Sourdough Brown Butter Monkey Bread (9×13 Pan Recipe)

This sourdough brown butter monkey bread is a sweet, gooey, and tangy same day sourdough treat. It’s a large batch recipe made in a 9×13 baking pan—no bunt pan required!

Every bite is like the center of a cinnamon roll! With gooey cinnamon sugar, rich brown butter syrup, and fluffy sourdough bites, this recipe is a crowd favorite. You can make this same day or make ahead for a special breakfast the next day.

Most monkey bread recipes are made in bunt pans, but this recipe is made in a 9×13 baking pan. It’s a large batch recipe and feeds a crowd!

It’s simple enough for beginner sourdough bakers but has many elements that make this dish extra special.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my sourdough cinnamon roll focaccia! It’s my post popular recipe for a reason. You’ll also love my sourdough apple fritter focaccia, sourdough discard coffee cake, and sourdough coffee cake muffins.

Scroll down for the recipe card, followed by detailed step-by-step instructions (with photos). And a sample baking schedule.

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Sourdough Brown Butter Monkey Bread Recipe

Sourdough Brown Butter Monkey Bread

Annabelle

This sourdough brown butter monkey bread is gooey and sweetly spiced. Each bite is like the center of a cinnamon roll! With tangy sourdough and rich brown butter syrup, this recipe is crowd favorite. Make a large, same day batch of sourdough monkey bread in a 9×13 pan. No bunt pan required!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rise Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 24 servings

Calories 410 kcal

Ingredients

  

Sourdough Monkey Bread Dough

• 95 grams browned salted butter 1 stick (½ cup), see note about brown butter
• 300 grams active sourdough starter recently fed and bubbly, about 1¼ cups
• 50 grams white sugar about ¼ cup
• 6 grams salt 1 teaspoon
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 320 grams warm whole milk 1¼ cups
• 6 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• 740 grams unbleached all-purpose flour about 6 cups

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 210 grams white sugar 1 cup
• 14 grams ground cinnamon 2 Tablespoons
• 113 grams salted butter, melted 1 stick (½ cup), do not brown this

Syrup

• 95 grams browned salted butter 1 stick (½ cup), see note about brown butter
• 160 grams real maple syrup ½ cup
• 6 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

Vanilla Icing

• 190 grams powdered sugar 1½ cups
• 6 grams vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• 20-30 grams milk 4-6 teaspoons

Instructions

 

Sourdough Monkey Bread Dough

• Brown 1 stick of butter and allow to cool slightly. Add brown butter (95g / ½ cup), sourdough starter, sugar, salt, and room temperature eggs to a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix to combine.
How to Brown Butter – Dice cold butter into cubes and add to a cold small sauce pan. Do not add to hot pan or it will burn.
Turn on burner and melt butter over low-medium heat while continuously stirring. Do not leave the stove. Heat until butter is foamy and then continue to stir for about 5 minutes until foam starts to go down and you see golden flakes forming on the bottom. Pour the brown butter into a dish to cool. Do not leave in pan or it will burn.
• Warm milk to 98-100℉ (36-37.5℃). Add warm milk and vanilla extract to batter. Mix to combine.
• Add flour to bowl 1 large scoop or cup at a time while mixer is going. Continue to add flour a little at a time until a sticky dough forms.
• With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough in the mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes. This is a large batch monkey bread recipe and the dough will be very large. Watch your mixer to make sure it doesn't overheat or push the dough too high on the attachment.
Kneading Dough – If your mixer is getting too warm or the dough is pushing too high on the hook attachment, lower the mixer's speed or take a few small breaks. You can knead slower for a longer time and it will be just fine.
• Knead the dough until it form a smooth, slightly tacky ball. If dough is still not coming together after kneading, add flour a small spoonful at time while mixing until the desired consistency is reached.

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

• Leave the ball of dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp, warm towel.
• Place in a warm spot to rise for at least 4 hours. I like to use my oven with the oven light on to create a warm environment. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, the 1st rise could take 4-6 hours. The warmer it is, the quicker the rise.
• Check halfway through to make sure the towel is still damp and rewet if needed with warm water. This keeps the dough from drying out in a warm spot.

