Monkey bread: A Christmas morning treat
In only a few days many homes will be filled with excitement, heaps of wrapping paper, and loads of family. And with our monkey bread, your house can also be filled with the sweet smells of fresh baked goodness! Like a bunch of mini cinnamon rolls stacked together, monkey bread is made of sweet dough, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter, and is a perfect addition to your holiday breakfast table. This gooey, delicious, pull-apart bread is best served straight out of the oven, and is big enough to feed a hungry crowd. The origins of the name are unclear, but we guarantee there are no actual monkeys in this bread, which (trust us) is very important to reinforce when you have curious little ones helping with the baking!
Step 1:
The dough needs to rise for about an hour, so to get your timing right, try to make it before the present-palooza begins. Whisk 1 cup of flour with the granulated sugar, yeast (make sure you use ‘quick rise’), and salt, then add in the hot water, warm milk, melted butter and egg. With a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour until dough forms.
Knead the dough (this will likely burn off at least a bite of the finished Monkey bread) until it’s smooth and no longer sticky (you may need to add in a little extra flour to get it to this stage). Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and leave it until it doubles in size, about an hour.
Step 2:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray your Bundt pan. Pour melted butter into a shallow dish, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl, and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Take each dough ball, dip in butter and roll in the sugar mixture, then place in the Bundt pan. This is an easy activity for the kids, so grab a kitchen helper or two for this step.
Stack the dough balls one on top of another, then press down slightly and sprinkle the remaining butter and sugar / cinnamon over the top.
Step 3:
Bake for about 25 minutes (depending on your oven, it may take a couple of extra minutes to get golden brown), and then let it rest in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. While it cools slightly, sift the icing sugar and slowly add the milk, stirring together until a smooth icing forms. Turn the pan upside down onto a plate and drizzle with the icing. Serve immediately … with napkins!
Try this recipe: Monkey bread
Watch us make it: Monkey bread video
The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.
Karma Brown is a happy writer, wife and mom in search of superpowers to keep it all running smoothly. Along with contributing to Chatelaine.com, Karma's also an avid baker, cancer fighter, and bucket list chaser, who blogs about life, writing, and her addiction to sneaking vegetables into nearly every meal she makes.
