Sunday, January 02, 2011

Orange Scented Monkey Bread

Hi everyone, I hope all of you had a wonderful New Year celebration. Year 2010 was a pretty interesting year for me. Many things happened, some good and some not so good. But it was over and done with and I am looking forward to new 2011. Like all the past years I am not going to make any resolutions or goals. I know myself; I will make resolutions on January 1st and abandons it by January 8th so why bother. Instead, I am going to make list of things that I would like to do. Anyway, thank you all for visiting, support and also taking the time to comment. I really appreciate all your encouraging words.

Let start of the New Year with something gooey and sweet. I know, what a name for something so deliciously good, right. I tried to find the origin of the name ‘monkey bread’ and I can't really find the definitive background of it. I baked this for our breakfast and share some with our neighbor. We love this bread especially the taste of orange, cinnamon and brown sugar. The flavors are perfectly blended into the sweet and sticky buns. Best of all we get to pull the pieces apart when we eat it.


Ingredients:
Dough recipe adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

3 tbsp butter - melted
1 cup milk, warm (around 110 degrees F)
1/3 cup water, warm (also around 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package or 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeas
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1 teaspoons table salt
1/2 cup of raisins - optional

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp orange zest

Brown Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 tbsp orange juice
4 tbsp butter


1. Greased a Bundt pan generously with butter. In a large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar and yeast. 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.
2. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Oil large bowl, place dough in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
3. While the dough is rising, get ready the coating mix. Mix brown sugar, orange zest and cinnamon together in a Ziploc bag. Set aside.
4. To form the bread: Gently remove the dough from the bowl, and pat into a rough 8-inch square. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces. Drop half of the cut pieces of dough into the Ziploc bag. Toss it around until the dough is well coated with cinnamon mix.

5. Remove the dough and layer the dough into the Bundt pan. Scatter some of the raisins around it. Do the same to the rest of the dough. Cover the Bundt pan with a plastic wrap and let it rest at a warm place until double in size.
6. In the meantime get ready the brown sugar syrup. Combined all the ingredients in a small saucepan, slowly melt the butter and brown sugar and bring it up to a boil. Let it cool down slightly.
7. Heat up the oven to 350 degree F. Drizzle the brown sugar syrup into the Bundt pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until brown and bubbly around the edges. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, and then turn out onto a platter. Allows to cool about 10 minutes before devour into it.

Note: Because of our cold temperature I made the dough the night before and let it raise overnight. You can omit the raisins or replace with different type of nuts. If the bread get too dark before it is done, just cover it with some foil and continue to bake.

23 comments:

Cheah said...

Your monkey bread looks lovely and nicely browned. I posted something like this some time back, it was called 'Hungarian coffee cake'. Yours certainly look nice made with the bundt tin. Good tip!

dinewithleny said...

I have seen this recipe before but never tried making it. Looks delicious!!

Shereen said...

Gert,
It is so hot here which is excellent to bake bread but I just can't stand the temperature.Felt so lazy and sleepy and can't be bothered to be in the kitchen.I must try to bake this monkey bread..your version as it is more interesting than others.

Home Cooking said...

happy new year gert,
the cake looks so yummy

My Little Space said...

Gert, you know what! This bread fits in perfectly in the year of Monkey. LOL ! hahaha..... And it looks so inviting.

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

I have never heard of this before. Interesting.... It definitely looks like a sweet comforting treat.

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Happy New Year Gert! What a great idea to add orange scented sugar syrup...must be yummy! ;) BTW Gert, just want to let you know I didn't manage to recieve the seeds...seems like CA is pretty strict on this. Now that I am already back in Sg. Hope you don't feel it's a such a waste of time & money after all these. Thanks so much for trying to send it to me. ;)

MaryMoh said...

Interesting name....monkey bread! Wonder how the name came about. Would be so interesting if a whole big group of people jumped on and grab a piece each! :D

ann low said...

Oh Monkey bread! Sounds interesting and wish I can have a bite :)

WendyinKK said...

I bookmarked this recipe long time ago, but never attempted it. Yours look so good.
How I wish that neighbour is me, kekeke.

Little Corner of Mine said...

I do love orange scented bread, makes it so fragrant!

Unknown said...

wishing u a wonderful 2011 Gert!!, luv the idea of using orange scented syrup...will definitely try it. Btw, I baked and shared the Fruit Pastry which is now a real hit with some of my frens when I returned to Spore recently!! Thanks, will continue to pass on yr recipes...keep yr kitchen warm with newer recipe & restore old one too ok??

Beachlover's Kitchen said...

I saw the monkey bread mould at Target and the mixture of the bread in King Arthur cat..attempted to buy but then again I think just to make one bread have to buy another mould? I like the way you shape the dough..look really good!! maybe I should try to bake money bread in bundt pan..

Elin Chia said...

Gertrude...glad that 2011 has lots of interesting things for you and especially a long list of to do bakes for us :p

This monkey bread looks delish...I agree the cinnamon and orange blends well...great one ..have bookmarked this :)

Have a nice day !

Elin

Kitchen Corner said...

That's very special bread for a new year! It looks really yummy!

Angie Tee said...

Happy New Year Gert! I can't find the origin of the "monkey bread" too. (still searching!) I baked some recently with cinnamon and apple using chilled biscuit dough. I like your orange scented version, bet they taste really yummy :-)

3 hungry tummies said...

That is a very attractive cake..love the name too lol

Eats said...

Happy new year too. You food look delicious. I love to eat fruit cake. I will told my aunt to try cooking your recipe, thanks ^^.

Pei-Lin said...

Oh, Gert! I miss monkey bread SO, SO much! One of my American family-friends used to make this often. Everyone loves it sweet, gooey and sticky! Yumm!!

Happy 2011!

shaz said...

Yum! Monkey bread is something I must try to bake this year ( I don't make personal resolutions, I just make food ones :)). Wishing you a year filled with joy and prosperity.

ICook4Fun said...

Cheah, yes I remember you baked something very similar. Actually some people do baked their monkey bread in a chiffon pan like you but since I have the syrup I was scare that it might leak out :)

Dinewithleny, thanks.

Shereen, the temperature here is totally opposite. Way too cold to bake bread that is why I let the dough raise overnight. You should try this out as they were good :)

Sweet and spicy, Happy New Year to you too.

My Little Space, ha ha but this coming year will be rabbit year, right?

Shirley, this bread is very well known here in Amerca.

Bee Bee, Welcome back. Sorry that you didn't get the seeds. I wonder if you will get it if I mail it to Singapore. Do you think it is better that I give you the seeds when I see you either in Malaysia or Singapore?

Mary, oh yes especially when you break it piece but piece and pop it in your mouth :)

ICook4Fun said...

Ann, want to come over for a cup of coffee :)

Wendy, ha ha come and buy or rent my neighbours house.

LCOM, me too.

Kam, Happy New Year to you too. I am glad that you and your friends like the fruit pastry.

Lesley, you make me very curious now. How does a monkey bread mould look like? I have to check it out the next time I visit target.

Elin, I hope year 2011 will be better than 2010.

Kitchen Corner, thank you.

ICook4Fun said...

Angie, Happy New Year to you too. Many people baked with biscuit dough so I am going to try it out next and see how it taste.

3 hungry tummies, thank you.

Eats, Happy New Year to you too.

Pei-lin, this monkey bread is so American thing ha ha... bake some for yourself and share it with your 'friend' ;) ;)

Shaz, Happy New Year to you too. I stop making resolutions a long time ago :)