Bread For My Monkeys.

I've been a little bit obsessed with making bread lately.  I've made it 4 times in the last 6 days.  I've been trying to perfect the most amazing garlic cheese bread (that I will eventually share...the recipe....you have to make your own loaf).

My sister had mentioned a few times lately about how much her and her husband have loved the monkey bread she makes.

Now, let's pause here.  Let me see a show of hands for how many people know what "monkey bread" is.

I had no idea.  Kinda.  I knew it was sweet bread, but that was about it.  I googled it, and it sounded amazing, so I decided I wanted to make it. ..But alas, I had no biscuits.

But I did have a bread recipe.

Oh.  My.  Word.

It's like...like a cake made of the inside of cinnamon rolls and covered in a delicious sticky candy syrup coating.  At least that's what my three year old called it...

What you'll need:
1 and 1/3 cup warm water (hottest from the tap)
2 tsp yeast (or one packet)
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

I apologize...I didn't snap pictures this time because I had a baby on my hip...

First, mix your water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl.  Let it bloom for about ten minutes.  Next, add the oil and mix it up.  Add a cup of flour and blend it.  Add in the salt and mix it for about 2 minutes.

I use a stand mixer to do all my dirty work.

Add in 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix.  If you're kneading it in a mixer, leave it on for about 3 minutes.  If it's sticking to the sides, add the rest of the flour and knead it for another 3 minutes.  If you're kneading it by hand, you'll go for about 10 minutes.  Don't be scared of this.  It's therapeutic.

Once it's been kneaded, put the dough in a greased bowl and let it rise for at least 2 hours or until it's doubled in size.

Meanwhile, mix up your cinnamon sugar mixture.  When the dough has risen, punch it down.  Also therapeutic.  Break off tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them into a ball, and roll them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  This doesn't take nearly as long as I expected.  Drop the dough pieces into the bottom of a greased bundt pan.

Let your bundt pan full of goodness rise for a bit while you melt your butter and brown sugar together.  Once it's melted, pour it...the whole thing...over the top of your dough.

Bake at 350 for half an hour.  Let it cool for a few minutes and plop that sucker out on a serving dish.

Watch the monkeys go nuts.