One Hour Homemade Monkey Bread – With this recipe, you can have homemade Monkey bread made from scratch in no time! Oozing with it’s warm, sweet sauce, it’s simply irresistible.
The secret to the recipe is using a microwave to rise the dough.
Imagine, homemade monkey bread just one hour! I don’t mean with packaged, or store-bought dough – I mean homemade. I know this is dangerous because you’ll want to make it all the time, but with my quick rise dough method, you can indeed have homemade monkey bread in less than an hour!
I made this for a friend’s birthday. Her favorite thing in the world is sticky buns so I thought this would make the perfect birthday cake for her. I made it and she picked it up to serve to her family after her birthday dinner.
Meanwhile, in my house when my six-year-old son finished his dinner he promptly asked for a piece of sticky bun cake for dessert. Crap! Cinnamon buns and sticky buns are also my son’s very favorite things in the world. What was I thinking? Why didn’t I make two? When I explained that I made it for my friend’s birthday and not in honor of her birthday and that I already gave it to her, he broke out in tears, went to his room and hid under the covers in heartbreak! Luckily, I was able to make another batch in less than an hour and made my son one happy boy!
You may have seen my recipe for Quick Rise Cinnamon Rolls where I use a microwave to rise the dough. If so, you already know how I do it. If you haven’t. here’s how.
NOTE: Before attempting this method, please see the baker’s tip at the bottom of this post for a microwave test. I wouldn’t want you to ruin dough you spent a lot of time on in a microwave that won’t rise dough.
I made the dough as I always do, but instead of leaving the dough to rise in a warm place, I put it in a bowl, covered it in plastic wrap, and set it aside while I put a mug full of hot water in the microwave on high for 3 minutes (just to add some moisture to the oven).
This is what the dough looked like before I started.
Then I put the microwave on the lowest possible setting (10% power) and put the bowl with the dough in it in for 3 minutes (this is a good time to start the sauce for the monkey bread). After the 3 minutes, I left the dough to rest without touching it in the microwave for another 3 minutes. This is what it looked like after that…
I was pretty impressed.
I then repeated the process, but this time I left the dough to rest for 5 minutes. and this is what it looked like after that…
Pretty amazing right?
Next, punch down the dough. I know after all the trouble of getting the dough to rise, this may seem absurd, but go ahead and punch it down.
Pour a little of the sauce into the bottom of a bundt pan.
Form dough into approximately 1 inch balls and layer to cover the bottom of the pan using ½ of the dough mixture.
Pour over ½ of the remaining sauce. Continue to layer 1 inch balls of dough until it is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the mixture.
Place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow of topping and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes to turn out onto a large plate and serve.
Baker’s Tips:
- I highly recommend checking your microwave owner’s manual to see if proofing is recommended. If you don’t have your manual handy, just do the following test before trying it on the dough you spent a lot of time on: Place two tablespoons of cold, stick margarine in a glass cup in the center of the microwave (don’t use corn oil spread or shortening sticks). Cook uncovered on 10% power (low) for 4 minutes. If the margarine doesn’t completely melt, your microwave can proof yeast dough. If it does melt then your microwave is just too powerful and will kill the yeast and make your dough rock hard.
UPDATE NOTES: This recipe was originally published in April of 2015, but was republished with information on how to test your microwave before making the recipe.
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Let's Make One Hour Homemade Monkey Bread
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1¼ cups hot milk about 110F/ 43C
- 1 package active dry yeast 2-¼ teaspoons
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup butter melted
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in a ¼ cup of the hot milk and set aside.
- In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg.
- Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle.
- Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
To rise:
- Place an 8-ounce cup of hot water into the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes to moisten the oven.
- Remove the mug and place the bowl with the dough into the microwave and heat on its lowest setting (10% power) for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter then add the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Then let the dough rest in the microwave for 3 minutes.
- Heat the dough (still on its lowest setting) for another 3 minutes.
