Fermented Sourdough Monkey Bread is one of the most fun sourdough recipes I’ve ever made!
For this recipe, you start with a sweet brioche dough, and the method couldn’t be any easier. Basically, you put your bowl on a scale, weigh all of the ingredients in the bowl, and then let the mixer do the rest!
If you don’t have a mixer, you can definitely mix and knead by hand.
After the dough sits in the fridge for a couple days, you pull it out, pinch off little balls of dough, roll them in butter and sugar, let it sit for a few hours and then bake.
I realize that the recipe looks long, but keep in mind that you’ll make the dough on one day, let it sit in the fridge for two days, form the monkey bread, let it sit on the counter and then bake. It’s honestly not as complicated as it looks.🙂
I prefer making a long fermented sourdough because the forty-eight hours of slow fermentation destroys 97% of all the gluten in the bread. The fermentation process also breaks down the sugars and contains probiotics. How amazing is that?!
To learn more about the science behind fermenting bread, check out this podcast.
While this bread is definitely a treat because of the sugars, it’s still a huge step up nutritionally and a lot of fun to make for a special occasion.
As I’ve mentioned before, a grain-free diet isn’t meant to be lifelong. Once you’ve taken the proper steps to heal your gut, you see good improvement in symptoms and labs and if you have antibodies, they are down to normal levels again, you can often slowly add properly prepared grains back into your diet with the help of your nutritionist or holistic practitioner.
This was a goal of mine when I was struggling with Hashimoto’s. It took a alot of hard work and determination, but it was well worth it!
If you’re new to sourdough, you can make your own starter, or purchase a dehydrated starter here.
If you’d like to make the monkey bread for breakfast, you can let it sit overnight. The bread will rise a bit higher, than if you just let it sit for 5 hours, so keep this in mind. And, some of the little dough balls might rise a little higher than the others. It doesn’t affect the flavor, but if you want the monkey bread to be the exact same height all the way around, then a five hour rise would be best (the ones in the picture were with a five hour rise).
Fermented Sourdough Monkey Bread
For the levain (the night before you’re going to make the dough):
For the Dough:
- 210gunsalted organic butter,melted and cooled
- 200gorganic spelt flour(you can sub with all-purpose,but I do love the flavor of the spelt in this recipe!)
- 300gorganic all purpose flour
- 250glevain (from above)
- 4large eggs,room temperature
- 75gorganic cane sugar
- 45gwhole milk,room temperature
- 9gCeltic sea salt
For the monkey bread:
- 2 cupsorganic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoonsground cinnamon
- 12 tablespoonsunsalted butter,melted and cooled
Instructions
- For the Levain:
- The night before you want to make the dough,combine flour,water,starter,and organic cane sugar. Stir the ingredients together until combined. Cover with a clean cloth and let sit overnight for at least 8-10 hours.
- For the Dough:
- Place the butter,spelt flour,all-purpose flour,250g of the levain (from above),eggs,organic cane sugar,whole milk and sea salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Mix on low using the beater attachment for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes,remove the beater attachment and put on the dough hook. Mix for 8 minutes on medium.
- Stretch and Fold:
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let sit for 30 minutes. Stretch and fold the dough four times. After you stretch and fold the first time,place a clean cloth over the dough and let sit for 30 minutes. Then,stretch and fold the dough again,place a clean cloth over the dough and let sit for another 30 minutes. Repeat two more times for a total of four times.
- After the stretch and fold process,keep the dough in the bowl and cover the dough really well with plastic wrap (or a lid,if you have one) and place the dough in the refrigerator. Let the dough ferment for 48-72 hours. (I tested the dough at 48,72,and 96 hours and they all baked really well,so it’s really your preference on how long you want to ferment it for.)
- To Make the Monkey Bread:
- Butter the bundt pan. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set the melted and cooled butter next to the bowl with the sugar.
- Using your hands,pinch off a 1” piece of dough,roll it into a ball,dunk it into the butter,roll in the brown sugar mixture and then place it in the bundt pan. Repeat with remaining dough,layering the dough balls on top of one another. If there is any remaining butter,pour it overtop the dough balls. Place a clean cloth over the bundt pan and let it sit at room temperature for 5 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and adjust the rack to the middle position. Bake the monkey bread for 50-55 minutes,until golden brown on top. Let it cool for 10 minutes,and then invert it onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.
