Combine flour, sugar, salt, instant yeast and 1 1/2 tsp of apple pie spice in the bowl if the stand up mixing bowl and whisk it together.
Heat up milk, water, and butter in the small sauce pot over medium heat until it reaches 110°.
Fit the dough hook attachment to the mixer and start mixing on stir. Slowly pour in the warm milk mixture into the bowl.
Keep slowly mixing until the dough comes together completely. Stop and scrape the dough hook and the sides when needed.
Sprinkle a large mixing bowl lightly with flour and transfer the dough into it. Cover it with plastic wrap and a clean towel and place into the warm place to raise for about an hour. Note: the ideal temperature for the dough to rise is around 78° degrees. That is warmer than I like to keep my house so I usually find or create a warm place. I turn on the oven and place the bowl with the dough near it, that way it stays in the warmer ambient temperature.
Apple Pie Topping:
Peel and core the apples and then dice them into small pieces.
Melt butter in a sauce pot over medium heat and add diced apples, sugar, and apple pie spice. Gently mix everything until apples are evenly coated and mixed.
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with a lid and let apple cook for about 15-20 minutes, until completely softened. Remember to stir once in a while. (NOTE: to get a lot of nice juices out of apples, make sure to cook them covered with a lid.)
Take the lid off and gently simmer another 5 minutes or so. Take off heat. Separate the apples from the syrup by straining it though the fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup. Note: separate half of the apple sauce to pour over the monkey bread later. You will use the other half to dip the dough.
Preparing the Monkey Bread:
Rub all over the inside of the Bundt cake pan with softened butter.
In a small bowl, mix together light brown sugar and 1/2 tsp apple pie spice to dip the dough balls into.
Once the dough is beautifully raised, punch it and take it out of the bowl, onto a lightly floured surface.
Have the apples, half of the apple sauce, brown sugar mixture, and prepared Bundt cake pan all near the work station.
Spread about a third of the cooked apples in the bottom of the Bundt pan.
Pinch off even pieces of dough, enough to roll the balls that are about 1-inch in size.
Dip the dough balls in the apple sauce and then lightly roll them in brown sugar mixture. Place into the prepared Bundt cake. Repeat with half the dough, make sure to create one even layer in the pan.
Spread another third of the apples over the dough balls. Reheat rolling the dough balls, and dipping them in sauce and sugar, and spread them in another layer in the pan. Spread remaining apples over the top.
Cover the Bundt pan with plastic wrap and then with a towel and set it aside in a warm place to raise. Let it rise for another 45-60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Once the dough is raised in the pan, place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Note: If you're not sure when your bread is done, use an instant digital read thermometer to measure internal temperature in the center. Bake the breads to internal temperature of 190°.
Once the bread is done, take it out and set aside to rest about 10-15 minutes before taking out.
Finishing Monkey Bread:
Place a serving place over the Bundt pan and turn it over. Tap gently on the pan to loosen the bread and carefully lift the pan.
Pour the remaining apple sauce over the Monkey bread and serve.
Video
Notes
Can I use biscuit dough? While homemade dough will always be best, we all have those days when we just want to open a can of biscuits and bake! To make this recipe, use 2-16.5oz. cans of Grands buttermilk biscuits (not the flaky biscuits). No need for the raising of the dough.