Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F. You’ll need a 12-count standard size muffin tin for this recipe.

In a mixing bowl, mix yeast and warm milk with a hand mixer or electric mixer. Add half of the sugar, the salt and half of the melted butter into the mixture. Mix until well blended. Stir in the flour (I like to do this by hand) to form a soft dough. Transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let dough sit in a a warm place until it rises and almost doubles in size.

After dough has risen, move it onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and sugar to cover the entire surface of the dough.

Place remaining half of the melted butter in a shallow bowl for dipping.

Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares using a sharp knife. Take 3-4 pieces of dough at a time and squeeze them into a tightly misshaped ball. Dip the dough ball in the butter and place it buttered side down into the muffin tin.

Sprinkle a few pieces of apples onto the dough and press them into the dough. Once muffin tins are full, place in a warm spot to let the dough rise again for 30-45 minutes.

Sprinkle tops of rolls with a pinch of the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm.