Line a large cake tin with baking paper. I used a spring form tin which helped when removing the bread. The bread cooks better in a ring tin, so I made my own tin by adding a crockery dish to the centre of a regular circular sping form tin.
Combine the milk and yeast in a jug and allow to sit in a warm spot for 5 minutes.
Thermomix Dough
Add the flour, butter, vanilla, 1/2 the pecan nuts, sugar, egg and milk mixture to the TM bowl. Pour the milky yeast over into the TM bowl. 3min/knead
Bread Machine Dough
Add the flour, butter, half the pecan nuts, vanilla, sugar, egg and milk mixture to the TM bowl. Pour the milky yeast over into the ingredients. Set on dough cycle.
Hand Method Dough
Add the flour, half the pecan nuts and sugar to a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients (yeast milk, egg, butter and vanilla) to a jug and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre of the flour add the liquids slowly and incorporate until combined.
Once combined knead for 5 minutes until a shiny elastic dough forms.
Grease a large bowl with oil.
Add the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel. Place the dough in a warm place for one hour to proof. The dough should nearly double in size.
Meanwhile make the caramel sauce.
Thermomix Caramel
Add the ingredients to the TM. Make sure to avoid getting the sugar on the blades. 12min/100degrees/speed.
Pour the sauce into a heat proof jug.
Reserve
Stove Top Caramel
Add the sugar and cream to a saucepan over a low heat.
Stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Increase the heat and allow the sauce to simmer without stirring for 5 minutes.
Add the butter and stir to combine.
Remove from the heat.
Reserve
Cinnamon Sugar
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the dough has doubled in size knock it down and knead for one minute.
Divide the dough into golf ball sized rounds.
Coat each of the balls in the sugar mixture.
Place the dough on the cake tin one layer at a time.
Add pecan nuts and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce between the layers.
Reserve at least 1/2 the caramel sauce.
Bake the monkey bread for 55minutes.
When the bread is done remove it from the oven and pour half the remaining caramel sauce over the bread.