Savory Dill Monkey Bread

Chef Chris Pandel:  At the ripe old age of 29, he has quite the impressive CV.   He’s worked under Rick Tramonto and Daniel Boulud, and is now the executive chef and co-owner of The Bristol, a Bucktown Chicago hotspot.  The Bristol serves local seasonally inspired rotating chalkboard menu items, but also has a standing menu of mainstays, one of which is his notoriously famous Monkey Bread. This is not the retro sticky sweet version made with biscuits from a can, but an amazing savory alternative served with a dill butter dipping sauce.  Chicago diners can’t stop raving about it.   Check out what these Yelpers have to say:

• Samantha: “I tried the monkey bread for the first time on this visit as well, and it was top notch”
• Sandy:  “the table was in love with the famous monkey bread”
• Lindsey:  “We started off the meal with the monkey bread, it was golden and delicious and the dill butter was amazing!”
• Cassie:  “We started with the monkey bread and I’m glad we did – yum!”
• Ed: “the monkey bread was my favorite..it was so soft and warm”
• Brian: “The monkey bread with the dill butter was amazing.”
• Brett:  “I don’t imagine ever finding myself tiring of that amazingly toasty, slightly salty and totally comforting monkey bread”

Chris Pandel from Chicago magazine on Vimeo.

Read on for the recipe:

Chris Pandel’s Monkey Bread with Dill, Butter, and Sea Salt
Yield: 8 mini loaves
Total prep time: 2 hours

Yeast Mixture
Proof time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons warm water (about 110-115 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar

Method
1. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small mixing bowl. Set aside for ten minutes to allow yeast to proof (bubbles will form at the surface).

Dough Preparation
Prep time: 10 minutes
Rise time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 ¼ cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh dill, torninto small pieces

Method
1. Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl. Set bowl on mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
2. With the mixer set on medium speed, slowly add the proofed yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, followed by the milk, egg, and melted butter. Add the dill.
3. Mix on medium speed just until the dough releases from the side of the bowl, about 6-to-8 minutes. Knead dough together lightly with your hands.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Allow dough to rise for 25-30 minutes.

Monkey Bread Loaves
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rise time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 12 minutes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh dill, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon sea salt

Method
1. After 30 minutes, punch dough down and roll into 56 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
2. Mix 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and dill together, roll balls in the mixture, and arrange in 8 lightly greased 4-ounce aluminum loaf pans (7 balls per pan).
3. Allow loaves to rise once more in a warm spot for 20 minutes.
4. Brush loaves again with melted butter, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 12 minutes, brushing twice throughout the baking with the remaining two tablespoons of melted butter.
5. Serve loaves hot out of the oven with a mixture of melted butter, fresh dill, and sea salt.