Sourdough Monkey Bread Recipe: Simple Pull-Apart Bread

Sourdough Monkey Bread Recipe Simple Pull-Apart Bread with gooey cinnamon sugar layers perfect for breakfast or sharing at any gathering.

Growing up, one of my friends’ moms used to make homemade monkey bread after every sleepover.

I had never had Monkey Bread before, but when I took my first bite of the pillowy dough covered in gooey caramel, I was in love!

Now in my own kitchen, I am on a mission of creating this scrumptious treat, but now with the goodness of sourdough. And I might be biased, but I think this recipe is even better than the one from my childhood.

Fluffy pieces of sourdough are rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar, topped with a homemade butterscotch and baked until ooey, gooey and so incredibly delicious!

To take this sweet treat to the next level, whisk up a simple icing to drizzle on top for a touch more sweetness.

It’s the perfect recipe to enjoy for breakfast, at a brunch or on Christmas morning! Not only is it stunning to look at, but so fun to pull off a piece and share with those you love.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Warm & gooey

This sourdough monkey bread is the perfect mix of sweet and tangy. The cinnamon sugar coating gives every bite that warm, cozy feel, and the dough stays soft and chewy thanks to the active sourdough starter. The outside bakes up golden brown, with just the right amount of crispiness. It’ll be hard to keep anyone from digging in once they get a whiff of it!

Ready by morning

Prep this the night before and let the dough do its first rise overnight. In the morning, just roll it into little dough balls, coat them in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and pop them in the bundt pan. Let it rise while you have your coffee, then bake it up for a fresh, warm treat. It’s an easy way to make mornings feel a little special.

Perfect for sharing

Monkey bread is made for sharing. Tear apart the soft, sweet pieces and enjoy the buttery goodness. This bread is one of those treats that disappears in no time!

Ingredients Needed

Dough

Flour: I highly recommend using bread flour for the fluffiest and most chewy Sourdough Monkey Bread. The higher % of protein in bread flour allows your dough to rise to great heights! However, if you’re in a pinch, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour. 

Sugar: White sugar offers just a touch of sweetness to the dough. You can also use light/dark brown or cane sugar.

Milk: Can be substituted with non-dairy milk as well. 

Butter: If using salted butter, omit 1 gram (¼ tsp) of salt from the recipe. 

Egg: Adds moisture and builds structure into the dough. 

Salt: Brings contrast to this sweet treat.

Coating

Sugar: White sugar or brown sugar gives the coating a nice sweetness. You can use either, depending on what flavor profile you prefer.

Cinnamon: Adds that classic, warm, spicy-sweet flavor that makes monkey bread irresistible.

Butter: Coats the dough pieces in a rich, silky layer, helping the cinnamon sugar stick and creating a golden, crispy texture when baked.

Homemade Butterscotch

Brown Sugar: Provides deep caramel-like sweetness that complements the cinnamon and sugar coating.

Butter: Creates a smooth, rich base for the butterscotch sauce, ensuring a perfect consistency when poured over the dough.

Salt: Enhances the sweet flavors and balances the richness of the butterscotch sauce.

Vanilla: Adds a sweet, aromatic note that rounds out the flavor of the butterscotch.

Icing

Powdered sugar: Forms the base of the icing, creating a smooth, sweet finish.

Milk: Helps dissolve the powdered sugar into a smooth glaze, making it easy to drizzle over the monkey bread.

Vanilla: Adds a touch of sweetness and depth to the icing, tying the flavors together.

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

Supplies

Stand mixer: This can be done by hand, but it will be quite the arm workout! Using my stand mixer makes this recipe a breeze.

Bowl cover: Be sure to use plastic wrap or a reusable bowl cover to keep your dough from drying out throughout the bulk fermentation.

Bundt pan: To achieve the classic monkey bread look, I used my bundt pan, but you can also bake this recipe in a 9×13 or loaf pan!

Bench scraper or sharp knife: A bench scraper makes dividing the dough into small pieces easier, but if you don’t have one, a sharp knife works just fine.

Small saucepan: You’ll need a small saucepan for melting your butter and preparing any glaze or syrup. It’s simple but makes the process a lot easier.

Sample Baking Schedules

Sample Baking Schedule 1:

10pm : Make the Dough

10:30 pm : Knead the Dough

10:45 pm : Continue Bulk Fermentation overnight at room temperature

Next Day

6:45 am : Shape and Second Rise

9 am : Bake

Sample Baking Schedule 2: 

12 pm : Make the Dough

12:30 pm : Knead the Dough

12:45 pm : Continue Bulk Fermentation

8:45 pm : Place in the fridge for the cold proof

Next Day

6:45 am : Shape and Second Rise

9 am : Bake

** This schedule is made for a 68-70 degree environment. Higher temperatures will quicken the process. Lower will lengthen the process.

How to Make Sourdough Monkey Bread

Heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan on the stove or in a small bowl in the microwave until warm, but no hotter than 110 degrees F. If the liquid is hotter than 120 degrees F, it can kill the sourdough starter.

Meanwhile, add the bubbly sourdough starter, room temperature egg, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined, then gradually add the warm milk and melted butter.

To the wet ingredients, add the flour and salt and mix again on low speed. Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients and then continue to mix on low for 1-2 minutes. 

You can also mix the dough by hand if you’re not using a stand mixer.

