Sourdough Monkey Bread (Soft, Fluffy Brioche Recipe!)
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If you love the center of a cinnamon roll, this sourdough brioche monkey bread is going to make all your dreams come true! Each bite is soft, sweetened with cinnamon and brown sugar, and the bread is naturally fermented thanks to it being 100% sourdough! Top with a simple vanilla icing for a fun, sweet treat.
This sourdough brioche dough has been such a lovely base for so many of my naturally leavened sourdough desserts–it’s a clear winner! And this recipe is so simple to make and such a fun one!
If you’ve never made it, I’ll walk you through all the steps, which are truly a breeze. This recipe is mostly hands-off after a 7-minute knead in the stand mixer.
This pull-apart monkey bread is a great one to share with a crowd. It will be devoured in no time if you’re anything like our family!
Interested in more sourdough brioche recipes? Check these out!
- sourdough brioche burger buns
- sourdough brioche cinnamon rolls
- sourdough chocolate babka
- sourdough glazed donuts
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – you’ll need to make sure that your sourdough starter is active, bubbly, and ready to make dough with!
- Whole milk – any milk will work if you don’t have whole milk. It just adds higher fat content which makes the dough so soft and velvety. The milk should preferably be warm, but if you’re making it the night before, you can use cold milk to slow down the fermentation process.
- All-purpose flour – unbleached, good-quality flour is best here. You can also use bread flour.
- Eggs – room temperature eggs are preferred, but if you want to make this dough the night ahead of time (in a colder kitchen environment), cold eggs are great.
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Butter – I always use salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, add an additonal 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dough.
- Ground cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- Powdered sugar – this, along with milk and vanilla extract, will make the icing. This is optional, but it makes it taste like cinnamon rolls. So soft, and so good!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Add the sourdough starter, warm milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time while mixing.
Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature for 6–10 hours, or until risen about 30–50%.
Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Grease a 10-inch bundt pan. Cut the chilled dough into small pieces.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in one bowl. Add the melted butter to a separate bowl.
Dip each piece in melted butter, then coat in cinnamon sugar.
Arrange the coated dough evenly in the prepared bundt pan.
Cover and let rise for 1–4 hours, or until visibly puffy. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Melt the brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan until mostly dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the syrup evenly over the dough.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth.
Drizzle the icing over the monkey bread and serve warm.
Helpful Tips
- Let the monkey bread cool for about 10 minutes before inverting to help it hold its shape while still staying gooey and warm.
- Use an active, bubbly sourdough starter for the best rise and flavor.
- Avoid adding extra flour to the dough — brioche dough is naturally soft and slightly sticky.
- Chill the dough overnight to make shaping and handling much easier.
- Grease the bundt pan very well so the monkey bread releases cleanly after baking.
- If you find the monkey bread is cooking too fast on top, place aluminum foil over it while baking.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap or bowl cover
- Small bowls for dipping and coating
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- 10-inch bundt pan
- Cooling rack
- Serving plate or cake stand
Storage Instructions
Store leftover sourdough monkey bread tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm individual portions in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving for the best texture.
Freezing Instructions
Sourdough monkey bread freezes well both glazed or unglazed. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil or place in a freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for several hours. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10–15 minutes or warm individual slices in the microwave before serving.
Sourdough Monkey Bread
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Brioche Dough
- 150 g active sourdough starter 2/3 cup
- 122 g warm whole milk 100–110°F (1/2 cup)
- 390 g all-purpose flour 2 3/4 cups
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 g salt 1/4 teaspoon
- 53 g granulated sugar 1/4 cup
- 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
- 113 g salted butter softened (8 tablespoons)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 113 g salted butter melted (1/2 cup)
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 8 g ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon
Brown Sugar Butter Syrup
- 220 g packed brown sugar 1 cup
- 113 g salted butter 1/2 cup
- 5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
Vanilla Icing
- 60 g powdered sugar 1/2 cup
- 2 g vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon
- 15 g milk 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Add the sourdough starter, warm milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Mix on low to medium speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- With the mixer running, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed between additions.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for 7–10 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook.
- Note: Brioche dough is naturally very soft and sticky. Avoid adding extra flour, even if the dough feels wet.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature for 6–10 hours, or until the dough has risen about 30–50%. Timing will vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Once bulk fermentation is complete, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Shape the Monkey Bread
- Grease a 10-inch bundt pan thoroughly and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Place the melted butter in a separate bowl.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide it into sections, then cut each section into small dough pieces.
- Dip each dough piece into the melted butter, then coat generously in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Arrange the coated dough pieces evenly in the prepared bundt pan.
- Cover the pan and let the dough rise for 1–4 hours, or until visibly puffy and slightly expanded.
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the Syrup
- Add the brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook until the butter is melted and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the syrup evenly over the dough in the bundt pan.
Bake
- Bake the monkey bread for 30–35 minutes, or until deeply golden brown and cooked through.
- Allow the monkey bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a serving plate.
Make the Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
- Drizzle the icing over the slightly cooled monkey bread before serving.
