Persimmon Monkey Bread

This is a catch-up post. I made this Christmas morning and forgot to post it...until now. Whoops.

I had never made monkey bread. I don't even really know what it is...but I figured it sounded like an easy thing to pop in the oven and bake while we all opened presents, chugged eggnog, and lounged around in our pajamas till we had to go to the larger Mateo family celebration in the afternoon. I tossed in some roasted, peeled chestnuts and used the last of my Hachiya persimmons from my friend Shiho to make ours a little bit more festive.

As I mentioned, I really had no idea what monkey bread was made from, so I made a cinnamon roll kind of dough.

1 T active yeast

2 t organic granulated sugar
pulp from 2 Hachiya persimmons

2 C white whole wheat flour

pinch salt
1 T olive oil

1/2 stick butter
2 C roasted, peeled chestnuts

3/4 C organic turbinado sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice

Combine yeast, 1/2 C warm water and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl. Stir gently and let stand till the yeast blooms, about 3 minutes. Stir in persimmon pulp, flour and salt until a sticky dough forms.

Knead dough on a floured surface for 4-5 minutes or until very elastic. Pour the olive oil into a mixing bowl and transfer dough to the bowl. Turn dough over to make sure the oil coats it completely. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel and place in a warm spot for 45-60 minutes. 

While dough rises, melt the butter and combine the turbinado sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Butter a bundt pan.

Once dough has risen, punch dough down. Tear off chunks of dough and roll them in melted butter. Then roll them in the sugar-spice mixture and place them in your buttered bundt pan.

Continue making dough balls and layering dough with chestnuts. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once you have everything assembled, whisk the remaining sugar and spice mixture into the melted butter and pour over the dough balls.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until edges have turned golden-brown. Let cool slightly, invert, and serve warm. 

Though this was a hit with my boys, I think I'll make Homemade Panettone for next year's Christmas morning.