Sweet Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (Printable)

Tender dough balls coated in cinnamon sugar and butter baked to golden perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
03 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - ¾ cup warm milk
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 2 large eggs

→ Coating

08 - 1 cup granulated sugar
09 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Optional Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
13 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add warm milk, melted butter, and eggs. Mix until a soft dough forms. Knead by hand or with a mixer for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
02 - Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
03 - In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Place melted butter in a separate bowl.
04 - Punch down the dough and divide into 40 small pieces, about 20 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball.
05 - Dip each dough ball into melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Arrange the coated balls evenly in a well-greased bundt pan.
06 - Cover the bundt pan and let the dough rise for 20 to 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
07 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
08 - Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over warm bread prior to serving.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The dough balls practically dissolve on your tongue while the cinnamon sugar coating creates this addictive caramelized crust.
  • It feels fancy enough to serve at brunch but requires no fancy skills, just patience and butter.
  • Warm from the oven, it fills your kitchen with a scent so good you'll want to bottle it.
02 -
  • Your warm milk temperature is everything—too hot and the yeast dies before it can work, too cool and it slugs along; aim for around 110°F, warm enough to be comfortable on your inner wrist.
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the pan; I learned this the hard way when I turned mine out too early and watched it collapse like a sad soufflé.
  • Those 40 pieces don't have to be exact—the beauty of Monkey Bread is that it's rustic and forgiving.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, you can do the first rise in the fridge overnight and come back to it the next morning; the slow cold rise actually deepens the flavor.
  • Keep your butter brush or dipping hand close by when coating—cold butter won't coat evenly, so work quickly while it's still pourable.
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