Homemade Sourdough Monkey Bread Recipe from Scratch
This homemade sourdough monkey bread recipe from scratch will become your new favorite treat! Throw those canned biscuits away and instead, make it all using real, whole ingredients! Small balls of sourdough dough are tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking in a rich brown sugar and butter syrup. Add an optional vanilla glaze after it's done baking for an extra indulgent treat. You can taste the homemade difference after just one bite!
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Equipment
- 1 12 cup bundt pan
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 bench scraper or sharp knife
- 1 stand mixer with a dough hook attachment
- 1 small bowl
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
Levain
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g water
- 50 g active sourdough starter
Monkey Bread Dough
- 250 g all of the ripe levain, or active sourdough starter 1 cup
- 67 g sugar ⅓ cup
- 313 g warm water 1¼ cups
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 562 g bread flour 4½ cups
- 85 g unsalted butter 6 T
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 100 g sugar ½ cup
Brown Sugar Syrup
- 200 g brown sugar 1 cup
- 113 g unsalted butter ½ cup
Vanilla Glaze
- 90 g powdered sugar
- 20 g whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch flaky salt (like Maldon sea salt flakes) optional for sprinkling over the top of the bread
Instructions
Prep
- Mix the levain. Add 100 g all-purpose flour, 50 g active sourdough starter, and 100 g water into a clean container and cover. Leave at room temperature and allow to rise 10-12 hours, or overnight.
Mix the Dough
- The next morning, combine 250 g all of the ripe levain, or active sourdough starter, 67 g sugar, 313 g warm water, 562 g bread flour, and 1 tsp sea salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Increase to medium-low speed, speed 3 on a kitchen aid mixer, and mix for 10 minutes. At this point, it's normal for the dough to have a bit of extensibility and stretch a few inches before breaking.
- Melt 85 g unsalted butter and let it cool for a few minutes before adding it to the bowl of the stand mixer. Starting on low, gradually increase to medium speed to incorporate the butter. At first, the dough will float in the melted butter, but after a minute or two, it begins to mix into the dough. When this happens, increase the speed to medium-high to fully work the butter into the dough. Continue to mix for an additional 2 minutes. The dough transforms into a soft and smooth dough.
Bulk Ferment
- Transfer the dough to a clean container, cover, and move to a warm place. Let the dough rest for 3-5 hours or until the dough nearly doubles. The exact time will largely depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
Cold Ferment
- Once the dough has doubled, place it into the refrigerator. I like to do this step overnight.
Shape
- The next day, heat 113 g unsalted butter and 200 g brown sugar in a small saucepan on the stove over medium heat. As the butter melts, whisk the sugar into it. At first, the butter will separate from the sugar, but once it begins to simmer, it comes together. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside while you prep the monkey bread dough.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Then, divide those pieces into 4, for a total of 32 small pieces. Roll each piece of dough into little dough balls, pinching the ends together.
- In a small bowl, combine 100 g sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Roll the dough pieces in the cinnamon sugar mixture until they're completely covered. Arrange the pieces evenly in a greased bundt pan. Continue with the remaining dough balls.
Proof
- Pour the brown sugar mixture over the top of the dough balls. Cover the top of the pan with a piece of plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot to proof for 2-3 hours. Once the dough rises to the top of the bundt pan, it's ready to bake. The exact rise time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
Bake
- Once the dough has proofed and risen to the top of the pan, preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C with the rack in the middle position.
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap and place the pan into the preheated oven. Bake for 40 minutes. The bread is done once the top of the bread is golden brown, springs back when touched, and when the internal temperature reads 200°F/93°C with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the bread.
- Remove the bread from the oven and place it onto a wire rack to rest for 10 minutes before turning it out.
- Place a large plate or cake stand on top of the bundt pan, and holding onto both, flip the pan and the plate over. The bread will release from the pan onto the plate.
- Add an optional glaze. Combine 90 g powdered sugar, 20 g whole milk, and ½ tsp vanilla extract into a small bowl using a spoon. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the monkey bread.
Storage
- Like most baked goods, sourdough monkey bread is best the day it's baked. As more time passes, the bread will soften from the glaze. To store, first allow the monkey bread to cool completely. Then place the leftover monkey bread into an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.
- If your kitchen is cool, then use a bread proofer to provide a warm place for the dough to ferment. Another alternative is to place the bowl into the oven with the light on.
- Don't skip cold-proofing the dough. It becomes easier to divide and shape once it's cold.
- Bake the bundt pan on a baking sheet to keep your oven clean and catch any drips that spill over the pan.
- Because the brown sugar syrup and vanilla glaze are both so sweet, balance it by sprinkling a touch of finishing salt over the top of the bread right before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 466.1kcalCarbohydrates: 78.4gProtein: 6.7gFat: 14.3gSaturated Fat: 8.6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 35.7mgSodium: 308.3mgPotassium: 86.5mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 37.7gVitamin A: 417IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 32.8mgIron: 1mg
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