Scratch Monkey Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Karo corn syrup
water, as needed
5 T butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
2 ounces fresh yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup warm water
bloomed yeast
1 egg
4 ounces (1 stick) butter
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Preparing the caramel sauce:
In a small heavy gauge sauce pot, combine sugar and Karo syrup, stir in water until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Cook, without stirring, over medium heat until mixture is amber in color.

Once desired color is achieved, remove from heat and whisk in butter (until completely melted), then warm heavy cream and vanilla.

Be careful when adding cream as steam and bubbles will rise. Cool and serve.

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Preparing the cinnamon sugar:
Mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside for later use.

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Preparing the dough:
Mix yeast, water and honey for 10 minutes until foamy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Knead all ingredients in mixer with a dough hook until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.

Remove dough and knead on a floured counter until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (adding some all purpose flour if needed). Let the dough rise in warm spot until doubled in size, punch down and rise again for another 30 minutes.

Cut out 1-ounce pieces and roll into ball shape. Brush pan with melted butter and lightly coat pan with cinnamon sugar, place dough balls in Bundt pan. Begin to stack dough balls on top of each other until the bottom of the pan is covered, brush each layer with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar, repeat layers (2-3 layers high).

Fill the Bundt pan about halfway with dough, place in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F, rotating every 10 minutes. Monkey Bread will double in size once baked. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes, turn Bundt pan over onto a plate, spoon caramel sauce over and serve.