- Then let the dough rest in the microwave for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375F/180C
- When doubled in size, punch down dough.
- Stir the sauce to make sure it's fully combined. Pour a little of the sauce into the bottom of a bundt pan.
- Form dough into approximately 1-inch balls and layer to cover the bottom of the pan using ½ of the dough mixture.
- Pour over ½ of the remaining sauce. Continue to layer 1-inch balls of dough until it is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the mixture.
- Place on a baking sheet to catch any overflow of topping and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and wait 5 minutes to turn out on a large plate and serve.
Jessica Jones says
I also had to leave it in the oven for about 20 minutes longer. I use a thermometer inside the over to make sure it’s the right temp.
Platt College says
The monkey bread looks really good. I will have to try this recipe.
Lana says
I came across this recipe and knew I had to make it. Well, instructions were unclear and long story short I got rock cake instead. Thanks Erren.
Erren says
Hi Lana, I’m really sorry it didn’t work for you. If you tell me what wasn’t clear, that would be really helpful so others don’t run into trouble trying to make it.
Penny says
I don’t know what a previous poster thought was unclear, I thought your instructions were fairly simple and easy to follow. I used the microwave option to have the bread raise quickly and it worked very well. Not only that, the monkey bread was a huge hit at the office and other gatherings, and I’ve had many requests for your recipe. Thanks, Erren!
Brenda says
Hi Ladies and Gents,
I was searching for a King cake recipe. . and came across this . . How wonderful of Erren to share this secret.. I have been making homemade bread,Challah, and pizza dough most my life . . Parents owned restaurants . . And a couple loafs of bread would take me almost 5 hours. . I have some Monkey Bread {slash King cake in the oven}. . and am i ever so happy..I read some of your problems. . And i’d like to add my 2 cents.
If you can’t adjust your microwave to 10% power level . .then find another recipe. . If you nuke your dough on high it will not rise. . It will kill the yeast. . therefore it will be doughy and you’ll never get it to bake…thinking this might be your trouble .
When I’ve taught my grandchildren what temp the liquid is to be, to bloom my yeast( 110-120 F). I brought my tap water up to that temp and poured it over there hand.Where i can tolerate a lot of heat, they felt that it almost burnt them.. . After the first time i used old yeast . . I always bloom my yeast first..in this case I place the 1/4 milk in microwave for 20 second on high.tested it with my finger. . it was not hot to the touch, nuked it 10 more seconds. . then added the sugar and yeast. . let it set 15 minutes. . it bubbles up double. .
I just got mine out of the oven, I baked it at 340 F for 40 minutes. . and it is awesome. . And OMGoodness Erren you have changed my life!!!
I just wish I could post pictures!
Brenda says
OK, now after eating most of my King cake….lol Have decided 30 minutes is all it needed to bake. . was afraid it would under cook. So i left it a bit long. But then again I did not use a bunt pan. . I took my 14 inch cake pan turned my 6 inch cake pan upside down in it,cut a hole in the middle of my parchment paper to go around it. . veg sprayed heavily. . Was delicious!. Thanks again Erren!
Erren says
How fantastic! Thanks so much for all the great feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! ?
Brandi P says
I do mine a little differently. I roll my dough in melted butter then a cinnamon sugar mixture. That is the only way my kids will eat it!!
Erren says
That sounds wonderful, Brandi, but I was trying to keep it to an hour! 🙂
grabaplate says
What a great birthday cake!! I think your microwave trick is pretty cool, too! This is a beauty!
April J Harris (@apriljharris) says
Your monkey bread is making my mouth water it looks so good! Love the topping – wonderful recipe!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I’ve always wanted to make a monkey bread but never have for some reason. Thanks for the inspiration… this looks very sweet, sticky and of course delicious!
Erren says
Thanks so much Thalia, let me know if you try it!
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
One of these days, I have to make a monkey bread. Yours looks gooey delicious.
Nancy Fox says
This monkey bread looks out-of-this-world delicious, Erren!