Honeynut Squash Miso Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

Bread Dough

• 500g Bread Flour
• 115g Unsalted Butter
• 150g Eggs (approx. 3 large eggs)
• 60g Honey
• 150g Whole Milk
• 7g Active Dry Yeast
• 6g Kosher Salt
• 30g Shared Cultures Honeynut Squash Miso
  

Egg Wash

• 1 Large egg
• 50g Whole milk

Filling

• 100g Brown Sugar
• 100g Shared Cultures Honeynut Squash Miso
• 100g Burnt Cinnamon Brown Butter (recipe below)
• 4g Powdered Ginger
• 10g Powdered Cardamom
• 4g Ground caraway

Burnt Cinnamon Brown Butter

• 130g Unsalted butter
• 4 Cinnamon sticks

Optional Glaze

• Simple syrup for glazing after baking

Method:

1. Prepare the Burnt Cinnamon Brown Butter & Filling

1. Burn the outside of all four of the cinnamon sticks over an open gas flame or with a kitchen torch, avoiding turning them completely white. Lightly crush them using the bottom of a pan.
2. In a small saucepan, melt 130g of butter over medium heat until bubbling. Add the cinnamon sticks. Cook until the milk solids turn golden brown and nutty, then remove from the heat. Immediately strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the honeynut squash miso, 100g of cooled room-temperature burnt cinnamon brown butter, brown sugar, ginger, cardamom, and ground caraway until a smooth paste forms.

2. Make and Proof the Dough

1. Warm the whole milk to 110°F (43°C). Whisk in the honey and active dry yeast. Set aside for about 10 minutes until frothy and active.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the bread flour, salt, honeynut squash miso, and eggs.
3. Pour in the activated yeast mixture. Knead on medium-low speed for 6–8 minutes until the dough becomes stiff and forms a smooth, tight ball.
4. Add half of the butter (approx. 57g) to the dough and continue kneading until incorporated.
5. Add the remaining half of the butter and knead until fully incorporated and smooth. The dough will look wet and greasy initially before becoming silky and elastic.
6. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm area for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

3. Assemble, Proof, and Bake

1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into an 8x12-inch rectangle. Avoid rolling too thin so the layers bake evenly without turning doughy.
2. Spread the filling evenly across the dough, leaving a 1-centimeter border along the edges.
3. Using a bench scraper or pizza cutter, slice the dough into approximately 20 equal squares.
4. Tilt your loaf pan vertically onto its short end. Layer the dough squares loosely into the pan with the filling side facing up without forcing them.
5. Return the loaf pan to its flat position. Set aside in a warm spot for about 1 hour to rise until nearly doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
7. Whisk together 1 large egg and 50g of milk. Gently brush the top of the risen loaf with the egg wash using a pastry brush.
8. Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden brown on top and the loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped on the sides.
9. Transfer the loaf pan to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
10. Remove the bread from the pan, cool for an additional 30 minutes, and brush with optional simple syrup before serving.