Potato flake sourdough monkey bread is a soft, sticky, sweet pull-apart bread made with an active sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. This recipe combines the complex flavor from the wild yeast fermentation with a rich caramel cinnamon sugar coating that makes it irresistible. Whether you’re baking for a holiday morning or a weekend treat, this sourdough monkey bread recipe is sure to impress.
A Sweet, Sticky Favorite Made Even Better with Sourdough
Monkey bread was a childhood favorite—always warm, sticky, and fun to pull apart piece by piece. We made it with canned biscuit dough. There’s just something special about those gooey layers of cinnamon and sugar that makes such a delicious treat.
Now that I’m making it for my own family, I use our go-to potato flake sourdough cinnamon roll dough as the base. We already love the fluffy texture of these cinnamon rolls, so it felt like the perfect place to start. And once I added a buttery cinnamon sugar coating and poured over a smooth caramel sauce—it was clear we had a new favorite.
Making this potato flake sourdough monkey bread is a little time consuming, but so worth it. You’ll divide the dough into small pieces, dip them in melted butter, roll them through a simple cinnamon sugar mixture, and layer them into a greased bundt pan. With homemade caramel sauce from top to bottom, covering each of the pieces of dough. Once it’s baked, the whole thing is flipped onto a serving plate to reveal a golden, bubbling, pull-apart masterpiece.
It’s like having bite-sized sourdough cinnamon rolls all baked into one beautiful dish.
Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Monkey Bread Recipe
Sticky, buttery perfection – Served warm from the oven, this monkey bread is soft, sticky, and just the right amount of sweet. The caramel sauce and cinnamon sugar mixture soak into each bite, making it impossible to stop at just one piece.
Great for planning ahead – You can mix up the dough the day before and let it ferment overnight, then simply shape and assemble it the next morning. After a brief rise, it’s ready to bake just in time for brunch.
Naturally supports easier digestion – This recipe uses a long-fermented, homemade dough with an active sourdough starter, which supports easier digestion and can help reduce gluten content. Using a wild leavening agent like potato flake sourdough starter also increases the nutritional availability of the grains and gives the bread a rich depth of flavor that only comes from potato flake sourdough.
This post may contain affiliate links through amazon, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. When you make a purchase through my link, you help me to keep Little Tennessee Home up and running! Thank you for your support! See my full disclosure here.
Tools You’ll Need
Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl and sturdy wooden spoon)
Large mixing bowl
Plastic wrap
Saucepan
Bundt pan (or loaf pans for smaller versions)
Bench scraper or sharp knife
Shallow dish for melted butter
Small bowl for cinnamon sugar mixture
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup active potato flake starter
- 3 cups bread flour (about 432 grams)
- 1/4 cup sugar (about 50 grams)
- 3/4 cup water (about 178 grams)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (about 57 grams)
- 1/2 tablespoon salt (about 3-4 grams)
Coating:
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Caramel Topping Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough Monkey Bread
Make the Dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the active sourdough starter, bread flour, sugar, warm water, salt, and melted coconut oil. Mix until the dough forms a rough ball, then knead on medium-high for about 5 minutes. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Remove and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in a greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place for the first rise—about 8-12 hours, or until doubled in size. This bulk fermentation process is essential to developing flavor in this sourdough recipe and getting the rise you need for a fluffy pull apart product.
Prepare the Caramel Topping
In a small saucepan, melt butter and whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Pour half of the mixture into a greased bundt pan and set aside the rest to top the dough later.
Shape the Dough Balls
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough until you have 32-40 small pieces. A bench scraper or sharp knife makes this easy. (Each ball should weigh about 20 grams; the total dough weight is approx. 838 grams.)
Shape each piece into a tight ball by pulling the edges inward and pinching them together.
Coat the Dough Balls
In a shallow dish, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.
Roll each dough ball in melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and layer them into the prepared bundt pan. Pour the remaining caramel topping over the top.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for a second rise of about 2 hours, or until puffy.
Bake the Monkey Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. At around the 20-minute mark, tent loosely with foil to prevent over-browning to the exposed dough.
The monkey bread should be golden and bubbly. You can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature—look for around 190°F.
Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Note: some of the caramel may run off and pool; if you prefer a cleaner presentation, allow the bread to cool longer in the pan. You can also cut the caramel ingredients in half and have less caramel sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is best served warm. Perfect for Christmas morning, Sunday brunch, or dessert.
Try serving:
- On a cute cake stand for a beautiful presentation
- Warm with coffee for a cozy breakfast treat.
- Top with a drizzle of icing or vanilla ice cream for dessert.
- Pair with fruit like fresh strawberries or sliced bananas for brunch.
- Slice ahead and serve in small pull-apart portions so guests can easily grab a bite.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.To reheat, microwave individual slices for about 15-20 seconds. If storing longer, refrigerate and warm in the oven at 300°F for 8-10 minutes.
