Monkey Bread

This is a soft sticky pastry dough that I discovered in the USA, which is usually eaten at breakfast. It is similar to cinnamon buns but has no raisons.

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the dough

• 200ml semi-skimmed milk
• 85g unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 550g strong white bread flour
• 2½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
• 50g golden caster sugar
• oil, for greasing

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1.5 tsp ground nutmeg
• 225g light muscovado sugar
• 125g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 140g pecans, toasted then roughly chopped

For the glaze

• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. To make the dough: put the milk and 85g butter into a medium pan and heat gently until the butter melts and the milk simmers. Cool for a few mins, then beat in the eggs with a fork. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl with 1 1/2 tsp salt, then add the liquid and stir to a sticky dough.
2. Leave for 5 mins, then tip onto a floured worktop and knead for 5-10 mins until smooth and springy.
3. Use a little oil to grease a large bowl, add the dough, turn it in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
4. Heat the oven to 180^oC/gas 4.
5. To assemble, grease a 25cm bundt pan with butter. Melt the rest of the butter in a pan. In a medium bowl mix the spices and sugar add a pinch of salt. Spoon 2 tbsp melted butter, 3 tbsp spiced sugar and 4 tbsp pecans into the bottom of the tin.
6. Pull the dough into about 65 small pieces and roll into balls. Taking 4 or 5 at a time, dunk the dough balls into the melted butter, let the excess drain off, then tip them into the spiced sugar. Roll to coat, then put into the tin. Repeat until there’s a full layer of dough in the tin. Scatter with the rest of the chopped nuts, then carry on filling the tin with the coated dough balls. Tip any leftover sugar and butter over the dough.
7. Bake the monkey bread for 35 mins, or until well risen and golden. Let the pan cool for 5 mins, then give it a sharp tap on the counter. Leave in the tin until just warm.

Whisk all of the ingredients together to make the glaze which will thicken as the melted butter cools. Turn the monkey bread onto a serving plate and drizzle the glaze over it.