Delicious Pull-Apart Dough Balls with a Sweet, Sticky Glaze
Making this delectable bread is a time commitment, but it's perfect for a leisurely weekend morning. Here's a trick: let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator. Just follow the recipe up to step 6, then punch it down and stick it in the fridge to finish rising. In the morning, roll the dough into balls, coat each one with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and nestle them all in a Bundt pan. Let them rise again, then bake until golden and glaze-y.
You'll need: A 12-cup Bundt pan and an instant-read thermometer for this recipe. Don't fret about the unique pan – it's a versatile piece of kitchen gear that can be used for more than just desserts.
Cooking Schedule: Best enjoyed the same day it's baked.
- Servings: 12
- Difficulty: Medium
- Time: 6 hrs 30 minutes
Recipe (14 Ingredients)
Dough:
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup + 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water (110°F to 115°F)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), room temperature
- Vegetable oil or cooking spray, for coating the bowl
Assembly:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), melted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Method
Dough:
- Heat milk in a small saucepan until it's warm. Remove from heat, add 1/2 cup sugar, stir until dissolved, and let cool.
- Combine water and yeast. Let sit until foamy.
- In a stand mixer, combine flour, salt, egg, egg yolk, butter, cooled milk-sugar mixture, and yeast. Mix on low until a wet dough forms.
- Increase speed to medium-high and mix until dough is smooth and elastic. Add remaining flour, mix until incorporated, then mix until dough is no longer sticky.
- Shape dough into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
Assembly:
- If dough rose overnight, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
- Roll dough into 64 balls, coat with butter, then sugar-cinnamon-nutmeg mixture. Place in a greased Bundt pan.
- Cover and let rise until pan is 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until golden.
Beyond Desserts: Don't limit your Bundt pan to sweet treats. Use it to make savory dishes like a cheese and herb focaccia, roasted vegetable terrine, or even a quiche lorraine. Go ahead and get creative!
- This delectable bread recipe, best enjoyed on a leisurely weekend morning, requires a 12-cup Bundt pan, perfect for versatile kitchen use beyond just desserts.
- The recipe, featuring 14 ingredients, is medium in difficulty and takes 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete.
- The dough, made from whole milk, sugar, warm water, yeast, flour, salt, eggs, and butter, is mixed in a stand mixer and left to rise until doubled.
- In the assembly stage, the dough is rolled into 64 balls, coated with melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then nestled in the Bundt pan to rise again before baking until golden.
- Don't forget to explore the possibilities of your Bundt pan and create savory dishes like a cheese and herb focaccia or a quiche lorraine, expanding your culinary horizons!
