Soft, fluffy sourdough dough balls rolled in butter, coated in cinnamon sugar, layered in a bundt pan, and drenched in homemade caramel sauce—this sourdough monkey bread is the ultimate indulgence!

monkey bread on white platter with section missing but chunk in the missing part

With its pull-apart texture and rich, gooey sweetness, this recipe is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a fun dessert to share. The best part? This is a fantastic recipe for practicing dough proofing and shaping techniques—without the stress of perfect scoring or achieving the ideal oven spring of a traditional sourdough loaf!

If you’re looking for a fun and flavorful way to use your sourdough starter, this sourdough monkey bread is an absolute must-try! Sticky, soft, and dripping with homemade caramel sauce, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—whether you serve it for breakfast, dessert, or a special weekend treat.

white plate with fork and pile of sourdough monkey bread pieces

Why you’ll love this recipe

✔ A fun way to use sourdough starter – Adds depth of flavor to classic monkey bread.
✔ Soft, buttery, & irresistible – The perfect mix of tangy, sweet, and gooey caramel goodness.
✔ Beginner-friendly – A great way to practice fermentation, proofing, and shaping dough.
✔ Make-ahead option – Prep the dough the night before and bake fresh in the morning!
✔ Perfect for sharing – A crowd-pleasing pull-apart treat!

ingredients for sourdough monkey bread on marble counter with text overlay

How to make this recipe:

This recipe follows a simple process with plenty of hands-off time to let your dough develop flavor and rise. This is a brief overview of the process, for the full set of directions please scroll down to the recipe card below.

Step 1: Make the dough

Combine the ingredients for the dough in a large bowl.
Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.
Cover and let it rise for 3-4 hours until doubled in size.

Tip: The dough should be soft, elastic, and slightly puffy before moving to the next step.

Step 2: Shape & assemble

Grease a bundt pan thoroughly.
Mix together cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.
Divide the dough into small pieces (about golf ball-sized) and roll them into balls.
Dip each ball in melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Layer the dough balls in the bundt pan.

bowl of monkey bread dough after proofing

shaping dough into balls for monkey bread

Step 3: Proof the dough

Cover the pan and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours until slightly puffy.
Want to bake fresh in the morning? Refrigerate overnight and bring to room temp before baking.

Step 4: Make the caramel sauce

In a saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, and cream together until smooth.
Pour some of the warm caramel sauce evenly over the dough before baking.

Step 5: Bake

Preheat the oven.
Bake until golden brown.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
Drizzle with the remaining caramel sauce and serve warm!

Tip: Letting it cool slightly helps keep all that sticky caramel goodness on the bread instead of the pan!

spooning caramel sauce over proofed balls of dough for monkey bread

Baker’s Schedule

Timing is everything with sourdough, so here’s a general guide to help plan when to start:

✔ Mix & Knead Dough: ~10 minutes
✔ Bulk Fermentation: ~3-4 hours
✔ Shaping & Assembly: ~30 minutes
✔ Final Proofing: ~2-3 hours (or overnight in the fridge)
✔ Baking: ~30 minutes
✔ Cooling & Serving: ~15 minutes

Want to serve it fresh for breakfast? Prepare and shape the dough the night before, let it proof in the fridge, and bake fresh in the morning.

Storage & reheating tips

✔ At Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
✔ In the Fridge: Keeps fresh for up to 5 days—but warm it up before serving!
✔ Freezing: Freeze individual portions in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

How to reheat:

✔ Microwave: Heat individual pieces for 15-20 seconds.
✔ Oven: Reheat at 300°F for 10 minutes until warm and gooey.

overhead view of monkey bread on white platter

Sourdough is better when shared

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and rating below.

Love and links are always appreciated! If you’d like to share this recipe, please link to the post directly for the recipe, please do not copy and paste or screenshot. Thank you so much for supporting me. XOXO – Jenni

Sourdough Monkey Bread

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This soft, gooey sourdough monkey bread is the perfect sweet treat! Made with cinnamon-sugar dough balls, rich caramel sauce, and a slow fermentation for incredible flavor, it’s a fun and delicious way to use your sourdough starter.

Author: Jenni Ward – Sourdough Surprises
Prep Time: 6 hours 45 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Instructions

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, warm water, active sourdough starter, softened butter, granulated sugar and salt. Knead until a dough forms and becomes smooth and slightly tacky.
Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place or warm oven until it’s doubled in size, which will take about 3-4 hours, depending on ambient temperature and the activity level of your starter.
Grease a 10-inch bundt pan thoroughly with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
Mix the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Using a bench scraper, pizza cutter, or sharp knife, divide the dough into small pieces, each weighing around 30 grams, and form them into balls.
Dip each of the little dough balls into the melted butter, and then roll it in the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture until it’s fully coated.
Layer the coated small balls in the bundt pan.
Cover the pan and let the dough have its second rise in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until puffed and light.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a medium saucepan, add butter, sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Place it over medium heat and cook until the butter and sugar melt and bubble.
Add cinnamon powder and combine well.
Pour about 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce evenly over the risen dough balls in the bundt pan just before baking. This can vary depending on how much the dough rises. You should have about 1/4 cup left over for serving.
Bake the monkey bread in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert it onto a large serving plate or serving platter.
Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the monkey bread. Serve your delicious sourdough monkey bread warm and enjoy!

Sourdough Monkey Bread

Why you’ll love this recipe