If you've been praying for a doughy, sticky and gooey gluten-free monkey bread (pull-apart bread), this recipe will be the answer to those prayers. Take special notice of the flour I used. Having the right flour blend will ensure your monkey bread tastes incredible every time. This recipe can easily be made dairy free as well.
In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, empty the entire bag of the Sweet Dough Mix and remove the three yeast packets. Empty the contents of the yeast packets into the flour and whisk everything together.
Combine milk, melted (but not hot) butter, and lightly beaten eggs in a small bowl and mix to combine.
Set your standing mixer to low and slowly add wet ingredients into dry ingredients before turning up the mixer to medium high for five minutes. The dough will be slightly sticky and smooth.
Grease a clean bowl and then place the mound of dough inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm, draft-free area to rise for about two hours. Immediately chill the risen dough for another two hours, or overnight, so it stiffens and will be easier to work with.
Add flour to your work surface, then knead the dough into a smooth ball, adding about 1/2 cup of extra flour or more, as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky and much easier to work with.
Monkey Bread:
Grease a large bundt pan with cooking spray. If you don't have a bundt pan, you can use two 9x5" loaf pans. Set it aside.
In a bowl or zip-top bag, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix or shake to combine and set aside.
Cut dough ball into quarters so it's easier to work with. Take one quarter of the dough and roll it into a long snake. Then cut dough into about 1-1.5" pieces. Roll each piece into balls, then coat each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture before placing each ball into the bundt pan. Repeat until all the dough is formed into balls, coated with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and added to the bundt pan.
Cover bundt pan with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise for another 1-2 hours in a warm, draft-free space.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup melted butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar. Mix it together to form a caramel topping. Once dough has had its second rise, pour the brown sugar-butter mixture on top of the dough so it's fully coated.
Bake the monkey bread in a 350º F preheated oven for about 33-36 minutes until the top pieces of the dough are golden brown. Don't worry if some of the tops get a little more browned. The gooey caramel will coat and soften those pieces once you invert the pan.
Remove bundt from oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add a round, heatproof serving plate to top of the bundt, then carefully flip the bundt over onto the plate, allowing the gooey caramel to drape over the dough. Serve warm.
Notes
Flour Matters: You must use Hand + Heart Gluten-Free Sweet Dough Mix (formerly Lorraine's Gluten-Free). This dough already has the sugar incorporated in it, and to be honest, I've tried making gluten-free monkey bread with other flours and it just doesn't taste good. I've been at this for a long time and know this to be true after many lackluster monkey bread attempts. I would never steer you in the wrong direction and want you to have the best monkey bread possible. You can order it online on the Hand + Heart website.Dairy Free Option: This monkey bread can absolutely be made with dairy-free milk and butter. I recommend using almond, cashew or soy milk, along with Earth Balance vegan butter.No Bundt, No Problem: If you don't have a bundt pan, you can use two 9x5" loaf pans instead.Make Ahead: Make the dough a day or two in advance and leave it in your fridge until you're ready to make your monkey bread.Storing Leftovers: Cover monkey bread with plastic wrap and store in your fridge. You can microwave it for a few seconds when you're ready to eat it, but it will even taste good cold.