Recipe: Basic monkey bread dough

Basic monkey bread dough Total time: 15 minutes plus rising time Note: Adapted from “The Best From Helen Corbitt’s Kitchens� by Helen Corbitt. 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active-dry yeast 1 cup lukewarm milk (no hotter than 125 degrees) Scant 3 1/3 cups (14 ounces) flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, drizzle the yeast over the warm milk, stirring to combine. Set aside for a few minutes to hydrate the yeast. 2. Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. 3. Using the paddle attachment with a stand mixer, or a hand-held mixer, beat the softened butter into the yeast mixture. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (as the dough thickens you may need to do this by hand). Continue to mix on medium speed until the dough appears sticky but becomes smooth to the touch when you roll a small piece into a ball, about 2 minutes. 5. Form the dough into a disc and transfer it to a lightly greased bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (time will vary depending on the temperature in the room).