  Allow to rise until the dough has puffed up and doubled in size.

Shaping the Dough Balls

• Scrape out the risen dough and shape into a large ball on a clean surface. Divide into 4 equal smaller dough balls.
• Roll a smaller dough ball into a long log and using a bench scraper or your hands, pinch off small pieces of dough. Roll to form into balls. They do not need to be perfectly round.

  Repeat until the dough has been formed into many small balls.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• Grease a deep 9×13 glass baking pan. Melt 1 stick of butter (do not brown this one) in a bowl. In another bowl, combine white sugar and ground cinnamon.
• Dip each dough ball in the melted butter and roll it quickly in the cinnamon sugar. Do not allow it to sit in the cinnamon sugar bowl or the mixture will glob. Move quickly and lightly coat each dough ball and add to the greased pan.
• Space dough balls slightly apart on each layer. They will puff up and fill out the pan during the 2nd rise.

Second Rise (In Pan)

• Once all of the dough balls have been coated and added to the pan, cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place the pan in a warm spot and allow to rise for 1-2 hours until the dough balls are puffy.

Brown Butter Syrup

• Once the dough has risen for a 2nd time, preheat the oven to 350℉ (176℃) and make the syrup.
• Brown another stick of butter and mix it with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour syrup over the pan of dough slowly, really trying to coat each piece.

Bake

• Add pan to the top rack in the center of preheated oven. Place a large shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper on the rack below to catch any drips if the sugar/syrup bubbles over during baking.
• Bake for 30-34 minutes until very puffy and golden brown.

Vanilla Icing

• Allow monkey bread to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes until the syrup stops bubbling. Then using hot pads, carefully flip the monkey bread into a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. It should be at least 9.5×13.5 or 10×15 to allow enough room.
• Let the syrup run down and coat the entire monkey bread. While it's continuing to cool, make the icing.
• Mix together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a couple teaspoons of milk. Continue adding teaspoons of milk until you've reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over warm monkey bread and serve.

Notes

• Active Sourdough Starter – To make this same day sourdough monkey bread, your sourdough starter must be active and bubbly the morning you want to bake. Feed it generously the night before you bake and allow it to rise overnight. You will need a lot of starter for this recipe so feed your starter enough to make 300 grams. If your starter is small to begin with, you may need to feed it once in the morning the day before and again the night before you bake.
• Brown Butter – A stick of butter will yield about 93-95 grams of brown butter once it has been heated. Brown the entire stick of butter (113g) and a little moisture will evaporate, yielding the 95 grams needed for this recipe.
• No Brown Butter Option – If you don’t want to brown the butter, you can skip that step! You can simply melt the butter and use it in the recipe the same way.
• Warm Ingredients – Warming the milk and room temperature eggs will allow for the dough to be warmer and rise quicker.
• Kneading the Dough – This recipe makes a TON of monkey bread so the dough will be very large. Take care with your mixer to be able to handle kneading the dough. Go at a lower speed for longer if needed. Or turn out onto a clean, floured surface to knead by hand if necessary. 
• Glass 9×13 Baking Pan – You need a deep 9×13 baking pan for this recipe to hold the monkey bread and bubbling butter and syrups. Using too shallow of a pan will result in leakage during baking as the monkey bread rises.
• Take Care While Baking – Place a shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper (for easier cleanup) on the rack under the pan of monkey bread during baking to catch any drips. This is important and will save you frustration and possibly having to clean your oven later!
• Flipping the Monkey Bread – Don’t let the monkey bread cool for longer than 10-15 minutes in the baking pan. You want the syrup to still be runny and coat the entire monkey bread when you flip it over. Use a larger pan to hold the flipped monkey bread such as a 10×15 baking sheet with rimmed edges.

It’s hard to choose one stand-out star of this recipe. But the brown butter syrup is definitely a front runner.

This recipe isn’t going to win any health awards. So if you’re looking for a healthy monkey bread recipe, I’d say keep looking. Don’t leave me a comment saying how outrageous the amount of butter used in this recipe. It’s in the name! *wink*

But if you’re looking for a giant pan of soft, fluffy sourdough bread bites swimming in rich, gooey, buttery syrup, you’re in the right place. This recipe is for you!

