Amazing, rich and decadent Monkey Bread recipe. This uses a eggy, scalded milk dough that makes it the best Monkey bread I've ever had! This recipe is for two bundts, making it perfect for family gatherings.
1/4teaspoonturmeric or saffroncan be left out this colors it yellow
4- 41/2cupsof flour
Sugar Mixture:
1cupbrown sugar
2 1/2teaspooncinnamon
Instructions
Place the butter, milk and sugar in a pot and bring it to a near boil, you want to slightly scald the milk. You can also heat it in the microwave as well to the point of scalded. (near boil)Mix the cup of cold water and the hot milk in a bowl for a stand mixer. (or the large bowl you are using to combine all ingredients.)
Take the 1/2 cup of warm water and sugar, mix in your yeast thoroughly and let it start bubbling away.
Beat your egg yolks and turmeric. The turmeric gives the bread it's lovely color. (You can also use 3 whole eggs instead of the 6 egg yolks but the yolks make a richer bread. So 3 eggs OR 6 yolks)
Add it to the cooled milk mixture in the mixer bowl.Then add the yeast mixture to the bowl.
Using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, place the bowl of liquid ingredients on the mixer.
Mix the salt into your flour then add in the first four cups of flour to the bowl with the dough hook going on the lowest speed, then add your raisins. Then slowly add another 4-5 cups until the dough is slightly sticky. The dough should stick to your hand very slightly, but be a nice elastic dough.
Once that's done it needs to rise. Put it into a bowl in a nice warm place and cover it with a damp tea towel.Once it's doubled in size, it's time to punch it down.
Divide the dough into two even pieces.
Take the dough and on a lightly floured work surface roll each piece into a 9 inch by 9 inch square.
Once you have that 9x9 square, mark off 9 sections, each way, so you are ending up with 81 lovely little squares.
Cut the squares apart,making sure to separate them as you cut, they love to stick back together which defeats the purpose entirely.
Melt the ½ cup of butter in a bowl.
In a larger bowl combine the brown sugar and 2½ tsp of cinnamon.
Rolls a dough square into a ball, dip it in the butter, dip it in the sugar mixture then place it in the bundt pan.
Stagger the layers. Build like you would build a brick wall, staggering the layers so that the seams are not in the same place, building a lovely wall of dough.
When finished, place a clean towel over the tops of the pans and let rise again.In about 45-50 minutes the dough will rise almost to the top of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 then place the bundt pans in the oven on the second from the bottom rack.
To prevent the tops from browning too much, place a large oven sheet on a top rack above the bundts, thus preventing the top heat from over cooking the tops of the bundts.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
You can test the bread with a thermometer inserted into the middle, this eggy bread will be done around the 198-200 degree F mark. There's nothing worse than soggy monkey bread, so this is my trick to making sure it's done perfectly.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly then invert onto the serving plate.