So today is cinnamon, one of the biggest staples for baking. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, whenever someone asks what that taste is, the answer is always cinnamon. The best recipe I know for cinnamon, other than cinnamon and raisin bread or sticky buns, is Monkey Bread. This has turned in to one of the best recipes I know, and when I need to come up with something to share it is my go to. Everyone at my work loves this recipe and so does everyone in my house. You bake little clumps of dough rolled in cinnamon in a pan, any pan but I use a bundt pan, and than its just falls apart when you take a piece. If you bake it a little less it is soft and sticky like sticky buns, but is you bake it a little longer it is less messy and like cinnamon bread. Both are very good, it just depends if it is just family picking at it, or a group of coworkers.
Monkey Bread
For the bread
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
For rolling
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 200°F. Lightly oil a large bundt pan or other baking pan.
In the bowl of a stand-up mixer fitted with dough hook attachment, add the melted butter, milk, brown sugar, vanilla and yeast. Mix for a few minutes and then add the flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes together in a shiny mass, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Put the dough into a large oiled bowl, cover with a towel, turn off the oven and place the dough in the preheated warm oven to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
When the dough has risen, take it out of the oven. Pour the melted butter into a small bowl. Put the sugar and cinnamon into a second bowl and whisk well to combine.
Punch down the dough to knock the air out of it and then form and roll small balls in your hand or on the counter. Dip them first in the melted butter and then roll in the cinnamon sugar and layer them into the bundt pan or other baking pan.
Put the pan into the oven to rise for a second time, for about 45 minutes, until the dough balls reach the top of the pan and double once again. Remove from the oven and increase the heat to 350°. Once hot, place the pan back into the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Tips:
This is the recipe I learnt the 200F oven from, this has never failed me for help yeast rise. I also need to double the sugar mix, as I find the recipe is never enough to roll all the dough.
Mix the first 5 ingredients together.
Add the flour a cup at a time. This is my last cup.
This dough is sticky, so try not to handle too much before the first rise.
Pull off pinches of dough or use a teaspoon. Roll between palms to form a ball and roll in butter and than sugar mix.
Randomly place balls in pan, ensure it is a deep pan.
Once all the dough has been used, set it in the oven once again to rise.
After the second rise, the dough balls will have doubled in size. Set you oven and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
There you have it, warm Monkey Bread ready to pick apart.
Tips:
It takes about 30 to 35 minutes in my oven to get the perfect Monkey Bread for me. But this can change from oven to oven, and from pan to pan. If you use one pan the first time, and another pan the next, the time will change. I suggest checking your oven at 20 minutes, use the tooth pick method. If it comes away clean, the dough is ready and you just decide if you want a sticky or dry bread. If the toothpick comes away with dough leave it in for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how raw it is, and keep checking it.
You have to love shoes with a little animal print.
I finally got the Mickey Mouse toppers for my nephews first birthday cake. Now I just have to start building the clubhouse. I am going to go pick up everything tomorrow and start working at it. Wish me luck, I want this cake to be perfect. I can't wait to finish it and see the final results. I will be posting pictures for everyone to see.
Happy Baking!
Sey
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