Important Ingredients

Sourdough brown butter monkey bread uses pantry staples with a little extra wow. Take note for:

• Active sourdough starter – This recipe uses a large amount of active starter–300 grams. Feed your starter generously the night before and allow it to rise overnight. You will need a lot of starter for this recipe so feed your starter enough to make 300 grams. If your starter is small to begin with, you may need to feed it once in the morning the day before and again the night before you bake to make 300 grams of active and bubbly starter.
• Brown butter – Browning butter gives this sourdough monkey bread a richer, nutty flavor. If you don’t want to brown the butter, you can skip this step! You can simply melt the butter and use it in the recipe the same way.
• Whole milk – Using whole milk will make for fluffier dough. If you don’t have whole milk, you can substitute 2% milk.
• Maple syrup – Make sure you use real, 100% maple syrup for this recipe. It has the best flavor.
• Vanilla extract – Maybe I’m biased, but there is nothing like the flavor of homemade vanilla extract. I think it levels up any sweet treat recipe. Any kind of vanilla extract will do, but if you want to kick it up a notch, use homemade. I like this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card above.

Sample Same Day Sourdough Monkey Bread Baking Schedule

Follow this sample baking schedule to make a same-day bake easy!

The #1 KEY TIP to this same day recipe is using warmth to speed up the rise times. Use warm or room temp ingredients. Keep the dough in a warm place like an oven with the light on, by a warm stove, OR placed in an oven that has been preheated to 170℉ and then turned off and allowed to slightly cool with the door open before placing dough inside.

How to Make Sourdough Brown Butter Monkey Bread (Step by Step)

Night Before Baking: Feed your sourdough starter and let it rise overnight. Feed it enough to make 300 grams of bubbly and active starter the next day.

How to Brown Butter

Step 1: Dice cold butter into cubes and add to a cold small sauce pan. Do not add to hot pan or it will burn.

Step 2: Turn on burner and melt butter over low-medium heat while continuously stirring. Do not leave the stove.

Step 3: Heat until butter is foamy and then continue to stir for about 5 minutes until foam starts to go down and you see golden flakes forming on the bottom.

Step 4: Pour the brown butter into a dish to cool. Do not leave it in the pan or it will burn.

Here’s a great tutorial if you’re needing extra help making brown butter!

Mix Dough

Step 1: Brown 1 stick of butter and allow to cool slightly. Add brown butter (95g / ½ cup), sourdough starter, sugar, salt, and room temperature eggs to a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix to combine.

Step 2: Warm milk to 98-100℉ (36-37.5℃). Add warm milk and vanilla extract to batter. Mix to combine.

Step 3: Add flour to bowl 1 large scoop or cup at a time while mixer is going. Continue to add flour a little at a time until a sticky dough forms.

Step 4: With the dough hook attachment, knead the dough in the mixer on medium speed for 10-12 minutes. This is a large batch monkey bread recipe and the dough will be very large. Watch your mixer to make sure it doesn’t overheat or push the dough too high on the attachment.

Step 5: Knead the dough until it form a smooth, slightly tacky ball. If dough is still not coming together after kneading, add flour a small spoonful at time while mixing until the desired consistency is reached.

First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)

Step 1: Leave the ball of dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a damp, warm towel.

Step 2: Place in a warm spot to rise for at least 4 hours. I like to use my oven with the oven light on to create a warm environment. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, the 1st rise could take 4-6 hours. The warmer it is, the quicker the rise.

Step 3: Check halfway through to make sure the towel is still damp and rewet if needed with warm water. This keeps the dough from drying out in a warm spot.

Allow to rise until the dough has puffed up and doubled in size.

Shaping the Dough Balls

Step 1: Scrape out the risen dough and shape into a large ball on a clean surface. Divide into 4 equal smaller dough balls.

Step 2: Roll a smaller dough ball into a long log and using a bench scraper or your hands, pinch off small pieces of dough. Roll to form into balls. They do not need to be perfectly round.

Repeat until the dough has been formed into many small balls.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Step 1: Grease a deep 9×13 glass baking pan. Melt 1 stick of butter (do not brown this one) in a bowl. In another bowl, combine white sugar and ground cinnamon.

