Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees Fahrenheit
• 1 packet active dry yeast, about 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar, for coating
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for coating
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, for the glaze
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the glaze
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, for the glaze
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Before you cook

• Warm the milk and stir in the yeast with a tablespoon of the quarter cup of sugar.
• Let the yeast foam for eight minutes.
• Butter a 12-cup Bundt pan very thoroughly, getting into every groove.
• Stir the cup of granulated sugar with the cinnamon in a wide shallow bowl.
• Melt the eight tablespoons of butter into a second shallow bowl.

Steps

1. Add the remaining quarter cup of sugar, two tablespoons of melted butter and the salt to the yeast milk.
2. Stir in three cups of the flour until a soft dough forms.
3. Knead the dough with a dough hook for seven minutes, adding the last flour only if it stays soupy.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, about 75 minutes.
5. Turn the dough out and pat it into a rough eight-inch square.
6. Cut the square into 64 small pieces with a bench scraper.
7. Roll each piece into a loose ball between your palms.
8. Dip a ball in the melted butter, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
9. Drop the coated ball into the Bundt pan and repeat until all the dough is used.
10. Cover the pan and let the balls rise until they fill about two thirds of the pan, about 50 minutes.
11. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
12. Bake for 32 to 36 minutes, until the top is deep brown and the center registers 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
13. Melt the six tablespoons of butter with the dark brown sugar, quarter teaspoon of salt and cream in a small pan.
14. Simmer the glaze for one minute, whisking, until it thickens slightly.
15. Rest the baked bread in the pan for five minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate.
16. Pour the warm glaze over the top and let it run down the sides before pulling it apart.