Monkey bread

Ingredients

• 200 mlsemi-skimmed milk
• 7 gdried yeast
• 160 gunsalted butter
• 1 mediumfree-range egg
• 2 tspsalt
• 150 gunrefined cane sugar
• 500 gplain flour
• 95 gshelled pistachios
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 0.5 tspground ginger

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm the milk

   Warm the milk until lukewarm, stir in the yeast and leave it to stand for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Mix wet ingredients

   Meanwhile, melt the butter. Add it and the egg to the milk mixture, then stir until smooth.

3. 3

   Combine dry ingredients

   Mix the salt and sugar into the flour, then make a well in the centre.

4. 4

   Form the dough

   Pour the milk mixture into the well and mix with a mixer fitted with dough hooks until the ingredients come together as a dough.

5. 5

   Knead by hand

   Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, until soft and elastic.

6. 6

   Let it rise

   Return the dough to the bowl and cover with cling film. Leave it to rise in a draught-free place for 1 hour.

7. 7

   Make the coating

   Melt the remaining butter. Finely chop the pistachios and mix them with the remaining sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and melted butter.

8. 8

   Shape the loaf

   Grease a loaf tin. Divide the dough into walnut-sized balls, dip each one in the butter mixture and arrange them in the tin.

9. 9

   Rise in the tin

   Cover the tin with cling film and leave the dough to rise in a draught-free place for another 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Heat the oven

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175 °C.

11. 11

    Bake the bread

    Bake the loaf in the centre of the oven for about 45 minutes, until cooked through. After 30 minutes, cover it with aluminium foil to prevent it from becoming too dark.

12. 12

    Cool in the tin

    Leave the bread to cool in the tin for 2 hours, then carefully remove it.

What is monkey bread?

Monkey bread is a sweet, pull-apart loaf made from small pieces of dough baked together. Despite its English name, this version sits alongside Dutch-style home baking, with a yeast dough and a spiced, buttery coating.

Pistachios add a nutty contrast to the cinnamon and ginger. Arranging the coated balls close together lets them bake into a loaf that can be pulled apart to serve.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 355 calories, 8g protein, 44g carbs, 16g fat.

The flour and sugar provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter supplies much of the fat. The milk, egg, flour and pistachios contribute protein; serve a piece with plain yoghurt or fruit for a more balanced plate.

Building a soft dough

Lukewarm milk: it should feel gently warm rather than hot when you add the yeast. Leave the mixture for the full 10 minutes before combining it with the other wet ingredients.

Kneading: work the dough for 10 minutes by hand, until it feels soft and elastic. This develops the structure that helps the loaf hold together while staying tender.

Getting the coating right

Chopped pistachios: chop them finely so they can be mixed through the butter and spices and cling to the dough balls.

Butter mixture: combine the nuts, remaining sugar, cinnamon and ginger with the melted butter. Coat each ball before putting it in the tin so the flavour is distributed through the loaf.

Two rises, two purposes

First rise: let the dough rest, covered, in a draught-free place for 1 hour. This gives the yeast time to lift the dough before you shape it.

Second rise: leave the filled tin covered for another 30 minutes. The dough balls should have time to puff up before baking.

Baking and cooling cues

Oven: bake at 175 °C in the centre for about 45 minutes. Cover the loaf with foil after 30 minutes to stop the top getting too dark.

Cooling: leave the loaf in its tin for 2 hours before turning it out carefully. The long cooling time helps the joined pieces settle and makes the loaf easier to remove intact.

Serving the loaf

Serve the bread as a centrepiece for a relaxed breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Pull off individual pieces by hand while it is fresh.

The sweet, spiced loaf pairs well with plain yoghurt or fresh fruit. Those simple accompaniments let the cinnamon, ginger and pistachios remain the main flavours.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use lukewarm rather than hot milk when mixing it with the yeast.
• Flour the work surface lightly so the dough does not stick while you knead.
• Chop the pistachios finely so they coat the dough balls evenly.
• Grease the loaf tin thoroughly to make the cooled bread easier to release.
• Cover the loaf with foil after 30 minutes of baking, as directed, to limit browning.
• Allow the full 2 hours of cooling in the tin before removing the loaf.

Variations

• Extra spice: add a little more cinnamon to the coating for a warmer flavour.
• Citrus note: mix finely grated orange zest into the pistachio coating.
• Other nuts: replace the pistachios with an equal amount of finely chopped hazelnuts.
• Raisin version: add raisins to the dough balls before arranging them in the tin.
• Simple finish: dust the cooled loaf lightly with icing sugar before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overheating the milk: very hot milk can affect the yeast; warm it only until lukewarm.
• Skipping the knead: the dough may lack structure; knead by hand for the full 10 minutes.
• Rushing the rises: the dough needs both rises; allow 1 hour first and another 30 minutes in the tin.
• Large dough pieces: they may coat and bake unevenly; divide the dough into walnut-sized balls.
• Leaving the top uncovered: it can become too dark; add aluminium foil after 30 minutes.
• Turning it out too soon: the loaf may break apart; cool it in the tin for 2 hours.

How to store

Once completely cool, store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 2 days. Warm individual pieces briefly in the oven or microwave to soften them before serving.

Frequently asked questions