Ingredients for - Monkey bread

1. 200ml semi-skimmed milk
2. 85g unsalted butter
3. 2 large eggs
4. 550g strong white bread flour , plus extra for kneading if doing it by hand
5. 2½ tsp fast-action dried yeast
6. 50g golden caster sugar
7. oil , for greasing
8. 125g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing
9. 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
10. 1 tsp ground ginger
11. 1 tsp ground nutmeg
12. 225g light muscovado sugar
13. 140g pecans , toasted then roughly chopped
14. 100g icing sugar , sifted
15. ½ tsp vanilla extract
16. 1 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
17. pinch of ground cinnamon
18. 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted

How to cook deliciously - Monkey bread

1 . Stage

Start with the dough. Put the milk and butter into a medium pan and heat gently until the butter melts and the milk is at a simmer. Cool for a few mins, then beat in the eggs with a fork. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl with 1½ tsp fine salt, then add the liquid and stir to a sticky dough. Leave for 5 mins, then tip onto a floured worktop and knead for 5-10 mins until smooth and springy. Use a little oil to grease a large bowl, add the dough, turn it in the oil to coat, then cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Knead in a tabletop mixer with a dough hook if you prefer.

2 . Stage

To assemble, grease a 25cm bundt pan with butter. Melt the rest of the butter in a pan. In a medium bowl mix the spices and sugar plus a pinch of salt. Spoon 2 tbsp melted butter, 3 tbsp spiced sugar and 4 tbsp pecans into the bottom of the tin.

3 . Stage

Pull the dough into about 65 small pieces and roll into balls. Taking 4 or 5 at a time, dunk the dough balls into the melted butter, let the excess drain off, then tip them into the spiced sugar. Roll to coat, then put haphazardly into the tin. Repeat until there’s a full layer of dough in the tin. Scatter with the rest of the chopped nuts, then carry on filling the tin with the coated dough balls. Tip any leftover sugar and butter over the dough. Can be frozen now for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge then let prove.

4 . Stage

Cover the pan with oiled clingfilm then leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr, or until risen and the dough no longer springs back when you poke it.

5 . Stage

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the monkey bread for 35 mins, or until well risen and golden. Let the pan cool for 5 mins, then give it a sharp rap on the counter. Leave in the tin until just warm.

6 . Stage

Whisk all of the ingredients together to make the glaze. It will thicken as the melted butter cools. Turn the monkey bread onto a serving plate, then drizzle with the glaze. Let it set, if you can bear the wait.