Lemon Pull Apart (Monkey) Bread (loosely adapted from bakerlady.wordpress.com)

Glazed Rolls, Just Out of the Oven

Glazed Roll, Ready to Eat

The bread dough ingredients are basic and simple. Here they are:

• 2 1/2 Cups Warm Milk (water can be substituted)
• 2 Tablespoons Yeast
• 2 Tablespoons  Sugar
• 1 teaspoon  Salt
• 3 Tablespoon Oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• Zest of 3 0r 4 medium lemons (depending on how lemony you like your rolls)
• 5 1/2 -6 Cups Flour (use approximately 4 cups all purpose flour and 2 cups self rising flour)

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Lemon Sugar Topping

• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 cup sugar

Lemon Glaze

·         2 cups powdered sugar

·         4 Tablespoons lemon juice (from zested lemons)

Prep – Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First:  Add yeast and then sprinkle the sugar over the 2 1/2 cups of milk.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Let it sit for about five to ten minutes until you see the yeast get all bubbly on top.
Next:  Stir in the salt, oil, sugar, lemon zest and flour.
Then:  Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and pulls away from the bowl

Then spray a bowl with baking spray and place your dough in it. Cover your bowl with a warm wet towel and let the dough sit in a warm room for about 15  minutes.
If you have a warming drawer in your oven, put your bowl in the warming drawer on the lowest setting. 

Making the Lemon Sugar Topping

Mix the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside.

Melt Butter

To make the Lemon Pull Apart (Monkey Bread):

Prepare a large bar pan baking stone  and line with parchment paper. 

Remove the dough from the warm room or warming drawer. 

Gently knead to get any air bubbles out. 

Shape dough into 1 – 2 inch balls and place close together on the baking pan.

Drizzle the rolls with the melted butter.

Sprinkle HALF of the lemon sugar mixture over the rolls.

Cover with a warm wet towel or use a showercap – like plastic cover and place back in the warm room or warming drawer for about 30 minutes.  Let double in size.

Sprinkle with remaining lemon sugar mixture on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 – 25 minutes (rotating pan after about 12 minutes).

Remove from pan.

Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over rolls while still warm.

Balls of Dough on Baking Bar Stone

Balls of Dough with Lemon Sugar

Balls of Dough after they Have Risen and Sprinkled with the Other Half of the Lemon Sugar

Right Out of the Oven

Glazed Right Out of the Oven

No Glaze, but Ready to Eat

Glazed and Ready to Eat