Easy Sourdough Monkey Bread
Sourdough monkey bread is a delicious and easy treat to make with your sourdough starter. Tender balls of tangy sourdough are rolled in melted butter and cinnamon sugar before being layered in a bundt pan, drenched in homemade caramel sauce and then baked to perfection.
Why make monkey bread with sourdough starter? Uh, because its a fun way to use your starter! Using an active starter in your dough adds a unique depth of flavor to the bread.
The tangy flavor of the sourdough combines perfectly with the cinnamon, sugar and caramel to create a lovely complex flavor that is just so delicious.
As far as sourdough recipes goes, this one is quite easy to make.
This is a fantastic recipe for beginner sourdough bakers because you can practice your fermentation and proofing, some easy shaping, and using an active starter.
Looking for other great sourdough sweet breakfast recipes? Try my favorite overnight Sourdough Waffles or the easy but impressive Sourdough Donuts or discard Sourdough Coffee Cake!
New to sourdough? Read my Ultimate Guide to Sourdough for Beginners to answer all the questions you have!
How to make monkey bread with sourdough starter
This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!
Make the dough
- In a large bowl, combine the dough ingredients.
- Knead until a dough forms and becomes smooth and slightly tacky.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise until it has doubled in size, about 3-4 hours.
Assemble the monkey bread
- Grease a bundt pan thoroughly.
- Mix the filling and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter and divide into small pieces, forming them into balls.
- Dip each of the little balls into the melted butter, roll in the cinnamon sugar until it is fully coated, and then layer the balls in the bundt pan.
- Cover the pan and allow the dough to have its second rise until slightly puffed.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- In a medium sized saucepan, make the caramel sauce.
- Pour some of the sauce evenly over the risen dough balls in the bundt pan just before baking.
- Bake the monkey bread until golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before inverting the pan onto a plate.
- Serve with the remaining sauce and enjoy!
Baker’s Schedule
It’s no secret that sourdough recipes take time. Using a baker’s schedule is a great way to make sure you know about how long a recipe will take so that you can estimate when you need to start.
- Mixing the dough – 10 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation – 2 to 3 hours
- Shaping and Assembly – 30 minutes
- Final Proofing – 2 to 3 hours
- Baking – 30 minutes
- Cooling – 15 minutes
From start to finish, this recipe should take around 7 hours 30 minutes.
Note that if you want to prepare this in advance and bake it fresh in the morning, you can do your final proofing in the fridge! Just make sure that you bring your dough out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while you preheat your oven.
*Note: Remember that the temperature and humidity level of your house will affect the activity level of your yeast. Please use the times given as estimates while you make this recipe. Watch the dough, not the clock!
Storage Information
You can store any leftover monkey bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to 5 days to keep it longer.
Reheating Information
If you want to reheat your leftover monkey bread, place individual servings on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 15-20 seconds, or until warmed through.
Easy Sourdough Monkey Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Monkey Bread Dough
- 600 grams all purpose flour
- 250 grams water warm
- 200 grams sourdough starter refreshed and bubbly
- 60 grams unsalted butter softened
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 10 grams salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
- 250 grams brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 120 grams heavy cream
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 grams salt
- 4 grams ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, warm water, active sourdough starter, softened butter, granulated sugar and salt. Knead until a dough forms and becomes smooth and slightly tacky.200 grams sourdough starter, 250 grams water, 50 grams granulated sugar, 600 grams all purpose flour, 10 grams salt, 60 grams unsalted butter
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place or warm oven until it’s doubled in size, which will take about 3-4 hours, depending on ambient temperature and the activity level of your starter.
- Grease a 10-inch bundt pan thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Mix the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.250 grams brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.
- Using a bench scraper, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, divide the dough into small pieces, each weighing around 30 grams, and form them into balls.
- Dip each of the little dough balls into the melted butter, and then roll it in the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture until it’s fully coated.1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Layer the coated small balls in the bundt pan.
- Cover the pan and let the dough have its second rise in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until puffed and light.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a medium saucepan, add butter, sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Place it over medium heat and cook until the butter and sugar melt and bubble.200 grams granulated sugar, 120 grams heavy cream, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 4 grams salt
- Add cinnamon powder and combine well.4 grams ground cinnamon
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce evenly over the risen dough balls in the bundt pan just before baking. This can vary depending on how much the dough rises. You should have about 1/4 cup left over for serving.
- Bake the monkey bread in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert it onto a large serving plate or serving platter.
- Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the monkey bread. Serve your delicious sourdough monkey bread warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted 2/2014, but was updated 6/2024 with a simplified recipe, better images, and improved text.
First of all, those little cups are adorable. I'd probably eat four of them. 🙂 Second of all, your flavor combination sounds OUTfreakingSTANDING. YUM!!
I have a wonderful picture in my head of you chasing those little balls of goodness! They look gorgeous as they are 🙂
Mmm salted caramel and chai. They do look really nice photographed in the individual dishes… but I'm hoping you ate the rest by pulling them off the pile 🙂
Jenni what a lovely recipe!
I love very much chai and these mono portion monkey breads must be ace with a nice ol' cuppa 🙂
Well done, I love so much all the different breads of this month!
Have a lovely day
Lou
I feel you with the winter light, right? But it worked out for the best cause those little ramekins are darling! And the flavor sounds amazing!
I would have thought they'd stick together with the sugar mix on them, that's strange. Good thing they tasted great no matter the architectural difficulty!
Spices and salted caramel? Amazing!
I think your monkey bread looks beautiful as is! Plus I love that flavor combination.
How cute are those mini breads! I do like the look of the 'art' on the plate though. And the flavour combination sounds delicious!
Mental image of frisky little sourdough balls making a break for it across the counter cracks me up, but what a great photographic save with individual portions in red ramekins. They DO sound yummy.
The bread looks and sounds wonderful! I love those cute little servings. I do the majority of my baking at night it seems, so I never have good lighting when my project is at its best. I can never seem to wait though.
Chai and caramel are my favorite combos. I've recently been experimenting with making homemade yogurt, and caramel and chai (and coffee) have been my go-to flavors. Will try this bread for sure! Thanks!
What a great story of how you transformed a potential disaster into something cute and enjoyable. Salted caramel and chai sourdough monkey bread sounds really good.
Love the ramekins! I agree, something can taste wonderful even if it doesn't look "perfect" Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines