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Just Say Dough
"Pull for perfection; Irresistible monkey bread is worth the extra fuss." Jim Frost, Chicago Sun-Times, July 16, 1997  Golf ball-sized pieces of yeasty dough are dunked into melted butter, rolled in a cinnamon sugar bath, and layered in a pan. It?s a dough nursery of tiny baby cinnamon rolls all piled on top of each other! Ring around the rosy! I need to get a hold of myself...I?m starting to sound giddy! But that?s exactly how it makes you feel when you see that golden baked bubble puff come out of the oven?hee! hoo! ha! The origin of the name "monkey bread" is anyone's guess but mine would be that just looking at this buttery, sugary decadence will reduce anyone to chattering like a?well, you get the idea. (Just say dough: Big round of applause for First Lady Nancy Reagan, who made monkey bread a household name. She often served it in the White House at Christmas. That?s a presidential endorsement! What more do you need to be convinced that you must make this irresistible sweet?pronto). Bonus: This dough is a true culinary lexicon. A chameleon, work-horse of a recipe that makes you want to send God a quiche or something for its versatility and overall awesomeness. Dinner rolls, sticky buns, savory applications. (Future posts, anyone?)  Monkey Bread Makes one 10-inch ring For the Make-Ahead Dough: Vegetable oil, for the bowl1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)one 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast6 tablespoons sugar1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter2 cups whole milk1 teaspoon kosher salt7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as neededFor the topping:2 teaspoons ground cinnamon1 cup sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, meltedLightly coat a large bowl with some oil and set aside. Make the dough: (You can totally make this dough by hand but I prefer to use my stand mixer for the lion's share of the kneading). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Whisk to combine and let set until frothy. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the remaining sugar with the butter, milk and salt. Do not boil the mixture-you just want the mixture to be warm enough for the sugar to dissolve and the butter to melt. Remove from the heat and add to the yeast (make sure it's lukewarm before adding or it will kill the yeast). Stir to combine. Add in 7 cups of the flour. Turn on the mixer and process until a soft dough starts to form. Scrape down the bowl as needed to incorporate the flour. It will be a shaggy dough; add the other 1/2 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough is no longer wet. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about an hour. Punch down the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough in half and place one half in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. (Or refrigerate both halves until ready to use.) For refrigerated dough: remove it from the frig and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before proceeding with the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly coat a nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugars. Pinch off enough dough to make a small ball, about the size of a ping pong ball (about 30 total). Roll each piece of dough into a ball and dip each first in the butter, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl, then roll in the cinnamon sugar (you'll have some cinnamon sugar left over. Save for toast or oatmeal). Stack the pieces in the prepared pan (stagger the seams as you build the layers). Cover and let rise until puffy and doubled in size, about an hour. Uncover the bread and bake until deep golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately turn out onto a serving plate. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before diving in. ?from the Picture-Perfect kitchen: Planning: Did I mention how amazing this dough is? You can make it and keep it in the frig for up to ten days! Monkey bread is a little fussy (it takes some time)?but it?s totally worth the effort. It's a fun project your kids can help with. Perfect for a weekend or a snow day. Or a Tuesday afternoon. Product Purity: For a big, huge flavor punch, try Saigon cinnamon. It has a deeper, more intense, more cinnamony flavor-so fantastic. By the way, Nordic Ware's original Bundt pan rocks. The bread slides out perfectly every single time. Presentation: Kids of all ages go bananas over this bread. Since it?s an audience-participation loaf, plop it on a pretty plate or a cake stand, like the Tag one in the photo, set in the middle of your table and when it has cooled enough to handle, let everyone pluck it apart with their soon-to-be sugared, sticky fingers and ear-to-ear grins. ©2010 Hutchstone, LLC  related searches : Just
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