This is probably one of the most complicated recipes I have ever made. It is probably also one of the most delicious. It's the apple dumpling we know and love, transformed into bite size form!I recommend that you completely read through the recipe before you start. It isn't a difficult recipe, but it does have a lot of steps.
Dough
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Caramelized Apples
- 4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 64 ½-¾ inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Maple Coating/ Glaze
*note: the apple dumplings are dipped in
the coating, and the remainder of the coating is later used as a base for the glaze
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ½ cup apple cider (for glaze)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (for glaze)
- 1/3 cup pecan pieces (for glaze)
Make the Dough:
Mix 2 cups
flour and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade. Turn machine to low
and slowly add the heated liquid mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Switch to
the dough hook, gradually add the remaining flour (add more or less as
necessary) until dough clings to the hook and almost cleans the sides. Knead
until the dough is smooth.
In microwave
safe bowl, heat milk, apple juice, sugar, salt and butter to 120° to 130°. Stir
to dissolve sugar.
Turn dough
onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form a round ball. Coat a
large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of
dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and rise in a warm place
until dough doubles in size, about 2 hours.
Caramelize apples:
Melt the
butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add maple syrup, lemon, and cinnamon and stir
to combine. Add the apples and sauté
until apples are softened and all the liquid is evaporated. Allow to cool.
Make the Maple Syrup Coating:
Heat butter,
maple syrup, cinnamon to a small sauce pan and heat. Cook on medium for about 20 minutes until the
mixture thickens slightly. Remove from
heat and allow to cool.
Butter a
12-cup Bundt pan liberally.
Make Dumplings:
After dough
has fully risen, punch down the dough and cut it into 64 pieces. With floured hands, flatten out a piece of
dough, add a chunk of apple, and wrap the apple chunk like a dumpling so the
apple is completely wrapped in dough.
Dip the dumpling into the Maple Syrup Coating, and add it to the bundt
pan. Repeat 63 more times taking care to
stagger the dough balls to build layers.
When all of
the dumplings have been dipped and placed into the Bundt pan, put the remaining
maple syrup coating into a container and refrigerate (you’ll be using the
leftovers for the glaze). Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place
in refrigerator.
Approximately
two hours before you want to bake your Monkey Bread, remove it from the
refrigerator and let the dough come to room temperature and begin to rise.
Preheat oven
to 350°. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to
bubble a little around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out
on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
For the glaze:
While the
apple dumpling bread is baking, put the remaining maple syrup
coating to a saucepan and add ½ cup of apple cider. Cook the glaze until it reduces into a syrupy
consistency (about 20-30 minutes). Add
the pecans and vanilla.
Spoon mixture
over the pull-apart bread after it has been removed from the Bundt pan.
Dipping sauce (optional)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup apple cider.
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup (optional)
- 1/3 cup of heavy cream or coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
Boil maple
syrup, cider, and corn syrup until it reduces by 3/4. When it's nearly finished
reducing, heat the cream/milk, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla in the microwave
for 30-45 seconds (This will help keep the sauce from breaking).
Add the
warmed milk mixture to the boiling cider/maple syrup and stir. Serve alongside the pull-apart bread for a
little extra apple-y goodness.
This recipe
is partly based upon this recipe: http://www.barbarabakes.com/overnight-apple-fritter-monkey-bread/
