AFFOGATO MONKEY BREAD

Monkey bread sounds fun and it certainly is. It’s balls of pillowy white bread dough dipped in syrup and coated in sugar, then baked as a whole. It’s like a very rough and ready tear- and- share loaf. My version, laced with coffee syrup, is inspired by the classic Italian ice cream and coffee dessert, affogato. Serves 8-10 130g (4½oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 400g (14oz) strong white bread flour 5g ( 1/8oz) sea salt flakes 7g (¼oz) fast-action or instant yeast 180g (6¼oz) light brown muscovado sugar 150ml (¼pt) strong black coffee 1ltr (1¾pt) vanilla ice cream Grease a 23cm (9in) ring or savarin mould (try Lakeland), or a 900g (2lb) loaf tin, with butter. Put the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and toss to combine. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. Add 270ml (9½fl oz) water and 50g (1¾oz) of the butter. Bring the ingredients together to form a scraggy mass, then knead vigorously in the mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or with your hands for a good 10 minutes until elastic and smooth. Bring the dough into a rough ball, then cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside at room temperature to prove until the dough has doubled in size – this will take between 45 minutes and 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Place the remaining 80g (2¾oz) butter in a saucepan with 80g (2¾oz) of the sugar and the coffee. Stir, then bring to a boil and stir continuously for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool a little. Put the remaining 100g (3½oz) sugar into a bowl. When the dough has risen, remove the clingfilm and gently slap the dough a couple of times to deflate it. Divide it into about 30-35 walnutsized nuggets. Roll each one into a rough ball and dunk it in the coffee syrup, then the sugar.

Pile the dough balls in the prepared tin, then pour over 2tbsp of the syrup, reserving the rest. Allow the dough to rise again until it comes up to just below the rim of the tin (about 30-60 minutes). Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Once the dough has risen, bake it in the oven for 35-40 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven, turn out the loaf on to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Boil the remaining syrup in the pan until it’s thick like honey. Put the monkey bread onto a serving plate and pile the ice cream into the hole in the centre, or on the side if you used a loaf tin. Drizzle the syrup over the top, then serve. Allow the eaters to tear off chunks of bread and scoop up lashings of ice cream. Perfect Plates In 5 Ingredients by John Whaite is published by Kyle Books, £18.99. To order a copy for £14.24 (25% discount), call 0844 571 0640 or visit www. mailbookshop.co.uk. P&P free on orders over £12. Offer valid until 24 September.