working one at a time, dip the balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into the bowl or pie plate. Roll the dipped dough ball in the brown sugar mixture, then layer the balls in the Bundt pan, staggering the seams where the dough balls meet as you build layers.
7. Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise until puffy and they have risen 1-2 inches from the top of the pan.
8. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the monkey bread in the pan for 5 minutes (any longer and the bread will be too sticky and hard to remove!), then turn out on a platter or large plate and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Notes

Monkey Bread without a Mixer: Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, then add the milk mixture to the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating the shaggy scraps back into the dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into a taut ball and proceed as directed.