Gooey Cinnamon Pull-apart Bread

Sometimes this bread is called Monkey Bread. Cinnamon Pull-apart bread is a breakfast favorite. This home baker’s bread is begging for a tall glass of cold milk and some sweet family and friends to rip into it! It is best served to a crowd. The secret to this bread is the addition of instant pudding in the cinnamon sauce. It keeps the sauce smooth and velvety, coating the chunks of happy dough. This bread is sure to be one of the most requested breakfasts in your home.
Use high-quality cinnamon and, of course, Panhandle Milling flour for the best results. This recipe is a favorite to make with kids. They love making all the little dough balls that come together for the finished loaf.

Gooey Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Yield: 1 9X13 casserole or Bundt loaf

Dough:

2Tbsp. Red Star Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups Milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla extract
2 tsp salt
6 cups (30 oz.) Panhandle Milling Bread Flour

Cinnamon Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
¾ cup butter
¼ cup heavy cream or milk
1 small package “cook and serve” vanilla or butterscotch pudding mix
1 tsp double strength vanilla

Dough Directions:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water with the sugar. Add milk, eggs, melted butter, extracts, flour, and salt.
• Mix about 3 minutes. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time until supple dough forms.
  Mix on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl’s side and forms a ball. Knead with the dough hook in mixer 5 minutes medium speed.
• Remove dough from mixer and form into a ball. Place ball in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover. Allow raising until double, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• While dough rises, make the Cinnamon Sauce. Once the dough doubles in size, punch down. Remove from bowl. Random sized balls of dough need to be formed.

To make the sauce:

• Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Make the bread:

• Pour 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a well-oiled 9 X 13 inch 4-inch deep casserole. Divide the dough in half and divide the first one half into random sized 1-2 inch dough balls and disperse over the sauce mixture.
• Top the dough balls with the second 1/3 of the sauce. Smear the sauce over the dough balls. Divide the second half of the dough into random-sized 1-2 inch dough balls and disperse over the sauce mixture coated bottom layer of dough balls. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the top of the uncoated dough balls and coat generously. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.
  Allow the dough to get, really, really fluffy.
• Bake in preheated oven 350°F for 30-35 minutes (check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer…190°F and cooked through). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Invert onto a large serving tray with a lip to keep the sauce from oozing all over. Caramel sauce will be hot, so be careful.