Monkeying Around Bread
By delegating the labor-intensive dough cycle to the quiet efficiency of a kitchen breadmaker, we preserve our energy for the artistic pleasure of rolling, buttering, and coating every sweet ball of honey-sweetened dough. As the individual dough spheres bake within the fluted Bundt pan, the moisture from the heavy cream and orange juice creates an insulated steam chamber that caramelizes the sugars into a thin, delicate crust. The result is a premium yet effortless breakfast centerpiece that speaks of slow-paced hospitality and the joyous anticipation of Sunday mornings.
These bite-sized pillows of sugared dough pull apart and pop right into your mouth, making this warm loaf a Sunday bundle of laughs.
Monkeying Around Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup orange juice, room temperature
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted, ½ stick, divided
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Place the milk, orange juice, honey and 2 tablespoons melted butter into the pan of a bread machine. Add the all-purpose and pastry flours and salt. Place the yeast into the yeast compartment or make a well in the flour depending on your machine. Set the machine on the dough cycle and follow the instructions for your machine.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a Bundt® pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk together the sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir the heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter together in another bowl.
- Turn out the dough onto your work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a log. Cut each log into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball into the cream and then into the sugar. Layer the balls into the bottom of the Bundt® pan.
- Pour any left over milk and sugar over the top of the balls. Bake until the loaf is golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert a platter on top of the Bundt® pan. Carefully turn both upside down, remove the pan and dive in!
A pull out pantry drawer or pop-up shelf in an island cabinet, is the perfect place to store your bread machine. The easier it is to grab, the more you will use it; and nothing, but nothing is better than home baked goodies. The best bread machines are large capacity, or a 2-pound breadmaker. If you are on a budget, take a look at one of the smaller machines. Another Gotta Have Gadget for baking days a good Bundt® pan. I use mine to shape coffee cakes and pound cakes into a distinctive ring shape.
My favorite is the traditional, nonstick Bundt® cake pan. Go for a lighter weight pan, if you are on a budget.
World's Best Cooking Tools To cut dough into even pieces, I use a pastry scraper. It cuts cleanly and is also great for scraping up scraps from your work surface. My favorite is the stainless steel version. An alternative is a scraper with a ruler for precise cuts. If you don't have a scraper, use a knife for cutting and a metal spatula for scraping.
The Heart of the Table
Before the grandfather clock strikes ten, the sweet, buttery aroma of caramelized cinnamon pulls guests toward the kitchen like a warm embrace. There is a sticky-fingered magic in watching hands reach in to tear away sugar-crusted pillows of dough, turning the sharing of bread into a lively symphony of Sunday morning laughter.
The Art of the Host
- a footed heirloom silver cake pedestal to elevate the caramelized Bundt ring above the tabletop
- a hand-blown glass cloche (dome cover) to capture the hot cinnamon-sugar steam
- vintage sterling silver sugar tongs for a refined, elegant tableside touch
- oatmeal-toned washed linen napkins (completely bare and plain, with strictly no kitchen twine, no strings, and no bows)
- a heavy, hand-thrown ceramic pitcher finished with a matte cream glaze
- individual hand-hammered copper bread plates that catch crumbs in rustic style
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Layout your tabletop with a hand-woven linen table runner in a soft moss green or warm oatmeal shade running down the center of a rustic, reclaimed white oak table. In the center, place the footed silver cake pedestal hosting the golden, caramelized Bundt loaf, covered immediately upon unmolding with a tall, clear glass cloche. This dome traps the rising cinnamon-honey steam, creating a soft, misty condensation that previews the warmth inside. Once all eight guests are seated, lift the glass dome to release a fragrant cloud of spiced steam, then use a small sterling silver flour duster to dust the crown of the bread with a fresh flurry of cinnamon-sugar, letting the fine crystals cascade down the caramelized ridges in front of their eyes.
- THE POUR: To complement the rich caramelization and bright orange juice notes of the bread, serve a choice of two warm beverages. The first option is a spiced hot apple cider, simmered for hours with star anise, cloves, and fresh orange wheels, which echoes the citrus in the dough. The second option is a robust, hand-brewed masala chai tea, prepared with whole black peppercorns, cardamom pods, and a splash of heavy cream to match the bread's buttery profile. Both drinks are served piping hot in heavy, hand-thrown earthenware mugs that feel substantial in the hand, each garnished with a long Ceylon cinnamon stick that serves as a rustic stirrer. The earthiness of the clay vessels grounds the sweetness of the breakfast, creating a balanced and comforting sensory harmony.
- THE VIBE: Set the mood by dimming the dining room lights to a warm, candlelit glow, letting the flickering flames from beeswax tapers cast soft shadows across the table. In the background, curate a playlist featuring the acoustic warmth of Norah Jones, the nostalgic piano melodies of Vince Guaraldi, and the soft jazz rhythms of Stan Getz, kept at a volume that encourages intimate conversations and gentle laughter. The physical atmosphere is enriched by the scent of cinnamon-honey steam wafting through the house, mingling with the natural woodsy aroma of the fireplace. With a party of eight snugly gathered around the table, the space feels like a sanctuary of comfort and welcoming grace.