Bread Machine Monkey Bread: A Savory Version

Name: Bread Machine Monkey Bread
Prep time: 2 h 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 c. warm milk; 1 1/4 t. salt; 1 large egg; 1/4 cup butter, softened + additional 1/4 butter for dipping dough before adding to pan; 3 tablespoons sugar; 3-1/4 cups unbleached flour; 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast

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Bread Machine Monkey Bread, inspired by Helen Corbitt, is a yeast bread without the usual cinnamon and sugar coating.

The recipe is mixed and kneaded in a bread machine, then baked in a conventional oven. No bread machine? No worries! Instructions for mixing by hand or with a stand mixer are included in the notes at the end of the recipe.

Baked Monkey Bread on a plate next to butter and butter knife

As you can see, this is not the usual biscuits-out-of-a-can-rolled-in-a-ball-then-coated-with-cinnamon-and-sugar kind of monkey bread. Oh no!

You don’t have to roll any little balls. This version is not cinnamon-sugary sweet, although you could easily modify the recipe if desired.

This recipe is probably the favorite bread recipe(along with Cheesy-Crusted Yeast Rolls) in my family–especially with the grandkids.

Before children, I worked at The Greenhouse, a luxury health spa back then with connections to Neiman Marcus. Ms. Helen Corbitt, a celebrated chef at the time, had planned all of our menus using her recipes. That’s where I learned about this beautiful and buttery, brioche-like bread.

The original recipe was published in Helen Corbitt Cooks for Company back in 1957. Of course, Ms. Corbitt did not have access to a bread machine, but I’m pretty sure she would be thrilled to see how much easier it is mixed and kneaded with a bread machine.

breadmachine story board_edited-1 — Don’t be afraid to open the lid after the bread has been mixing a few minutes and add flour or liquid as needed to make the perfect dough.

IMPORTANT TIPS for making Monkey Bread in a Bread Machine:

Open the bread machine lid

After the machine has been on about 8-10 minutes, open the lid and check the progress. Several things might be going on you will want to remedy immediately.

When the dough is too wet

You may have forgotten part of the flour. Maybe you counted the cups wrong. I’ve done that.

Perhaps you substituted a different flour, i.e. whole wheat, bleached, or bread flour for the unbleached flour. It makes a difference! Add flour one tablespoon at a time until it looks like the bottom picture.

When the dough is too dry

Does it beat against the side of the pan rather loudly? You may have added too much flour or not enough liquid.

Maybe you used a smaller egg than specified or perhaps you miss-measured the flour. Add 1 tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks like the bottom picture.

What will the dough look like when it’s perfect?

The perfect dough will gather up into a ball that sticks slightly to the sides, then pulls away. That being said, there may be slight variations among recipes, for example, my Bread Machine Ciabatta. But the recipe will usually tell you what to expect.

Another reason to open the lid

One more good reason to check your bread is to ensure you have pushed the pan down tightly so the kneading blade is engaged. Otherwise, absolutely nothing will be happening in your pan even though you hear the bread machine running. Likewise, the same thing happens if you forgot to put the blade in the pan.

How To Roll Out Dough for Bread Machine Monkey Bread:

how to cut monkey bread — Slice dough into approximately 1-inch diamonds or squares. I do not roll in balls. It’s part of the tradition. In fact, I use a pizza cutter.

Please ignore the condition of this pan. It’s seen a lot of monkey bread in its time.

storyboard monkey bread — Melt 1/4 cup butter. Dip each piece in butter and layer rather haphazardly into nonstick bundt pan. Cover and let rise until double.

Advice about serving Bread Machine Monkey Bread:

If you serve this on a buffet to people who don’t know about it, they often won’t touch it, thinking it is a dessert or some kind of cake. But once somebody pulls off the first piece, it’s “Katie, bar the door!” because it will be disappearing in a flash.

Pin the picture below to save for later.

If you make this and enjoy the recipe, it would help me and others if you would return to this post and leave a rating (on the recipe card itself underneath the picture). Although always appreciated, no comment is required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

Yield: 16 servings

Bread Machine Monkey Bread

A pull-apart, brioche-like yeast bread, mixed and kneaded in a bread machine, then baked in the oven in a bundt pan.

Prep Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. warm milk
1 1/4 t. salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter, softened + additional 1/4 butter for dipping dough before adding to pan
3 tablespoons sugar
3-1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine or instant yeast

Instructions

Dump all ingredients into bread machine in order listed. Select dough cycle and start.
Check dough about 10 minutes into the mixing process. If too sticky (see discussion below), add extra flour one tablespoon at a time.
At the end of the dough cycle, remove bread to floured surface. Roll or press till about 3/4 inch thick. No need to get the ruler. Preciseness is unimportant at this point.
At the end of the dough cycle, remove bread to floured surface. Roll or press till about 3/4 inch thick. No need to get the ruler. Preciseness is unimportant at this point.
Slice dough into approximately 1-inch diamonds or squares. I do not roll in balls. It's part of the tradition. In fact, I use a pizza cutter.
Melt 1/4 cup butter. Dip each piece in butter and layer rather haphazardly into nonstick bundt pan. Cover and let rise until double.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown and/or temperature registers 190 degrees F. Cover with foil after 10 minutes to keep top from over browning. If not as brown as you would like, remove the foil for last few minutes. This burns easily on top, so watch carefully.
Turn out onto serving plate. Serve uncut and let people pull off what they want.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:

To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe.
If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe
Please note: If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape rolls.

Bread Machine Monkey Bread: A Savory Version