Mix the Dough

1. Step 1: Warm the water until it is 120°F(50°C). It will be hot to the touch without burning you, similar to a hot bath. This will increase the overall dough temperature and shorten bulk fermentation so that your dough is ready to bake by dessert time. Skip this step and use room temperature water if you are making your monkey bread for breakfast and doing an overnight bulk fermentation. Take a look at my sample bakers schedule to see a timeline for both options.
2. Step 2: In a large bowl whisk together your active sourdough starter and water until the starter is completely dissolved. After that whisk in the sugar and room temperature egg.
3. Step 3: Sift in the flour and salt, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Then add the butter and mix by hand or with a stand mixer until the it is fully incorporated. It is important that the butter be room temperature or this step will be difficult. You can test your butter by pressing your finger into it. If you can push all the way through without resistance your butter is soft enough.

Strengthen the Dough

1. Step 1: After mixing, cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
2. Step 2: Uncover the dough and knead in a stand mixer on medium speed with a dough hook attachment for about 12 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic and fully pulls away from the sides. If working without a stand mixer strengthen the dough by hand. To do this perform three sets of stretch and folds. Click here to learn how to stretch and fold.

Bulk Fermentation

1. Step 1: Cover your bowl with a damp cloth to bulk ferment at 72°F(21°C) for 4-5 hours. If using room temperature water bulk ferment for 8-9 hours, or overnight. The dough will need to rise until it is almost double its original size. Rise times will also vary depending on the temperature of your home, add or subtract time if your home is cooler or warmer.

Shape and Coat the Dough

1. Step 1: Lightly flour your work surface before turning out the dough. Using a bench scraper or non-serrated knife, cut the dough into bite sized pieces. You do not need to be exact when cutting and some variation in size is expected.
2. Step 2: In a small mixing bowl stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Take each ball of dough and generously coat it in by gently squeezing it in your hand with some of the brown sugar mixture.
3. Step 3: Drop the coated balls of dough into a well buttered 10″ bunt cake pan. Loosely but evenly distribute the pieces. Don’t over think this step and try to Tetris them into the pan. This will cause the dough to become packed and over crowded after second rise, resulting in monkey bread that is difficult to pull apart.

Second Rise

1. Step 1: Cover your bunt pan with a damp cloth an allow the monkey bread to rise at 72°F(21°C) for about two hours. At the end of second rise it will have risen slightly and become poofy. Rise times will also vary depending on the temperature of your home, add or subtract time if your home is cooler or warmer.

Bake and Frost

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F(175°C). Once preheated, place your bunt pan on the lower center rack and bake for 35 minutes.
2. Step 2: Allow your monkey bread to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a large plate. If frosting your cake, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk, then drizzle it on top of your cake before serving.