Monkey Bread

Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things in the world... but they take a lot of effort. Monkey Bread is the lazy cook's cinnamon roll. This recipe uses dough made in the bread machine, but you can easily use a mixer with a dough hook or just do it up by hand.

Monkey Bread II

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove baking pan from machine. Place yeast, flour, ground cinnamon, salt, white sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and water in the order that is recommended for the bread maker. Make sure that no liquid comes in contact with the yeast. Select dough cycle and press start.
2. When dough is complete, place dough on floured surface and knead 10 to 12 times.
3. In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt one cup of butter, stir in brown sugar and raisins ( 1/4 cup of chopped nuts is good too!). Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Cut dough in one inch chunks. Drop one chunk at a time into the butter sugar mixture. Thoroughly coat dough pieces, then layer them loosely in a greased Bundt or tube pan, staggering layers so you're plopping each dough chunk over a space between two below. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until dough is just over the top of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till golden brown. Remove from oven, place a plate face down in top of the pan and, using oven mitts to hold plate on pan, turn over both until bread slides out onto plate. Serve warm...and enjoy.

I cut the sauce (margarine, brown sugar, raisins) in half, and I shouldn't have. It sounded like too much, but it would have been even ooier and goier with more caramel. This is actually my first try at monkey bread, and I think it's already my go-to "wow" recipe for a bake sale or office potluck.