Herb Parmesan Monkey Bread

Ever since I was little, the only time we've have store bought bread was on two occasions; if we were on vacation or if my mom was out of town (even then, sometimes I made some though, so that's not entirely true). My point being, we've always had homemade bread in the Arquiette house, and we each have our favorites. From crusty Cuban or Portuguese sweet, to French Honey or even Crescent, they're all delicious, and one of the things I miss most about being away at school.

After further reading through my mom's bread books though, I began to look past the traditional bread loaves into the special rolls, bagels and even doughnuts you can make in our machine- crazy! I've been wanting to make sweet monkey bread for awhile, but when I saw an herb Parmesan variation I got the machine out right away, it looked fabulous, and tasted even better. At dinner the night I made it, my parents and I ate half the Bundt ring, yeah, it was that good. I'm thinking you're going to see many more posts about my wanderings with the recipes in our bread maker...

Herb Parmesan Monkey Bread

For dough:

1 1/8 cups water

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbs. fresh oregano

3 cups bread flour

2 tsp. rapid/quick yeast

For topping:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

After the dough has been completed, remove from the machine and place on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking. Grease a Bundt pan and place on a cookie sheet. Put the olive oil and cheese in two separate bowls to prepare for assembly.

Pinching off one inch sections at a time, roll the dough into tiny balls. Dip first in oil, then in the cheese and arrange in the Bundt pan. After shaping all of the dough in this way, drizzle the remaining cheese and oil over the top of the bread. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for one hour prior to baking. With about 20 minutes left of rising, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and your whole house smells wonderful.