Buttery Bundt Bread

While flipping through our homeschooled grandchildren's "cooking textbook" - Mel's Kitchen Cafe Cookbook, I noticed a recipe for Buttery Pull Apart Bundt Bread that looked really good. I was told they had already tried it, and it was really good. When we had friends over for dinner with kids similar ages, it was the perfect excuse for me to try it myself. Everyone agreed; these are delicious rolls, and pretty easy to make. I imagine any dinner roll recipe could be used, that the technique is what makes them unique, but here's my adaptation of Mel's recipe.

Buttery Bundt Bread

• 1 cup warm water
• 4 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour (up to 1/2 whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup melted butter, divided

Dissolve the yeast in the water with a bit of the sugar. Add remaining sugar, oil and egg. Stir in 2 cups of flour and the salt. Let set for a bit until bubbly, optional. Stir in more flour and knead until smooth. Let rest on the counter for 10 to 60 minutes. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 24 roughly equal squares.

Pour 2/3 of the butter into the bottom of a bundt pan and swirl to coat the sides. Take one square of dough, dip both sides in the butter and leave in the pan. Repeat with remaining squares, leaning them up against each other. Rearrange as necessary to fit the last ones. Cover and let rise for an hour. Pour remaining butter over top.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread for about 20 minutes. Leave in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto serving plate. Serve warm, with jam if desired.