Ah, happy accidents. I knew I wanted to make savory monkeybread. Red and green chilies for the holiday season, perhaps a cornmeal dough to compliment the southwest flavors. The recipe I decided to adapt for the dough was for rolls, I knew there was going to be way more dough than I needed. I’ll make two, I thought. One for dinner tonight and the other for breakfast in the morning. Genius.
They really are a bit of work, not difficult, just messier than an ordinary roll. But all that work can be done the afternoon or evening before and so when it counts, when the guest are watching, the kitchen will be clean and the house will smell amazing, and oh so pretty and tastes great too!
The breakfast loaf can be pulled apart or sliced. The eggs give it bit more structure. The wreath, easily pulls apart, perfect for a crowd.
This recipe makes enough dough for both the Holiday Wreath Monkeybread and the Breakfast Green Chili and Sausage Monkeybread. After assembling you can refrigerate one or both, pulling one out in the morning for breakfast and the other in the afternoon for an amazing looking, and tasting, bread wreath for the holiday table.
for the dough
1 cup ww flour
4-41/2cups all purpose or bread flour
2 cups corn meal
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup roasted green chilies
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
Cheese coating for Holiday Wreath
5 cups shredded cheese divided. (I used a mixture of sharp white cheddar and pepper jack.)
1-3 tsps red chili powder
1/4-1/2 cup finely chopped or pureed cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp corn meal divided
Filling for Breakfast Monkeybread
whisk together
3/4 cup diced Linguica Sausage
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
one stick melted butter (For just one more layer of flavor I chopped up a couple of cloves of garlic and added that before I melted the butter in the microwave)
combine milk, cream, butter, and salt in medium sauce pan. Heat until butter is about half melted. Remove from heat, allow mixture to cool and butter to completely melt. Add corn meal, stir until smooth. cool to 110-115 degrees. I usually test with my finger, the perfect temp being noticeably warmer than my finger but not hot, because that’s how my Mom taught me to do it.
With beater attachment add milk/corn meal mixture to flour in bowl beat until well combined, scraping the sides if necessary. Add eggs, green chilis, and cilantro and beat until incorporated. Switch to the dough hook. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until mixture pulls away from sides of the bowl. coat with oil and allow to rise until doubled, about one hour.
While dough is rising prepare cheese mixtures. Divide cheese into two medium bowls. Toss both with corn meal to coat the cheese. Add chili powder to one and cilantro and cumin to the other. LIberally butter bunt pan and loaf pan.
On a floured surface degas the dough and rollout out until its about 1 1/2 inches thick, roughly cut into pieces of approximately the same size.
for the Holiday Wreath
Take approximately two thirds of the dough and roll the pieces in melted butter and then the cheese toppings. Arrange in bunt pan. (I ended up with two layers and used up all the cheese)
At this point either cover and refrigerate until ready to use (pulling out to get to room temperature about an hour before you bake) or allow to rise until about double in size (an hour or less) and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (30-35 minutes)
for the Breakfast Monkey Bread
I had run out of my cheese mixtures at this point so I skipped that step for the breakfast bread, simple rolling the remaining pieces in the melted butter. Pack the first layer slightly tighter and midway through pour about half the eggs and sausage mixture in topping it with some shredded cheese. Arrange remaining pieces in the loaf pan and top with the remaining egg and sausage and a little more cheese. Cover and refrigerate over night taking out about an hour before you bake. Bake at 350 degrees until deeply golden and center seems well set (about 35-40 minutes)
This looks so tempting! Nice to go with a bowl of steaming hot bean soup!
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year:-)
Thanks.Happy New Year to you too!