Buttermilk and whole wheat flour add nuance to monkey bread | News, Sports, Jobs

This image posted by Milk Street shows a recipe for buttermilk monkey bread. (Rue du Lait via AP)

Monkey bread is getting an update that makes the pull-apart bread even better thanks to buttermilk, a little whole wheat flour, and a lighter hand with the sugar. The result is more tender and nuanced – and less sweet – than the versions many of us grew up with.

In this recipe from our “Milk Street Bakes” cookbook, brown butter infused with vanilla and warm spices coats the dough nuggets before they’re rolled in sugar and piled into the pan. We love the combination of cinnamon and nutmeg because they’re reminiscent of freshly fried donuts, but feel free to try other mild spices, like cardamom, allspice, or cloves.

Assembly takes a little time but is worth it. The recipe is designed so that the dough can be prepared in advance, then shaped and baked the same day as serving. However, if you want the bread to start finishing all at once, after mixing, let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled, about two hours, and prepare the butter for coating during this time. time. Made this way, the dough won’t be cold for shaping, so you may need to use more flour when cutting it into pieces.

The optional brush glaze gives the monkey bread a shiny finish and crackly coating – like a glazed donut – but feel free to skip it.

Buttermilk Monkey Bread

Start to finish: 9:30 a.m. (50 minutes of activity), plus cooling

Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

423 grams (3¼ cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

140 grams (1 cup) whole wheat flour

54 grams (¼ cup) white sugar

1 teaspoon of table salt

85 grams (6 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces, room temperature

For the butter and sugar coatings:

141 grams (10 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

214 grams (1 cup) white sugar

For the frosting (optional):

93 grams (3/4 cup) powdered sugar

3 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

To prepare the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and yeast. Add the two flours, white sugar and salt; attach the dough hook and mix on low until a slightly sticky dough forms, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl and pushing the dough off the hook once or twice. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the butter 1 piece at a time, mixing for 30 to 60 seconds before adding the next piece.

Once all the butter has been added, mix over medium-low heat until the dough is smooth and elastic and begins to slap the sides of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes; it will be sticky, lightly woven, and will stick to the bottom of the bowl. Detach the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to scrape and bring the dough together in the center. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour (dough will not double), then refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

When you are ready to shape the dough, remove the dough from the refrigerator and make the coating. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter, swirling the pan, until the milk solids on the bottom are deeply browned and the butter has a rich, nutty aroma, 4 to 6. minutes. Immediately transfer to a small microwave-safe bowl, then stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg; let cool for a few minutes, then stir in the vanilla. Place the white sugar in another small bowl. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Lightly flour the work surface and spread the dough on it. Lightly flour the dough and pat it into an 8-inch square. Using a metal scraper or chef’s knife, cut the dough into quadrants and cover with a towel. Place a portion on the counter and, using your hands, roll it back and forth against the counter to stretch the dough into a 16-inch rope. Using the scraper or knife, cut the rope into 16 pieces; it’s okay if the pieces are slightly uneven in size. Place the pieces under the towel. Roll and cut the remaining dough portions in the same way. You will have 64 pieces of dough.

Stir the butter mixture to re-mix the spices. Place 3 or 4 pieces of dough on it. Using a fork, toss the pieces to coat, then remove one, allowing excess butter to drip into the bowl; place the piece in the sugar. Using a spoon, add the sugar to coat, then place it in the prepared Bundt pan. Butter and sugar the rest of the dough in the same way, stacking the pieces evenly in the pan. (If the butter mixture cools and thickens as you work, microwave it on high for a few seconds.) Cover with the kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature until puffy, fill the pan about three-quarters full and return slowly. once bitten, 45 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F with a grille in the lower middle position.

Bake until bread is well risen and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes; a thermometer inserted about 2 inches from the edge to the center of the loaf should register 190°F to 195°F. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the bread onto a plate and remove the pan. Let cool for at least 30 minutes; If icing, let cool until barely warm to the touch.

To make the frosting (if using), in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze evenly onto the bread. Let dry for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: For more recipes, visit Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street at 177milkstreet.com/ap