Monkey Apple Bread: Pull-Apart Apple Cinnamon Bread with Caramel

There is something about the smell of apples, cinnamon and freshly baked bread that makes autumn feel even more special. This Monkey Apple Bread is made with soft, buttery yeast dough rolled into little balls, coated in cinnamon sugar and baked with a generous apple caramel sauce.

I'm currently working on a cookbook dedicated to apples, exploring new ways to celebrate one of my favourite autumn ingredients. This is the first brand-new recipe I'm sharing since La Mora Romagnola came back online, and I couldn't think of a better way to mark the occasion.

Unlike a traditional loaf, Monkey Bread is meant to be pulled apart, one delicious piece at a time. Every bite combines fluffy, sweet bread with tender apples and buttery caramel. I bake mine in a 26 cm ring pan, layering the apple caramel underneath, between the dough balls and over the top, so that no part of the cake misses out on that wonderful sauce.

Serve it slightly warm, when the caramel is still soft and the kitchen smells like autumn.

Monkey Apple Bread Recipe

Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Resting time: Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35–40 minutes

Ingredients

For the dough

• 400 g bread flour or strong white flour

• 60 g granulated sugar

• 6 g salt

• 5 g malt extract or malt powder

• 12 g fresh yeast

• 60 g softened butter

• 180 ml milk

• 1 medium egg

• Ground cinnamon, to taste

• Vanilla extract, to taste

For the cinnamon sugar coating

• 50 g granulated sugar

• 5 g ground cinnamon

For the apple caramel

• 4 apples, peeled, cored and diced

• 147 g granulated sugar

• 133 g butter

• 65 ml heavy cream

• 7 g salt

• A pinch of ground cinnamon

• Vanilla extract, to taste

Method

1. Make the dough. Place the flour, malt, fresh yeast, vanilla and a little cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix briefly, then add about half the milk, beaten together with the egg. Make sure both ingredients are at room temperature.

2. Knead the dough. Once the first addition of liquid has been absorbed, add the salt and sugar. Gradually pour in the remaining milk and egg mixture. Finally, incorporate the softened butter a little at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and well developed.

3. Let the dough rise. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until noticeably increased in volume.

4. Prepare the apples. Peel, core and dice the apples. Melt 40 g of the butter in a pan and add 40 g of the sugar, the apples, cinnamon and vanilla. Cook for a few minutes, stirring gently, until the apples begin to soften.

5. Make the caramel sauce. Add the remaining 93 g butter, 107 g sugar and the salt. Stir until melted, then carefully pour in the warm cream. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until you have a smooth, creamy caramel sauce with tender apple pieces. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool until warm rather than hot.

6. Shape the dough balls. Mix the 50 g sugar with the 5 g cinnamon in a small bowl. Divide the risen dough into pieces weighing approximately 25–30 g each and shape them into smooth balls. Lightly moisten each ball with water, then roll it in the cinnamon sugar.

7. Assemble the Monkey Bread. Grease a 26 cm ring pan thoroughly. Spread a layer of apple caramel over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the dough balls inside, spooning some of the caramel between them as you go. Finish by pouring the remaining caramel evenly over the top, distributing the apples throughout the cake rather than leaving them only at the bottom or on the surface.

8. Let it rise again. Cover the pan and leave to rise until the dough balls have expanded considerably and are almost doubled in volume. The exact time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen.

9. Bake. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F), conventional setting. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the bread is cooked through. If the surface becomes too dark before the centre is ready, cover it loosely with aluminium foil.

10. Turn out and serve. Leave the Monkey Bread to rest in the pan for about 20 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate. Do not wait until it has cooled completely, as the caramel may harden and make the cake difficult to release from the pan. Serve slightly warm.

Notes

• Choosing the apples: Firm apples that hold their shape during cooking work particularly well. A sweet-tart variety will balance the richness of the caramel.

• The secret is in the layers: Spreading caramel on the bottom, spooning it between the dough balls and pouring the remainder over the top ensures that the apple sauce reaches every part of the bread.

• Watch the second rise: The dough balls should look puffy and fill much of the pan, but they should still have room to expand in the oven.

• Serve it warm: The bread is at its best when the dough is soft and the apple caramel is still luscious. It makes a lovely autumn breakfast, afternoon treat or dessert to share.