Orange Bubble Bread

As you can imagine, with all this baking my palate is changing. What used to be considered fabulous is slowly becoming "good." I try a lot of recipes that are only "ok," which just isn't up to par, and don't post them.

So when I say this bubble bread (pluck-it, monkey bread, pull-bread, etc.) is OUTSTANDING, I want you to know I really, really mean it.
Yes, it takes a long time, like anything with yeast does, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. The mixing and first rise can be done in the bread machine, which I LOVE. It makes me feel like I'm doing less work, though it's not really that much less. Then it rests, you divide it into roll-size balls, dip in melted butter and roll in the perfectly simple combination of sugar and orange rind. Then you pile it all up in a tube or Bundt pan and let it rise again. When it cooks, the butter-orange-rind-sugar turns into sticky glazey perfection and it's JUST. SO. YUMMY.
But can you ever really have enough glaze? Another quick drizzle of powdered sugar and orange juice finishes the job. Seriously, these rolls are positively perfect. There's nothing else to say.
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons bread-machine yeast
1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup butter, melted
Cooking spray

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

1. Combine milk, butter, sugar, water and salt a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH for 3 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Follow manufacturer's instructions for placing milk mixture, flour, yeast, and egg into bread pan, and select the dough cycle; start bread machine. (OR mix the ingredients into a soft dough, place in greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.)

2. Remove dough from machine (do not bake). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead 30 seconds. Cover dough; let rest 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, shaping each into a ball (cover remaining dough to keep from drying). Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and rind. Dip each ball into 1/4 cup melted butter, and roll in sugar mixture. Place balls in bottom of a 10-inch tube pan (or Bundt pan) coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 350°.

5. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.

6. Remove bread from pan. Cool bread 15 minutes on wire rack.

7. Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle mixture over loaf, and serve warm.

Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2001