Monkey bread gets an update that makes the pull-apart loaf even better thanks to buttermilk, a little whole-wheat flour and a lighter hand with the sugar. The result is more tender and nuanced — and less sweet — than the versions many of us grew up with.

In this recipe from our cookbook “Milk Street Bakes,” browned butter infused with vanilla and warm spices coats the nuggets of dough before they’re rolled in sugar and piled into the pan.

We like the combination of cinnamon and nutmeg because they call to mind freshly fried doughnuts, but feel free to try other sweet spices, such as cardamom, allspice or cloves.

Assembly takes a little time but is well worth it. The recipe is designed so the dough can be made in advance, then shaped and baked the day of serving. However, if you want to

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