My first attempt at monkey bread was a traditional herbed loaf based on a white-bread recipe (but with a little whole-wheat flour added because I like it that way). Not willing to leave well enough alone, however, I then decided to try it with a challah dough. Challah, as you may know, is a Jewish holiday bread made with eggs and oil, similar to a brioche. Raisins and a coating of cinnamon and sugar transform it into something tasting of cinnamon rolls. It also has echoes of other cultures’ holiday breads such as panettone.
As with the herbed monkey bread, this one is based on a recipe from the The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion.
Challah Monkey Bread
In a large bowl, combine:
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (again, I like King Arthur)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp instant yeast
Let sit for 45 minutes. (This lets the yeast get a head start before the sugar slows it down.)
Add:
- 3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs plus one yolk
- 1 cup raisins (If you are mixing by food processor, knead the raisins in by hand after you take the dough out of the processor.)
Knead by hand, mixer, or food processor until it forms a smooth, elastic ball, about 3-5 minutes by hand. If you are using a food processor, pulse until the bread forms a ball, then let the ball rotate about 10 times.
Place in a large oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
While it is rising, combine in a small bowl:
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp grated orange zest (optional)
Oil the bottom and sides of an 8″ soufflé dish or deep (2″ or more) cake pan. A bundt pan works, too.
Remove dough from bowl and press gently to deflate. Pull the dough into about 20 pieces and roll into balls between the size of a ping-pong ball and a golf ball. Roll each ball into the oil and cinnamon-sugar mixture and place in pan. (Kids may enjoy doing this, but remember the dough contains raw eggs. Don’t let them help unless they know not to put their hands in their mouths or taste the dough. My previous herbed monkey bread recipe is egg free, however.)
Be warned that this recipe may make too much dough to fit in one layer of your pan. (It’s really geared for a single, braided challah loaf.) I recommend using a second pan (or making a few small rolls you can cook in a muffin tin) rather than trying a second layer, which extends baking time and can mean the outside browns too much.
At this point, you can let the bread rise for an hour at room temperature, or place in the fridge and let rise overnight. (It’s a wonderful breakfast treat.)
Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for five minutes, then run a knife along the edge and gently lift the bread out of the pan. Serve warm.
