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Overnight Lemon Monkey Bread

Overnight Lemon Monkey Bread
This sweet bread is a lemon lover’s dream. Every little bite of this luscious lemon bread is coated in a sweet tart lemon sugar. It’s baked until crispy & caramelized on the outside, and sticky & gooey on the inside, then drizzled with a tart lemon glaze.
Yield 8 servings
1

Reviews

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Red Star Active Dry Yeast

Lemon sugar coating

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • Finely grated lemon zest from 4 large lemons
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Lemon glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • In microwave safe bowl, heat milk, sugar, salt and butter to 120° to 130°F. Stir to dissolve sugar.
  • Mix 2 cups flour and yeast in stand mixer fitted with a beater blade. Turn machine to low and 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. 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.
  • Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan generously with non stick cooking spray.
  • Make lemon sugar coating: Mix sugar and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside for the sugar coating.
  • Punch down the dough and pat into an 8-inch square on a flour surface. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces. (I used a pizza cutter.) With floured hands, roll each dough piece into a ball.
  • Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in lemon sugar mixture, then layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering the dough balls to build layers.
  • Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.
  • 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. (It will rise a little in the refrigerator overnight.)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and begins to bubble 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: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over the top and sides of the bread. Serve warm. (Tip: Put the glaze in a zipper bag and snip off the corner to drizzle glaze on top.)

Notes

Recipe by Barbara Bakes.

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Review & Comments

Doris | Reply

Does it have to be an overnight bread, or could you do it real time in one fell swoop?

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Doris- After covering the pan in step 8, you can let the dough balls rise for about 1 hour in a warm (room temperature) environment. Then proceed with step 10.
Happy baking!

Ronnie | Reply

Can you substitute orange for the LEMON MONKEY BREAD ?
Thank you

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Ronnie – Yes, that sounds delicious! You may also like to try this recipe: https://redstaryeast.com/recipes/orange-almond-bubble-loaf/
Happy baking!

Chris | Reply

5 stars
I would LOVE to see complete nutrition information with each recipe. LOVE RED STAR YEAST. I have used it for 60 years!

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Chris,
Wow, we are so honored to be your go-to yeast of choice! Thank you for your loyalty!
Happy baking!
Carol

Susan M-T | Reply

Really a great Sunday morning breakfast treat.

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