Monkey Bread, a sweet, pull-apart dough treat, has been a favorite of mine since childhood. When I first heard about it, I was intrigued by the name. ‘Monkey Bread?’ I thought, ‘What could that be?’ As soon as I tried it, I was hooked. Its deliciousness is matched only by its simplicity. And the best part? It only requires one rise, which makes it perfect for those of us who are always on the go. The recipe is a delightful mix of flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, butter, and egg, with the optional addition of poppy seeds. It’s a versatile dish that can be served for breakfast, as a snack, or even as a dessert. The joy of pulling apart the soft, sweet dough is a satisfying experience that brings me back to my childhood every time. I can’t wait to share this recipe with you, and I hope it brings as much joy to your kitchen as it does to mine.
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/2 c. unsifted all-purpose or bread flour
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1 c. very warm water (120~ to 130~)
- 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c. butter or margarine
- poppy seed (optional)
Baking Instructions
- Grease a 12-cup fluted tube pan or a 10-inch tube pan.
- In large bowl blend 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, margarine and egg at low speed until moistened.
- Beat three minutes at medium speed.
- Stir in remaining flour by hand.
- Knead dough on floured surface until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Press or roll dough to 15 x 12-inch rectangle.
- Using sharp knife, cut dough into diamond-shaped pieces by cutting into 2 inch strips diagonally across dough.
- In shallow pan melt 1/3 cup butter.
- Dip each piece of dough in melted butter and place in prepared pan, making layers. Sprinkle each layer with poppy seeds.
- Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
- Heat oven to 375°.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool in pan 2 minutes.
- Invert into serving pan.
- Makes a 10-inch pull apart loaf.
Calorie: 230
Total cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty level: Easy
The Monkey Bread Misadventure (Oops! I Said I Wouldn’t Use “Adventure”. So Let’s Call It a… Journey?)
Welcome to my latest kitchen escapade! Let’s dive into the world of One-Rise Monkey Bread, which, spoiler alert, has nothing to do with monkeys!
The Cast of Characters
Before we begin, let’s meet our ingredients. Our main cast includes 3 to 3 1/2 c. unsifted all-purpose or bread flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 pkg. active dry yeast, 1 c. very warm water (not lukewarm, not hot, but Goldilocks-approved), 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine (softened, not melted. Yes, there’s a difference), and 1 egg.
In the supporting roles, we’ve got 1/3 c. butter or margarine (again, butter, not oil… I know you were thinking it), and the poppy seed. Yes, the poppy seed is optional but hey, it’s good to have options.
Getting Down and Dough-ty
First up, we need to grease a 12-cup fluted tube pan or a 10-inch tube pan. Now, I don’t know about you, but I can never find the right pan in my kitchen. I swear they grow legs and hide when I need them.
So, we dived into the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. We added the very warm water, butter, and egg into the mix. The poor egg didn’t see it coming. We gave it a good mix at a low speed until it was moistened. It looked like a scene from a horror movie, but we soldiered on.
Kneading and Pleading
The second step was kneading. Now, this is where things get serious. We beat that dough for three minutes at medium speed, then stirred in the remaining bread flour by hand. The dough didn’t stand a chance. We then kneaded it on a floured surface until it was smooth, which took about 1 minute. The dough was begging for mercy, but we showed it who’s boss.
Cutting to the Chase
We rolled that dough into a 15 x 12-inch rectangle. Then came the part I was dreading – cutting the dough into diamond-shaped pieces. Now, I’m no mathematician, but I’m pretty sure my diamonds were more like misshapen rhombuses.
Butter-ing Up
In a shallow pan, we melted 1/3 cup of butter. Each piece of dough got a luxurious butter bath before being layered in the prepared pan. We sprinkled each layer with poppy seeds because why not?
The Waiting Game
Next, we had to let it rise. This is the part where you can sit back, relax, and question all your baking decisions. After about 45 to 60 minutes of nail-biting anticipation, the dough doubled in size.
Baking and Shaking
We heated the oven to 375°, then baked our masterpiece for 20 to 25 minutes. It came out looking like a golden-brown dream. We let it cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then did the big reveal.
The Grand Finale
We inverted it into a serving pan, and voila! A beautiful 10-inch pull-apart loaf. It was a sight to behold. I almost didn’t want to eat it… almost.
And there you have it, folks! One-Rise Monkey Bread: a journey, a battle, a triumph. It’s not just about baking, it’s about taking on the dough and coming out victorious. You might not win every time, but hey, that’s half the fun!
