Sourdough Monkey Bread

5 from 4 votes

A tangy, sticky-sweet cinnamon pull-apart bread made with pieces of sourdough rolls tossed in cinnamon sugar and caramelized with a buttery homemade syrup.

Prep Time45

Cook Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough dessert

Servings:

Author: Lisa Bass

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Rolls

3/4 cup sourdough starter active and bubbly
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
6 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Coating

1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar lightly packed

Icing

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Beginning with a recently fed, active starter, add the sourdough starter, sugar, warm water, melted butter, salt, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix for 10-15 minutes at medium speed using the dough hook, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Check gluten development with the windowpane test (see the Tips section).
Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow to ferment overnight (8-12 hours).
The following day, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide the cold dough into eight equal parts. Divide again until you you get about 32-40 equal sized pieces. A bench scraper or sharp knife makes this part a breeze.
Shape each piece of dough, creating tension against the countertop.
Prepare the cinnamon sugar mixture by stirring brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl or gallon-sized bag. Roll each of the dough pieces into the cinnamon sugar mixture, then layer them into a greased bundt pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size and soft to the touch. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan on the stovetop, melt butter and whisk in brown sugar until just dissolved. Pour evenly over the top of the rolls. Be careful not to overcook.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Time may vary, so keep a close watch. The monkey bread should be golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and turn over onto a serving platter while still hot.
Combine powdered sugar and milk until a glaze forms, then drizzle over the warm monkey bread. Serve and enjoy right away!

Notes

Perform the windowpane test by taking a small piece of dough, stretching it into a square, and observing whether it can be stretched thin enough to see through without breaking. If so, the gluten has been developed properly. If it breaks, continue kneading for a few more minutes.
Bake with a sheet pan underneath to catch any drips from the syrup.
Remove from the bundt pan immediately after baking to avoid the syrup and monkey bread sticking to the pan.
If you notice the monkey bread browning too quickly before it is fully baked, cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
Add some vanilla extract to the icing at the end, or drizzle with a cream cheese icing instead. Sprinkle in nuts or dried fruit, like raisins or chopped apricots, to heighten the texture and flavor.

Nutrition