Caramel Sourdough Monkey Bread

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This post is sponsored by Diamond Crystal Salt Co., a valued partner of Heartbeet Kitchen.

From the first time I can remember my mom making monkey bread, I was hooked. She’d cut Pilsbury biscuit dough into pieces; I’d toss them in cinnamon and sugar, tucked nicely into a bundt pan, and off to the oven it went. It magically baked into the most memorable, ooey gooey treat, flipping the pan over to unveil the puffy dough now covered in caramel sauce. She’d make it most often around the holidays, as it was a showstopper for brunch and could feed several.

I’d been dreaming about a sourdough version of Monkey Bread for several months, and I’m so excited to share the recipe with you. It’s based off my Dreamy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, creating fluffy, pillowy dough balls that pull-apart with softness. So soft! An easy caramel sauce is made from brown sugar and maple syrup, which finds its way into all the nooks and crannies of the bread so that each piece is true delight. This is a recipe that will become tradition in our home, and I hope yours too.

Why You’ll Love this Sourdough Monkey Bread

1. This monkey is not over-the-top sweet. Instead, you’ll taste the buttery dough, cinnamon swirls, brown sugar & maple notes of the caramel, and right amount of salt to balance it all out. ALL THE GOOD THINGS.
2. You don’t need a thermometer or corn syrup to make the homemade caramel. It’s an easy stovetop technique!
3. The dough is pillowy soft, yet stands up to the luxurious caramel. The baked dough balls shred apart like cotton candy.
4. The bulk fermentation takes place overnight so you can bake this a little while later in the morning for an epic brunch treat.

Ingredients for Sourdough Monkey Bread

• active sourdough starter: what makes the bread rise
• all purpose flour & bread flour: all purpose flour gives this bread the softest texture, a little bit of bread flour adds a touch of chew.
• milk: for hydration and softness
• egg: for softness and flavor
• unsalted butter: silky smooth texture and flavor in the dough
• Diamond Crystal Salt Co.® Baking Salt™ : adds flavor and strength to the dough, balances the sweetness of the caramel
• granulated sugar & brown sugar: granulated for the dough, brown sugar for the caramel
• cinnamon: warmth and lovely flavor!
• maple syrup: adds depth to the caramel

Importance of Using Fine Salt in Sourdough Bread Making:

Salt plays a critical role in baking, including balancing flavors, especially sweetness. It impacts the consistency of doughs in breads and plays a major role in preserving your baking goods, keeping them fresher longer.

Working salt into bread dough can be a bit tricky if what you are using is too coarse. It takes a lot of kneading for it dissolve, and can often be unevenly distributed. That’s why I use Diamond Crystal Salt Co.® Baking Salt™ for all my sourdough recipes, which is a very fine cut of kosher salt crafted specifically for baking. I LOVE how it disappears quickly right into the dough, and lays a canvas for flavors to emerge. I’ve found it superior to any other salt I’ve tried.

How to Make Sourdough Monkey Bread

1. This recipe starts with an enriched dough (meaning it contains butter, egg, and milk) that’s nearly identical to my Sourdough Sticky Buns. You’ll need a stand mixer to knead the dough. Because it’s enriched, the stand mixer is essential to properly strengthen the dough. It does all the work for you and creates a beautiful, smooth dough!
   
2. Adding the salt and softened butter in cubes comes last in the mixing process, and then the dough is ready to rest through its long bulk fermentation.
   
3. When the dough has doubled and is slightly domed on top, you’ll take it out of the bucket or bowl it is rising on and use your hands to pat into a rough square. Then you’ll let it rest for 20 minutes, then roll out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slab. Using a pizza cutter, you’ll cut the dough into about 40 pieces of the same size.
   
4. Each piece of dough is pinched together to make a ball. Once this is done, the dough balls are brushed on all sides with butter and dipped in cinnamon sugar. They’re added to a bundt pan, covered, and allow to rise again in a warm spot until they have become puffy and feel light and bouncy to the touch. This usually takes 1 1/2 hours in a spot that is 75 degrees F. Will take longer if it cooler, so try to find a warm spot.
   
5. When the dough is done rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the quick caramel in a small saucepan and pour evenly over the monkey bread. Bake for 30 minutes, let cool for 5 minutes, then flip pan over onto a serving plate. Enjoy!

Dough Stages Compared:

Best Pan for Making Monkey Bread

A good non-stick bundt pan is essential for monkey bread, so the caramel doesn’t stick. I swear by Nordic Ware bundt pans, and used their Brilliance Bundt here, which is such a gorgeous design as well. It has a premium nonstick interior that allows for quick release and easy cleanup. Size is also important; you’ll need one that holds (at least) 10-cups.

How to know when monkey bread is done baking:

The bread will be just lightly browned on top, around 30 minutes of baking. Using a thermometer is most helpful for knowing when the bread is cooked all the way through. You’re shooting for a temperature of 200 degrees F.

