Pumpkin Monkey Bread

I love monkey bread.  Not only does it taste good, I associate it with good memories.  This is what my mom generally makes for Christmas mornings!  So when I saw this pumpkin version on foodgawker or pinterest… I can’t remember which and I’m obsessed with both… I knew I had to try it.

I chose to bake it in individual ramekins versus a bundt pan for two reasons.  When it comes to eating monkey bread, I need control.  When it’s sitting in it’s nice pretty ring no one notices a missing piece… and then another… and then another…  Every time I walk by it tempts me and there’s nothing to stop me from taking more.  Even though these ramekins are a generous size {9-ounces} and I still get plently, at least it keeps me from snitching every chance I get.  The other reason is that I thought they would be cute.  And if you’re having company, this is a great idea!

Pumpkin Monkey Bread {print recipe}

Dough
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading {about 2 to 4 tablespoons}
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons light butter, melted
1/2 cup warm milk {110 to 120 degrees}
1/4 cup warm water {110 to 120 degrees}
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast*

Coating
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 tablespoons light butter, melted
1/2 package {3.4-ounces} butterscotch instant pudding {optional**}

Glaze
2/3 cup powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

For the dough, sift together the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, water, pumpkin, and melted butter.  You want to use warm ingredients from the start, but the pumpkin may cool down the mixture too much.  Simply heat it in the microwave or on the stove until the combined mixture reaches a temperature between 110 and 120 degrees.  I use an instant thermometer just to be sure it is accurate.  {A nice warm temperature will help the dough rise quickly, and too hot of temperature will kill the yeast.}

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add in the wet ingredients.  Using the stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the ingredients just until they are well blended.  Switch out the paddle attachment for the dough hook and continuing mixing.  Add in flour as needed, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough makes a ball and starts pulling from the sides of the bowl.  Make sure the dough is not sticky, otherwise you may need to add more flour.  Continue kneading for about 5 minutes.

When the kneading is finished and the dough has a nice consistency {smooth and elastic}, turn it out into a large greased bowl.  Cover and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about an hour.

Tip: To make sure my dough gets off to a good start, I like to use my oven.  I turn it on and watch the temperature carefully.  As soon as it hits 100 degrees, I turn it off.  I place the dough inside and that’s where I let it rise for an hour.

For the coating, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, melt the butter.

Once the dough has risen, dump it onto a workable surface.  Cut the dough in half {a pastry bench scraper works nice for this}.  Cut in half again so that you have four even sections.  I find that this is the easiest way to get uniform pieces of dough in the end.  Working with one of the sections, keep halving the dough until you come up with nice size pieces that can be formed into balls.  For me, this worked out to 16 pieces per section.  Continue to follow the same pattern using the next three sections.  In the end, you should end up with about 64 balls.  {I know this is kind of tedious, but if you are using small ramekins instead of a bundt pan, then in the end you will know exactly how many balls to put in each.  Plus, as I mentioned earlier, this helps with uniformity.}

Dip each ball of dough into the melted butter.  I strongly suggest that you dip all of them at once and then set aside.  {This helps to prevent butter from dripping into the cinnamon sugar mixture and having it clump together.}  Then roll each ball into the cinnamon-pumpkin spice-sugar mixture until nicely coated.

If using a bundt pan, grease with butter or cooking spray.  Arrange the pieces of dough evenly, and then sprinkle the top with instant butterscotch pudding.

If using individual ramekins {8 ramekins, 8 or 9 ounces each}, grease with butter or cooking spray.  Divide the dough evenly among each ramekin.  {Since I ended up with 64 balls, I arranged 8 in each ramekin.}  Sprinkle the top of each with instant butterscotch pudding {**This is optional, it just makes it more gooey, but isn’t necessary if you don’t want any artificial ingredients.}.

Once you’ve used all the dough, cover the bundt pan or individual ramekins, and let the dough rise again for another hour.  They should double in size again.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Bake the bread until golden brown, 30-35 minutes.  If using a bundt pan, let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning out on to a platter.  For the ramekins, I did not turn the bread over, but you certainly could if you wanted.

For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup.  Drizzle over the bread while it’s still warm.

*There is no need to proof when using instant or fast rise yeast.  You can just throw it in along with the flour and other dry mixes.  Active dry yeast can be substituted if needed, but will have to proof with the warm liquid ingredients for about 5 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredient mixture.  Also, since sugar acts along with the yeast, instead of adding the 1/4 cup sugar to the dry ingredients as listed, add it in with the liquid ingredients and yeast.

 Recipe is adapted from Sugar Crafter.