The dough will look thick and sticky, like a batter. Cover with plastic wrap or what I like to use – a reusable shower cap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

Knead

After 30 minutes, remove the cover and knead the dough with the dough hook attachment at medium speed for 10 – 15 minutes. This can be done by hand. Knead the dough for the same amount of time, or until the dough passes the windowpane test.

You’ll know the dough has been kneaded when it is smooth and shiny. The dough will completely pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is being kneaded and it will pass the windowpane test. If you notice that the dough is still too sticky, you might need to add a touch more flour. I would add 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) of flour at a time until the dough feels tacky to the touch.

Baking Tip: This means when you stretch a small section of dough into a thin film, the light can pass through without the dough tearing. If this is accomplished, the dough has been properly kneaded.

Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl. I like to use butter or olive oil. Cover it again.

Bulk Fermentation

Place the dough in a warm place in your kitchen to double in size. In my 70 degree F kitchen, the first bulk rise takes about 7-8 hours. The bulk fermentation time greatly depends on the temperature of your kitchen. If you have a colder kitchen, the rise time will take longer. If your kitchen runs warm, the first rise will take less time.

Cold Proof:

If your dough has doubled in size, but you are wanting to bake it following morning, place the dough, covered, in the fridge overnight. If your dough has doubled in size and you are ready to bake, skip this step and continue on to shaping.

Shape

Just before the bulk fermentation is complete, grease a 10-inch bundt pan with butter. Set aside.

If you do not have a bundt pan, you could also use a greased 9×13 baking dish or 9×5 loaf pan. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.

Gently stretch the dough into a large rectangle shape. With a bench knife or sharp knife, cut the dough into bite-sized pieces. 

In one bowl, add the melted butter and in a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar until combined. Taking a few pieces of dough at a time, dip them first in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar before placing them in the prepared bundt pan. 

Don’t overthink this – it isn’t tetris, just continue to evenly disperse the pieces in the bundt pan. They will stick together when baked.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. 

Second Rise

Cover the bundt pan with a bowl cover and leave in a warm place until the pieces of dough have puffed up. In my 70 degree F kitchen this took about 2-3 hours. If your kitchen is cooler, this will take longer. If your kitchen is warmer, this will take less time. 

If you cold proofed your dough overnight, the dough will be cold and will take longer to return to room temperature and complete its second rise. I placed my covered bundt pan in my oven on the “Proof” setting, which was about 90 degrees F. It took about 1-2 hours for it to puff up. If your oven doesn’t have the proof setting, you could put the dough in an OFF oven with the oven light on. DO NOT rush this step. The dough should looks puffed up and not be cold to the touch. If you rush this step, the dough will bake up dense.

Bake

Once the dough has risen (it shouldn’t be cold at all and when you poke the dough, your finger print should slowly rise), preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare the butterscotch. 

Add the brown sugar, butter, salt and vanilla in a small saucepan at medium-high heat. Stir occasionally until the butter has completely melted and the ingredients are fully incorporated. Constantly stir as you let it continue to cook and bubble for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Evenly pour the butterscotch on top of the dough. 

Bake the Sourdough Monkey Bread for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 190-200 degrees F.

Cool

Keep the monkey bread in the bundt pan for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the butterscotch to cool slightly. This will allow it to stick to the dough rather than running off onto the plate.

While the monkey bread cools, prepare the vanilla icing. 

In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, 15g (1 T) of milk at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth. 

To remove, place a plate on top of the bundt pan and then flip the pan upside down. Drizzle the icing on top and serve warm. Enjoy!

How to Serve

Serve it warm on a large plate and let everyone pull apart those sweet, buttery dough balls. Drizzle with caramel sauce or maple syrup for added sweetness, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt to balance the flavors. For an extra touch, add a vanilla icing. This dessert is definitely addictive, and it’s the perfect way to use up that sourdough.

How to Store

Let the delicious sourdough monkey bread cool for 10-15 minutes in the bundt cake pan so the caramel sets. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature or refrigerate for longer freshness. You can freeze it for 1-2 months as well. When it’s time to enjoy, simply thaw or warm it in the oven. If you have extra dough, refrigerate it for later, but keep in mind it may need extra rise time when you’re ready to bake.

FAQs

Can I make substitutions for some of the ingredients in Sourdough Monkey Bread?

Absolutely! There are plenty of different things you can substitute in this recipe. For example, if you don’t have butter, feel free to use margarine or coconut oil. Also, you can swap the white sugar with brown sugar or cane sugar for a slightly different flavor. 

Non-dairy milk works great if you need a dairy-free version of the bread. If you’re looking to try a different flavor profile, add some cinnamon or a bit of nutmeg to the brown sugar mixture.

What if I don’t have a bundt cake pan—can I use a different pan?

If you don’t have a bundt cake pan, no worries! You can easily bake your delicious sourdough monkey bread in a 9×13 pan or a 9×5 loaf pan. While you won’t get the classic pull-apart look, you’ll still enjoy the same sweet dough and butter mixture that make this dessert so tasty. Just be sure to check the rise times, as a different pan size might affect how long the dough takes to rise. Adjust your baking time as needed, but a preheated oven at 350°F will still give you that golden, fluffy texture you love.

Can I use sourdough discard instead of a sourdough starter in this Sourdough Monkey Bread recipe?

Yes, you can use sourdough discard in place of an active starter. Sourdough discard is a great way to use up extra starter that you might have lying around. Keep in mind, it may take a little longer for the dough to rise since discard has less yeast activity than an active starter. Just follow the recipe as normal, but be sure to give the dough extra time to rise.

Happy baking!

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