Storing Leftover Monkey Bread

The monkey bread is best on the day it is made, but actually keeps really well when covered at room temperature for 2 days. I put a glass bowl over the top of the plate to cover. When wanting to reheat, warm your portion in the microwave for 10-15 seconds (it doesn’t take long), and they’ll return to their fluffy texture when they first come out of the oven.  

More Sourdough Recipes:

• Soft & Puffy Sourdough English Muffins
• Chewy Gooey Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Homemade Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread

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Caramel Sourdough Monkey Bread

This delicious sourdough monkey bread is enrobed in an easy caramel sauce and so fun to eat, pulling apart the pieces to enjoy! The dough balls are rolled in cinnamon sugar and bake into the softest, fluffiest bread. They're like little pillows! This recipe is not too sweet, balanced with the right amount of salt and butter.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time :20 minutes minutes

Cook Time :30 minutes minutes

Proofing Time :10 hours hours

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Amanda Paa

Ingredients

• 300 grams all-purpose flour
• 40 grams bread flour
• 1 large egg room temp
• 180 grams room temperature whole milk
• 30 grams granulated sugar
• 120 grams active sourdough starter
• 7 grams Diamond Crystal Baking Salt
• 70 grams softened, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 tablespoon chunks

For dough balls

• 28 grams (2 tablespoons) melted, unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Caramel

• 84 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 50 grams brown sugar (I use dark brown)
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon + a pinch Diamond Crystal Baking Salt

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Equipment

• 10-cup Bundt Pan

Instructions 

• Add flours to bowl of a stand mixer.
• Whisk egg, milk, sugar, and starter together in separate bowl until starter is no longer lumpy. 
• Attach hook to mixer, and turn on on speed 2 of your Kitchenaid, and gradually add liquid ingredients, until all dry bits are gone. When most of the flour is absorbed turn the mixer up one level to knead for 1 minute. Mixture will not look smooth, just shaggy. Let sit for 15 minutes. 
• Turn mixer onto speed 2 (using Kitchenaid Stand Mixer) and add salt and one chunk of butter at a time to the dough, only adding another chunk once the previous is incorporated into the dough. Keep doing this until all the butter is added to the dough.
• Once all the butter is in the dough, turn KitchenAid up to speed 4 and continue kneading for 8 minutes, until dough is smooth, and cleaning the sides of the bowl. It will be a moist dough, but not stick to your hands much. It is normal for it to feel moist, and will gain strength and tackiness during the bulk fermentation.
• Move dough into a proofing bucket (or bowl) and cover with damp cloth. Let dough rise until it has doubled in size and is slightly domed on top. The temperature in your home will determine how fast or slow this bulk ferment goes. *YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS FOR THIS SCHEDULE, SEE NOTES.
• Now take the dough out of the bucket or bowl it is rising in and use your hands to pat into a rough square. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then roll out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slab. Using a pizza cutter, you'll cut the dough into about 40 pieces of the same size. Each piece of dough is pinched together to make a ball.
• Brush the dough balls generously with melted butter. Combine cinnamon & sugar, and roll each ball in this to coat. Add each ball to a 10-cup bundt pan, not packing them super tight, as you want room for them to expand. Cover the entire bundt pan and allow to rise again in a warm spot until they have grown in size to become puffy, light and bouncy to the touch. This usually takes 1 1/2 hours in a spot that is around 75 degrees F. Will take longer if it cooler, so try to find a warm spot.
• When dough has gone through 2nd proof, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While it is heating up, make the caramel. Melt butter, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan on low heat. Whisk continuously, helping the sugar dissolve. This will take a few minutes, but it will work into a cohesive mixture. Turn heat off, leaving pan on stove. Add maple syrup and whisk for one minute to incorporate, then remove from heat to let cool a bit. You should have a smooth, glossy caramel.
• When oven has reached temperature, pour caramel evenly all over the top of the dough. Place bundt ban on a baking sheet (to avoid any spilling and it baking flat), and bake for 30 minutes. Bread will be very lightly browned on top and if you'd like, you can check temp to make sure it is at least 200 degrees F inside.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then use oven gloves to invert the bundt pan onto a plate, revealing the goodness! Enjoy warm.

Notes

You have two options for the baker’s schedule. 

1. You can mix the dough in the morning, let ferment on the counter during the day, and when it has doubled in size and is slightly domed on top, you can put the bucket or bowl in the refrigerator, tightly covered. Take it out the next morning, let sit on counter for 30 minutes, then proceed with recipe. The 2nd rise will take a little longer than if you had gone from bulk ferment on counter to making the dough balls, because the dough will be cold from fridge.
2. Or, if it is winter and cool in your home, you can mix the dough at night anytime 9pm and after, then let it bulk ferment on counter while you are sleeping. When you wake it up, it should be doubled, and you can proceed with recipe.