I have no idea why it's called this...

Today for Easter dinner, I made Monkey Bread. It was good but I think I added too much whole wheat flour. It was rather dry. Basically, Monkey Bread is a type of bread that you pull apart. It ends up being an interesting shape because of all the little pieces that you squish together to be able to pull it apart. I normally use an Angel Food cake pan to make it. I don't know where the recipe came from originally but I used the recipe my mom added as part of the cookbook she made for all her kids. The recipe is as follows:

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 pkg yeast (1 tbsp.)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter *
• 1/4 cup sugar**
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour (approximately)***

* You'll notice that sugar is on there twice, but it's for two different parts of the recipe.

** I used salted butter and it turned out okay.

*** I tend to substitute to put in at least one cup of whole wheat flour in the place of one of the cups of all purpose flour.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve I tsp. sugar in water, sprinkle yeast over and let stand for 10 minutes or until frothy. Meanwhile, heat milk with 1/2 cup butter, stirring until melted; cool until lukewarm.
2. To dissolved yeast, add cooled mixture, 1/4 cup sugar, salt and eggs. Stir in 3 cups flour, beat well. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in large greased bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Punch down dough and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut in 2 inch squares. Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter; cool to lukewarm. Dip squares of dough in butter (letting excess dip off) and arrange in layers in buttered 10-inch tube pan (pan should be half full). Cover an let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).
4. Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. If bread starts to brown too much, cover loosely with foil. Turn out on rack and let cool at least twenty minutes before serving. Makes about 50 pull apart rolls. Use pan with not removable bottom so butter doesn't leak out.

Note: Don't pour excess butter over top when you are done dipping the dough unless you don't care if the bread falls apart after removing it from the pan.