INGREDIENTS

Sweet Dough
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (around 45C)
1 1/4 cups warm milk, not trim (around 45C)
75g butter, melted and cooled to room temp
55g sugar
2 large eggs
1 Teaspoon salt
625g flour 

Coating
3/4 cup butter, melted, approx
275g sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
150g brown sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze (optional)
150g icing sugar
3-4 Tbsp cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

METHODS

To make the sweet dough: In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve your yeast in the warm water. Stir it around a bit to break up any lumps and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Add the milk, melted butter, sugar, eggs, salt, and 375g of the flour. Beat in a stand mixer (or by hand if you're enthusiastic) for 3 minutes using your dough hook. Then incorporate the rest of the flour bit by bit until you have a smooth, elastic dough that't not too sticky. Tip it out and give it a bit more of a knead by hand. Do not over-knead as you'll toughen your monkey bread. The dough is ready when it is smooth and elastic and when you can poke it with a finger and it springs back. Form dough into a smooth ball and place into a large greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan with a good cooking spray (you know we love Wilton around here!) and set aside. Assemble two bowls: one with your cooled melted butter and vanilla extract and the other with your sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Gently punch the dough down to allow the air bubbles to release. Divide your dough into pieces about the size of a nectarine stone (sorry, we have been discussing how to measure this in the office. A golf ball is too large, a brussel sprout is a little too small, so we've settled on nectarine/apricot stone) - anyway, don't go too large as your finished balls will be more than bite sized (which is where you're heading).

Dip each ball, one by one, into the melted butter and then (generously) roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat them. You may need more cinnamon-sugar depending how heavily you coat each ball.

Arrange the coated balls in the bundt pan as you go. When you've finished filling your tin (not too high, expect the bread almost double in size) leave to rise again for about 45 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 180C and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too quickly. Cool for 5-10 minutes and invert onto a large serving plate.

Make the glaze: Simply whisk all of the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the bread. You may either cut the bread into generous slices or let everyone pick off the gooey pieces.

Monkey bread is best served while still warm and fresh but the Milly's team have been known to reheat the next day!