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monkey bread made up of sourdough starter placed on a plate

Sourdough Monkey Bread

Meenakshi
If you’ve been looking for a way to use your sourdough starter beyond bread loaves, this Sourdough Monkey Bread is pure magic. Soft, fluffy, and coated in buttery cinnamon sugar, it’s a sweet pull-apart bread made entirely with natural fermentation—no commercial yeast, just your bubbly sourdough starter doing all the work.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting time 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 25 minutes
Course Bread, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 10
Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for dough

  • 350 g All purpose flour (about 2¾ cups)
  • 220 g Whole milk (about ¾ cup + 2 tbsp)
  • 70 g active sourdough starter (⅓ cup)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for coating the dough pieces

  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Ingredients For brown sugar sauce

  • 1 stick butter (113 g)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar

Instructions
 

Make Bread Dough

  • Kneading with Hands:
    * In a large bowl, mix active sourdough starter, whole milk, sugar, and vanilla.
    * Gradually add flour mixed with salt. Combine using a dough whisk or your hands. Dough will be sticky—avoid adding extra flour.
    *Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes (autolyse).
    * Knead by pushing dough away with the heel of your hand, folding it back, and turning 90°.
    * Repeat for 8–10 minutes until dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky.
    *Use a lightly floured surface or damp hands if needed.
    * Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl for bulk fermentation.
  • Kneading with a Stand Mixer
    * In a stand mixer bowl, combine starter, milk, vanilla, and sugar. Add flour and salt.
    * Mix on low speed with dough hook until just combined.
    * Cover and rest for 20–30 minutes (autolyse).
    * Knead on medium-low (speed 2) for 5–7 minutes. Scrape down sides as needed.
    * Dough should pull away from the bowl and pass the windowpane test.
    * Transfer to a greased bowl for bulk fermentation.

Bulk Ferment

  • Cover and let dough ferment at room temperature (22–24°C / 72–75°F) for 6–8 hours.
  • Dough should double in size and feel airy. Cooler kitchens may need more time.

Shape the Dough Balls

  • Gently deflate dough on a clean surface and roll it out thickly.
  • Divide into small, bite-sized pieces using a bench scraper.
  • Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Roll each dough piece in the mixture until well coated.

Assemble the Monkey Bread

  • Grease a bundt pan or tall cake tin.
  • Layer the cinnamon-sugar dough balls evenly to create pockets for pull-apart texture.

Prepare the Brown Sugar Sauce

  • Melt butter in a saucepan and turn off the heat.
  • Add brown sugar and stir until glossy and pourable.
  • Let cool slightly—should be warm but not hot.
  • Pour over dough balls in pan and gently shake to settle.

Final Proof

  • Cover pan loosely and proof at room temperature for 2–3 hours.
  • Dough should puff up and spring back slowly when touched.

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Bake for 35–38 minutes until golden brown and caramel is bubbling.
  • Tent with foil if top browns too fast.
  • Cool and Serve
  • Cool in pan for 10–15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
  • Serve warm for the best gooey, pull-apart texture.

Notes

  • Dry Monkey Bread? It’s likely been in the oven a bit too long. For the best gooey texture, start checking it during the last 10 minutes of baking. The caramel should be bubbling, and the top should be golden—not overly dark.
  • Make It Dairy-Free by swapping whole milk with oat, almond, or soy milk. Use unsalted plant-based butter in place of regular butter. These alternatives keep the bread soft and flavorful while making it suitable for dairy-free diets.
  •  Add a Flavor Twist by replacing the cinnamon sugar coating with a blend of cardamom, brown sugar, and orange zest. Want extra texture? A handful of chopped nuts or raisins can be folded into the dough—just don’t go overboard, or the bread may become too dense.
  • Under or Over-Proofing? If your monkey bread feels dense or heavy, it likely needed more time to rise. If it bakes up flat or collapses after rising, it may have proofed too long. Watch the dough and not just the clock.
  • Speed Things Up by adding ¼ teaspoon of instant yeast to the dough if your kitchen is on the cooler side or if you need a more predictable rise time. It won’t overpower the sourdough flavor but can help give the dough a gentle boost.
  • Use a Strong Starter—this is key. Since enriched dough (with butter, sugar, and milk) rises more slowly, make sure your starter is active and bubbly. If the dough hasn’t noticeably risen after 4–6 hours, move it to a warmer spot (75–78°F / 24–26°C) or give it more time. Fermentation always depends on your kitchen temperature and starter strength.

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 53.03gProtein: 7.23gFat: 10.71gSodium: 207mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 3.2gSugar: 22.65gVitamin A: 317IUCalcium: 55mg
Keyword egg free monkey bread, monkey bread, monkey bread with sourdough starter, no yeast sourdough monkey bread, sourdough monkey bread
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