By Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Total Time
- 1½ hours
- Rating
- 4(446)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Many monkey bread recipes are made with a yeast-risen dough, but the most classic methods use biscuit dough, as this one does. A quick fold of the dough ensures it’s light and fluffy inside. When you grease the pan, you may worry that two tablespoons of butter seems excessive, but the generous amount prevents the monkey bread from sticking to the pan and combines with the cinnamon sugar to create an effortless caramel sauce as it bakes. If you’re looking for an even simpler approach, you could replace the homemade dough with about two pounds of store-bought refrigerated biscuit dough.
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Ingredients
Yield:One 9-inch round or 10-inch bundt loaf
- 4cups/510 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- 4½teaspoons baking powder
- 1½teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1cup/225 grams cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1⅓cups/320 milliliters cold buttermilk, plus more as needed
- 12tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), at room temperature
- ¾teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1cup/220 grams light or dark brown sugar
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1cup/125 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 6tablespoons heavy cream or milk, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Biscuit Dough
For Assembly
For the Glaze (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Make the biscuit dough: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Add the cubed cold butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture, using your fingers to separate butter cubes and ensure each piece is well coated.
Step
2
Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour, and continue working until each piece of butter is no larger than the size of a pea. Make a well in the center of the bowl.
Step
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Pour the buttermilk into the well and use your hands or a spatula to gently mix the dough to combine. You want to mix it minimally to keep the dough tender, but you also want to make sure it’s uniformly combined, eliminating any dry patches of flour. The dough should be slightly sticky; if the dough seems dry, stir in buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together.
Step
4
Generously flour your work surface and place the dough on it. Flour the surface of the dough and your hands, and press the dough into a rectangle about ½-inch thick (the size of the dough doesn’t matter, but the thickness is key). Fold the dough in quarters, then fold the quartered dough in half. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step
5
Assemble the monkey bread: Using 2 tablespoons of butter, grease a 9-inch cake pan with at least 2-inch-tall sides or a 10-inch bundt or tube pan. (If you use the bundt pan, take care to really get into all the grooves and ridges and coat them well.) Place the prepared pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step
6
Melt the remaining 10 tablespoons/140 grams butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. In a medium shallow bowl, stir the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt together to combine.
Step
7
When the oven is hot, unwrap the dough. Lightly flour the work surface, then flour the surface of the dough. Using your hands, press the dough into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Slice the dough crosswise and lengthwise into 1-inch squares.
Step
8
Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the dough into the melted butter and shake off the excess, then toss in the sugar mixture to coat. Transfer the pieces into the prepared cake pan. Continue this process, gently stacking the dough as you work.
Step
9
Transfer the assembled monkey bread to the oven and bake until you see bubbling around the edge of the pan, the surface is well browned and it springs back lightly when pressed in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.
Step
10
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter or tray. Serve unglazed immediately, or let cool slightly while you make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, cream and vanilla to combine. Add more cream as needed to thin, 1 tablespoon at a time. Drizzle over the surface of the monkey bread, or serve in a bowl alongside for dipping.
Ratings
4
out of 5
446
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Cooking Notes
Mollie
I halved the recipe and baked it in a loaf pan for a Sunday breakfast. It was delicious!
Kate
Unless there’s a nut allergy you could grind up a half a cup of walnuts finely and add to the sugar mixture. It would cut down on the sweetness a bit and add some protein. I wonder if it can be partially made ahead and refrigerated for morning baking?
Faye
I can’t decide weather I hate it or I love it. It makes my family sick. You want it, and then you eat it, and then you feel sick, and then you want it again, and the cycle repeats itself. It’s so good though.
Jo
I used 2 packages of packaged dough and maybe 1 stick of butter which seemed to be enough and baked in a round cake pan 2 inches high. The results were delicious according to my family but the packaged dough is never as good as home made biscuits in my view. James Beard's classic cream biscuits are good all on their own without the sugar and cinnamon - but then of course it wouldn't be Monkey Bread!
Jaime
Glaze benefits from scant pinch of salt. Have to remember to rotate pan halfway thru; got some uneven caramelization. I double flipped it so the top remained the top this time. More crannies for the glaze.
GG
Used kitchenmaid with dough hook--takes about 15 to 20 minutes on low. Added chopped pecans.
GG
Can this be made using a Kitchenaid stand mixer with a dough hook?
Anna
I really think that would overwork the dough and make it tough. For a biscuit dough you want to be gentle and work it as little as possible.
Maureen C
Like Faye's review, I couldn't decide to love it or hate it. Ultimately we just threw it out after "hated it" won out. Still, it kept me busy on a lonely-ish pandemic Christmas morning.
Lara
Basically tastes like a giant cinnamon roll. Don't quite see how this is monkey bread...but delicious! I added cardamon with the other spices.
kika
I think the homemade dough needed it longer in the fridge, and a slightly longer bake time. Added pecans, and reduced butter by 2tbsp per comments,
BBLRN
We Southerners love our biscuits but this is not a good recipe. Tried it and we tossed it. Try using frozen white yeast dough. Let defrost and shape into small balls. Make a caramel topping recipe for sticky buns (brown sugar, light corn syrup, etc) and place in bottom of a heavy Bundt pan. Use the melted butter then dip the balls into the mixed white sugar with cinnamon. We also sprinkled plump raisins soaks in orange juice and sprinkled those in with chopped pecans. Very good.
Kimberly
Way too much butter in my opinion, maybe omit dipping each dough ball in butter.
Yummy But Too Much Butter/Sugar:Dough Ratio
I made this as is and it was good, but I recommend making the pieces (trying to avoid saying balls) a little bigger. It just feels like SO much butter and sugar in each bite, as well as taking forever to coat that many pieces. The dough was super easy to make, so you can buy canned biscuits from the store but I encourage you try making them yourself!
Jaime
Glaze benefits from scant pinch of salt. Have to remember to rotate pan halfway thru; got some uneven caramelization. I double flipped it so the top remained the top this time. More crannies for the glaze.
Joan
Any suggestions on how to replace the buttermilk for someone lactose intolerant - seems that my usual replacement of a vegetable milk and a tiny bit of sheep's milk yogurt might be too thick?
Faye
I can’t decide weather I hate it or I love it. It makes my family sick. You want it, and then you eat it, and then you feel sick, and then you want it again, and the cycle repeats itself. It’s so good though.
JOANNE J
I think the biscuits made from scratch taste much better than packaged.So one day I promise I will try pre made biscuits. If I don’t care for themmy children probably will.
jordan
Served this to friends after a morning run and I think it changed their lives. Wish I could offer notes on saving it but it was all eaten immediately. Fantastic recipe and a great intro into Monkey Breads (could use as a jumping off point).
Lisa A.
I made this as a pandemic birthday cake. It's a very solid recipe! I was worried with all of the butter it would be too rich, but it wasnt. The only thing I would say is to make sure you shake off the butter well. The pieces inside got a bit mushy from all the butter. Also, I only needed two tablespoons of milk for the glaze.
terri
I just made this afternoon ! Oh butter !!!
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