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YEAST BREAD: Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Source of Recipe

Artisan Baking Across America


Recipe Introduction

Although it is called a monkey bread, it does not pull apart; instead, it is sliced to display a thick swirl of apple butter and cinnamon sugar. Leslie Mackie, the bakery's founder, writes, "The joy of this loaf is its delicious apple-cinnamon glaze. Apples being a staple here in Washington, it seemed a natural combination with the cinnamon sugar. This is a very popular morning bread at Macrina, shared with a steaming cup of joe."

List of Ingredients

Recipe Synopsis - Shape and fill the fermented sweet dough (your own recipe),let it proof for 2 to 3 hours, then wash it with beaten egg and bake it for about 45 minutes.

BAKE DAY - Shaping the Dough

1/2 cup packed ( 3.5 ounces) Brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon (0.3 ounce) Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

Fully fermented Sweet Dough (above), warmed to room temperature

1 cup (10.2 ounces) Apple butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces) Unsalted butter, melted
1 large Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon (0.3 ounce) Sesame seeds

Butter two 9 x 5-inch baking pans and line them with 12 x 9-inch rectangles of parchment paper, leaving the 5-inch sides bare.

Combine the sugars and spices in a small bowl. Roll out the fermented dough into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle, about H inch thick. Spread it with an even layer of the apple butter, drizzle it with the melted butter, and then sprinkle it with the spiced sugar mixture.

Roll both long edges in so that they meet in the center in a very long and narrow double roll. The dough is very thick so you will be able to roll the sides only once. Flip the dough seam side down and cut it crosswise in half so that you have two 9-inch-long pieces. The top of the dough will retract when you cut it, exposing the filling. Place the loaves seam side down in the prepared baking pans, cover them well with plastic wrap, and let them proof until risen to the tops of the pans, 2 to 3 hours.

PREHEATING THE OVEN - About 30 minutes before the dough is fully proofed, arrange a rack on the oven's bottom shelf and clear away all racks above the one being used. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

BAKING THE BREAD - Brush the tops of the loaves with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake until the breads turn a rich brown color, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating them halfway into the bake. Let cool for 10 minutes, then immediately remove them from the pans onto a rack, using a spatula to loosen the breads if necessary. (Do not allow the breads to cool in the pans or the sugar will harden and they will stick in the pans.) The breads will crack and seem to collapse as you remove them from the pans, but this is their correct final shape.


Recipe