Kuchnia

Lardy Cake Monkey Bread

500g white bread flour, plus more for kneading
2 tsp sugar
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200ml warm milk
10g fast-action dried yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
75g raisins
200ml strong black tea, hot
115g cream cheese
50g caster sugar, for coating

For the glaze:
65g icing sugar
115g cream cheese
2 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, combine bread flour, sugar, and butter. Use your hands to mix, until the mixture is the texture of breadcrumbs.

In a small jar, stir together the milk, yeast, and eggs. Pour three quarters of the liquid mixture on top of the dry ingredients and mix together. Add liquid, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Turn the mixture out onto a large, floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a clean mixing bowl covered with cling film. Set in a warm, dry place and let it rise for one hour.

Combine the raisins and the hot tea in a small bowl and let the mixture sit for 45 minutes, then drain the raisins.

When the dough has risen, divide it into 16 equal sized pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk about 8cm in diameter, and place a teaspoon of cream cheese and a teaspoon of raisins in the centre. Form the disk into a ball, with the sultanas and cream cheese in the centre. Roll each ball in caster sugar, to coat. Place stuffed balls of dough into a cast iron skillet or round baking dish and cover with cling film. Set in a warm, dry place and let it rise for one hour.

Bake in a 200C/180C fan oven/gas mark 6 for 45 to 50 minutes, until the bread is cooked through and golden on top.

While the bread cooks, make the glaze. Stir together icing sugar, cream cheese, and milk to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add more milk a tablespoon at a time. Drizzle it all over the monkey bread and tuck in!

Proper Tasty