Apple Caramel Monkey Bread

Directions

• Mix 4 lg egs, 1 envelope instant yeast, 4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/3 cup apple cider, 1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar and 1 Tablespoon vanilla in a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed shaggy, stiff, dough forms, about 4 minutes. With motor running, add 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted better, cut into pieces, room temperature, 1 piece at a time, mixing until almost completely incorporated after each addition before adding more, until all the butter has been added, about 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic, about 5 minutes. Dough should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl but might still stick to the bottom. Tightly cover bowl with the plastic wrap and let the dough sit at room temperature until puffy and almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, coat the pan with vegetable oil. Bring 3 cups of apple cider to a boil in a large Dutch oven and cook until reduced to a thin layer almost like syrup, 18-25 minutes.
• add 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to cider in pot and bring a boil, stirring until butter and sugar is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened slightly and bubbles are large, 2-3 minutes. Immediately, pour the caramel into prepared pan, set aside. Reserve pot, don’t wash out.
• Toss apple pieces, 1/3 cup apple cider, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon is reserved pot to combine. Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring often, until apples are fork tender and liquid is mostly evaporated, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Toss together remaining 1 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon in a medium bowl. Place 1 stick butter, melted in a bowl.
• Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly dusted surface with flour. Press the dough into 1 inch thick and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll in butter then in the cinnamon and sugar and stack around the pan and repeat with remaining dough balls and place apples around dough balls. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until dough balls are puffy and spring back gently back when gently pressed about 45 minutes.
• Just before the dough is ready, place a rack in the middle of the oven, preheat to 350.
• Place pan on rimmed baking sheet, remove plastic wrap, and bake monkey bread until golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted registers 190, about 45 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes, then run a knife around the bread and invert on a serving platter.