Sunday, September 20, 2015

Pumpkin Monkey Bread with Cinnamon Glaze

It's finally fall, which means it's Pumpkin Everything season in the M&M Kitchen! The lovely Mrs. Wade and I were in the mood to bake something delicious that involved pumpkin and my new-to-me bundt pan. What evolved was this perfect treat - a combination of The Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, creativity, and our own cinnamon glaze. It looks like a lot of work, but it's really easy. Most of the work is just waiting for it to finish so that you can devour it!

Ingredients

Dough (from Pioneer Woman):

1 1/2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. white sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
1 c. pumpkin puree
4 c. plus 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (keep 1/2 cup separate)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Dough Coating:

1/2 c. butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
1 c. white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger

Cinnamon Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-4 Tbsp. whole milk

Directions

To make the dough, follow the directions as described by The Pioneer Woman:

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar. Heat until hot, but not boiling, then remove the pan from the stove and allow it to cool until the mixture is still warm, but not too hot to touch. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin puree until combined.

Meanwhile, combine 4 cups of flour with the with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Sprinkle it into the saucepan and stir until it just comes together. Cover with a dish towel and set in a warm, draft-free place for an hour, or until it has doubled in size. After it has risen, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until completely combined. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so that it is easier to work with.

To assemble:

Grease a bundt pan (most bundt pans are about 10-cups) with butter. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the coating ingredients of 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp ginger.

Using your hands, form a piece of the dough into a 1" to 2" ball. Dip the ball in the melted butter, then immediately roll in the sugar mixture and place in the bundt pan. Repeat with the remaining dough until it is all used. Add more sugar and spices to the sugar bowl if needed. If there is any remaining butter, drizzle it over the dough in the bundt pan. Cover the pan with a dish towel and allow to rise for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 40 minutes.

For the glaze:

Allow the bread to cool completely before removing from the pan and inverting onto a serving platter. Mix all the glaze ingredients together in a medium measuring cup or small mixing bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the bread and serve.