Cinnamon Chocolate Monkey Bread
For dough:
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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, divided (2 tablespoons softened, 2 tablespoons melted)
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1 cup milk, warm (around 110 degrees)
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1/3 cup water, warm (also around 110 degrees
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1/4 cup granulated sugar
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1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise, instant or bread machine yeast
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3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface (extra if you are making it by hand)
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2 teaspoons table salt
Brown Sugar Coating:
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1 cup packed light brown sugar
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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100grams/3.5ozs unsalted butter, browned
Plus, to stuff the balls of bread:
- 100g Hershey's cinnamon chips (or 100grams of white chocolate chips melted with 2/3 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and chopped up)
You will also need a Bundt pan (although you can do this in a regular pan if you don't have one)
Buyer's tip: in Australia Hershey's Cinnamon Chips are available at U.S.A. Foods for a very reasonable price of $6. Sugar Fix stores will be stocking them in 2-3 week's time.
Step 1 - Get oven and pan ready: Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 100C/200F. When oven reaches temperature, turn it off. This is to prove the bread a second time after your first rise. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
Step 2 - Make dough: In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast.
2a.To proceed with a stand mixer, mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. (The dough should be sticky but if it is too wet to come together into anything cohesive, add an additional 2 tablespoons flour.) Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball.
2b.To proceed by hand, mix flour and salt in large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Using wooden spoon, stir until dough becomes shaggy and is difficult to stir. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and begin to knead, incorporating shaggy scraps back into dough. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. Shape into taut ball and proceed as directed.
Step 3 - Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray or a tablespoon of neutral oil. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with more cooking spray or oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
Brown the butter _and remove the foam from the top
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Step 4 - Meanwhile, brown the butter in a small saucepan. Heat the butter on a medium-high heat watching carefully. Once the butter (check under the foam) has turned a light brown and there is a nutty aroma remove quickly and carefully from the heat.
Filling the dough. I started off with about 3-4 chips per piece of dough and then ended up stuffing about 6-7 in each one. It's more fun that way, I promise ;)
Step 5 - Once the dough risen, remove from bowl and shape into a large 8 inch square. Cut into 64 pieces using a dough scraper or knife. Gently flatten each piece a little and place 4-6 chips in each square and pinch the edges and roll up into a ball so that there is no gap. I find it easiest to roll all of these first and then start dipping and rolling in the cinnamon.
6. With a fork, roll each dough ball in the browned butter and drain well. Roll in the brown sugar and cinnamon mix and then place in the buttered bundt pan. Stack each ball in the pan so that they fill in the gaps of the previous layer. Place in the warmed oven (that has now been turned off) for 50-60 minutes until they expand a bit and reach about an inch or so below the rim. Remove from the oven.
Step 7 - Preheat oven to 350F/180C and bake the bread for 30-35 minutes. Cool only for 5 minutes (not longer or it will get stuck) and turn out onto a serving platter. Allow little monkey fingers to pinch pieces off - kids love eating these as do adults!