Caramel Monkey Bread Recipe

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Gooey caramel monkey bread is a fun pull-apart treat that everyone will love. Photo By Ditte Isager

The following is an excerpt from Simply Great Breads by Daniel Leader with Lauren Chattman (Taunton, 2011). The excerpt is from Chapter 4: Quick Yeasted Treats. 

Caramel Monkey Bread Recipe

Gooey caramel poured into the bottom of the pan creates just enough stickiness to hold together the nut-and-sugar-coated balls of sweet dough. The result is a pull-apart treat that is fun and festive to eat. I was expecting a crowd to gather when I offered Caramel Monkey Bread to my staff. The aroma alone was enough to draw people from near and far. Maybe because I had heard my son refer to the recipe as “monkey brains,” I wasn’t expecting it to be so beautiful. But it was. It is hard to resist getting your fingers seriously sticky as soon as you see it in its glossy, bumpy glory.

As a bonus, you’ll wind up with more caramel than you’ll need. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and gently reheat it in a small saucepan when you want to dress up some ice cream.

For the Dough: 

17.64 ounces / 500 grams (4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2.16 ounces / 61 grams (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
.23 ounce / 7.5 grams (2 1/2 teaspoons) instant yeast
.2 ounce / 6 grams (1 1/4 teaspoons) fine sea salt or kosher salt
7.9 ounces / 245 grams (1 cup) room temperature milk (70°F to 78°F)
2.55 ounces / 72 grams (1/3 cup) room temperature water (70°F to 78°F)
1.21 ounces / 34 grams (2 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg

For the Coating:

4 ounces / 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
5.82 ounces / 165 grams (3/4 cup) packed light brown sugar
1.90 ounces / 54 grams (1/2 cup) finely chopped pecans
.25 ounce / 7 grams (2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon

For the Caramel: 

14.11 ounces / 400 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
1.29 ounces / 36 grams (1/4 cup) water
2 ounces / 59 grams (1/4 cup) heavy cream

1. Make the dough: Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk, water, butter, and egg. Give the mixture a few turns with a rubber spatula to moisten all of the ingredients, and then mix on medium speed until smooth and shiny, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or dough-rising container, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until it has doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.