Step 2: Dip each dough ball in the melted butter and roll it quickly in the cinnamon sugar. Do not allow it to sit in the cinnamon sugar bowl or the mixture will glob. Move quickly and lightly coat each dough ball and add to the greased pan.

Step 3: Space dough balls slightly apart on each layer. They will puff up and fill out the pan during the 2nd rise.

Second Rise (In Pan)

Step 1: Once all of the dough balls have been coated and added to the pan, cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place the pan in a warm spot and allow to rise for 1-2 hours until the dough balls are puffy.

Brown Butter Syrup

Step 1: Once the dough has risen for a 2nd time, preheat the oven to 350℉ (176℃) and make the syrup.

Step 2: Brown another stick of butter and mix it with the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour syrup over the pan of dough slowly, really trying to coat each piece.

Bake

Step 1: Add pan to the top rack in the center of preheated oven. Place a large shallow baking pan lined with parchment paper on the rack below to catch any drips if the sugar/syrup bubbles over during baking.

Step 2: Bake for 30-34 minutes until very puffy and golden brown.

Vanilla Icing

Step 1: Allow monkey bread to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes until the syrup stops bubbling. Then using hot pads, carefully flip the monkey bread into a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. It should be at least 9.5×13.5 or 10×15 to allow enough room.

Step 2: Let the syrup run down and coat the entire monkey bread. While it’s continuing to cool, make the icing.

Step 3: Mix together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a couple teaspoons of milk. Continue adding teaspoons of milk until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Drizzle over warm monkey bread and serve.

How to Make Ahead

To make this sourdough monkey bread ahead, you have 2 options. They will each yield a different flavor so consider that before you choose.

Option 1: Bake and Reheat

To make ahead for the next day, you can simply follow the same day baking schedule as normal. Flip over the monkey into a clean, larger serving dish as directed and allow to fully cool. Make sure the dish is oven safe–this is important for reheating.

Allow it to fully cool and don’t add the icing. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store overnight at room temperature on the counter. The next day before serving, preheat your oven to 170–200°F (77-93°C), uncover monkey bread, and bake for 20-30 minutes until rewarmed. It doesn’t need to be bubbling, just warmed through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool while you make the icing. Drizzle icing over warm monkey bread and serve.

Option 2: Overnight in Fridge (Longer Fermentation)

This option will produce a stronger sour flavor in the dough because the dough is unbaked in the refrigerator overnight. So consider if you prefer a stronger sour/tangy flavor before trying this method.

For this option, make the monkey bread as directed until the pan is filled with cinnamon sugar coated dough balls. Do not set out for 2nd rise. Instead, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

The next day remove the pan from the fridge and allow to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours. This is the 2nd rise. It will take longer since the dough is cold from the fridge. Once dough balls are risen and puffy, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C)  and make the brown butter syrup as directed.

Pour the syrup over and bake for 30-34 minutes until very puffy and golden brown. Cool monkey bread in pan for 10-15 minutes and flip over into clean serving dish or 10×15 baking sheet. Mix and add icing. Serve warm.

How to Serve

Sourdough brown butter monkey bread is best served warm and gooey! We like to eat this alongside a glass of milk or cup of coffee. It’s perfect for a special holiday breakfast or brunch, weekend treat, or late night sanck.

You can rewarm the monkey bread at 170–200°F (77-93°C) for 20-30 minutes before serving for maximum gooey, pull-apart goodness.

How to Store

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up 3 days.

How to Freeze

To freeze sourdough monkey bread, allow it to cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then cover again with aluminum foil. Place in a plastic freezer storage bag and press out any air. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To reheat, you can:

1. Unwrap completely and place on a baking tray in a 350°F (176°C) oven for 12-18 minutes or until heated through. OR
2. Allow to thaw (still wrapped) on the counter and then reheat in the oven or microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sourdough brown butter monkey bread is a delicious and gooey pull-apart treat. It makes a large batch perfect for your next holiday gathering or weekend brunch. It’s a crowd favorite and I know it will be well-loved wherever you serve it!

Leave me a rating and comment letting me know how you enjoyed this recipe!