Recipe of Today: Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

Dough:

• ¼ cup butter divided, 2 tbsps softened and 2 tbsps melted
• 1 cup milk, warm (about 110°F)
• ⅓ cup water, warm (about 110°F)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 ¼ tsps instant yeast
• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps salt

Brown Sugar Coating:

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• ½ cup melted butter

Glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsps milk

Instructions:

• Butter the Bundt pan with 2 tbsps softened butter. Use a pastry brush or a paper towel or anything that really helps get into all those nooks and crannies. Set aside.

• In a large measuring cup, combine milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. Mix flour and salt in your Kitchenin KM50 Stand Mixer. Start the mixer at low level and slowly add the milk mixture. Once the dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, for about 6 to 7 minutes. If you think the dough is too wet, add 2 tbsps  flour at a time and mix until the dough comes together.

• Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in a bowl and coat it with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, for 1 to 2 hours.

• For the coating, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl while the dough is rising. Then transfer melted butter to a second bowl or shallow pie pan for future use.

• To form the loaf, gently lift the dough out of the bowl and press it into a rough 8-inch square. Using a spatula or knife, cut the dough into 64 pieces.

• Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Working one at a time, dip the balls into the melted butter, letting the excess drip back into the bowl or pie plate. Roll the dipped dough into the brown sugar mixture, then layer the balls in Bundt pan, staggering the seams where the dough balls meet as you build the layers.

• Cover the Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and let the monkey bread rise until they rise 1 to 2 inches from the top of the pan, 1-2 hours.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap the pan and bake until the top is dark brown and the caramel starts to bubble around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the monkey bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then place on a large plate to cool down for about 10 minutes.

• For the glaze, while the bread cools, mix together the confectioners' sugar and milk in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Drizzle the glaze with a whisk over the hot monkey bread, allowing it to flow over the top and sides of the bread. Serve hot and enjoy!