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.
Jeremy says
Where has this been all my life? Everyone loved it, great easy to follow recipe too
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much Jeremy, I love to hear this 🙂
Sy says
My microwave passed the “10% power doesn’t melt butter” test you’ve recommended, so I tried this recipe, and am SUPER impressed with it! Next, I’ll be attempting to make quick yeast bread with this method. Thank you!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad to hear this Sy 🙂
Michele Conard says
We usually make Monkey Bread with canned biscuits but last night my daughter came in our room requesting Monkeybread for breakfast today. I looked up recipe and found yours so I did the test method with butter and followed recipe exactly. It came out perfect and everyone loved it!! Thanks for sharing. We will never use canned biscuits again 😀.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you, I’m so glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Michele Conard says
We usually make Monkey Bread with canned biscuits but last night my daughter came in our room requesting Monkey Bread for breakfast today. I looked up recipe and found yours so I did the test method with butter and followed recipe exactly. It came out perfect and everyone loved it!! Thanks for sharing. We will never use canned biscuits again 😀.
Cara Jay says
Great recipe! My family loves it so much…and adjusted the microwave test to suit…it is so delicious!
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so pleased you liked it Cara 🙂
Michele Conard says
Excellent recipe. Forgot to click 5 stars on my review
Angela D says
I always read the reviews before I attempt a new recipe and that’s the only reason I am taking the time to leave this one in hopes of warning others. This did not work at all! I did everything the directions said to and my dough would not raise in the microwave. I did the 3min@10%power several times. In the amount of time it took, I could have let it raise on its own. It finally raised some, so I punched it down and finished the recipe. It turned out to be half the size it should have been and hard. What should have taken one hour took over three hours and I ended up with nothing edible.
Erren Hart says
Hi Angela, I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you! Can I ask if you did the microwave test to see if your microwave was right for the method?
Alison Wright says
Made this absolutely adored it, making again now
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Alison, I’m so glad you like it 🙂
Cal says
Awful. Have a brand new high quality microwave. 10% power, I’m pretty sure it killed any yeast. Had no rise, hard and crumbly
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi, I’m sorry to hear this. Did you do the microwave test specified in the post?
Llittle Leo says
Wow! Spot on recipe.
I am not one that typically makes yeast recipes but . . .
Followed directions, including microwave test, to a tee. I was treated with a exquisite delight! This is so much more satisfying than a ‘frozen loaf’ treat. This is not so much a artisan bread, but a comfort food with some good coffee, so loosing a touch of something more that could be gained with conventional rising methods did not seem to be lost on this – the quick and effective means you detailed is just perfect for this creation.
Even my Caramel sauce, which might have ‘accidentally’ gotten too much cinnamon was perfect.
Thank you so much Erren for this, it is a keeper for sure.
I wonder if I might add some cardamom to the next batch? Suggestions?
Erren Hart says
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂 Cardamon sounds good. You can also try some star anise for a warm spice in the caramel sauce (I suggest adding them to the hot mixture and removing them before pouring it on). Thanks so much for the great feedback! Happy baking!
Matty says
I’d never heard of this before, what a fabulous recipe, thank you.
Erren's Kitchen says
Glad you enjoyed it Matty, it’s so worth the effort
M says
Normally I don’t comment on recipes… just a little suggestion. I used rapid rise yeast, mixed it with the flour and salt. Heated the milk, add the butter (make sure the mixture is still warm (120-130 for rapid rise yeast) mix with dry ingredients and add the egg.
but the way, I forgot to add pecans 🙁 I bake this bread for Christmas morning every year. so yummy!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your suggestions, I’m glad gave my recipe a go! What a great idea for Christmas morning!