FAQs
Can I use sourdough discard instead of active starter?
You can, but it won’t rise as well on its own. It will take much longer for it to rise.
Can I make this in a loaf pan?
Yes! Just watch the cooking time closely—it may vary.
What’s the best way to know if my starter is ready?
Look for bubbles and I like to use about 24 hours after feeding. A new starter may take longer to mature.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Yes, but bread flour gives better structure, using all purpose may result in a different texture dough.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Non-dairy milk can be swapped for cream in the caramel topping.
- Add-ins: Raisins, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts
- Swap coconut oil for butter if preferred.
More Potato Flake Sourdough Recipes to Try
If you love this recipe, explore other ways to use your potato flake sourdough starter:
- Potato Flake Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Multigrain Potato Flake Sourdough Bread
For more ideas, check out the collection of potato flake sourdough recipes and tips for maintaining your own starter!
Benefits of Using a Potato Flake Starter to Make This Monkey Bread
Choosing a potato flake sourdough starter for your monkey bread isn’t just about flavor—it’s also a smarter choice for your overall wellness and digestion. Sourdough fermentation, even when used in a sweet treat like this, helps break down gluten and phytic acid during the first rise. This natural process can make the finished product easier to digest and gentler on your stomach compared to traditional yeast bread made with instant yeast or active dry yeast.
The use of a wild yeast starter—like this one that’s fed with potato flakes—also means you’re avoiding the additives and preservatives found in store-bought breads. Instead, you’re working with a living, natural leavening agent that supports easier digestion and produces bread with a more stable blood sugar impact. While this monkey bread is certainly a treat, you can feel good knowing it’s made with a real potato flake starter. And because the dough is allowed to ferment for a longer amount of time—typically 8–12 hours during bulk fermentation—you get better texture, more complex structure, and improved nutritional availability.
Using a potato flake starter is also ideal if you’re trying to avoid commercial yeast, or if you’re maintaining your own starter and looking for a new fun way to use it. It’s a great fit for bakers who want to explore the world of homemade sourdough bread or just skip store-bought shortcuts for something more wholesome and rewarding. Whether you’re baking for a holiday breakfast or trying this for the first time, using a potato flake starter transforms a classic pull-apart bread into something that’s not only delicious but leaves out all of the additives and preservatives.
Pin for later and share with a friend:
This sourdough monkey bread recipe is a perfect variation to homemade sourdough bread and a fun project for beginners or seasoned bakers alike. With clear steps, common tools, and flexible ingredients, you’ll find that this sweet, sticky loaf is well worth the wait.
If you give this recipe a try, I would greatly appreciate if you came back and gave it a 5-star review! It helps me out so much!
I also love seeing all of the delicious creations you make! Share your photo over on instagram or facebook and give me a tag @littletennesseehome
Potato Flake Sourdough Monkey Bread
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl and sturdy wooden spoon)
- Large mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Saucepan
- Bundt pan (or loaf pans for smaller versions)
- Bench scraper or sharp knife
- Shallow dish for melted butter
- Small bowl for cinnamon sugar mixture
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup active potato flake starter
- 3 cups bread flour about 432 grams
- 1/4 cup sugar about 50 grams
- 3/4 cup water about 178 grams
- 1/4 cup coconut oil about 57 grams
- 1/2 tablespoon salt about 3-4 grams
Coating:
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Caramel Topping Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the active sourdough starter, bread flour, sugar, warm water, salt, and melted coconut oil. Mix until the dough forms a rough ball, then knead on medium-high for about 5 minutes. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Remove and shape the dough into a ball. Place it in a greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place for the first rise—about 8-12 hours, or until doubled in size.
- After double in size, prepare the caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, melt butter and whisk in the brown sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Pour half of the mixture into a greased bundt pan and set aside the rest to top the dough later.
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough until you have 32-40 small pieces. A bench scraper or sharp knife makes this easy. (Each ball should weigh about 20 grams; the total dough weight is approx. 838 grams.)
- Shape each piece into a tight ball by pulling the edges inward and pinching them together.
- In a shallow dish, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter. In a separate bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll each dough ball in melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture, and layer them into the prepared bundt pan. Pour the remaining caramel topping over the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for a second rise of about 2 hours, or until puffy.
- After puffy, preheat oven to 350 F.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. At around the 20-minute mark, tent loosely with foil to prevent over-browning to the exposed dough.
- The monkey bread should be golden and bubbly. You can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature—look for around 190°F.
- Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Note: some of the caramel may run off and pool; if you prefer a cleaner presentation, allow the bread to cool longer in the pan. You can also cut the caramel ingredients in half and have less caramel sauce.
Leave a Reply