Sticky Buns

Makes 15 rolls

These are rich, nutty, and caramelly and probably loaded with calories (but some things you would rather not know!).  My mother and I came up with this recipe after several tries with recipes that had too little cinnamon, or syrup, or pecans.  These are perfect!  Prepare the rolls the night before, let set in the refrigerator over night, then give them the final rise and bake in the morning.  Yum!!!

Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast     7 grams ⅓ cup lukewarm water (100°F)  [38°C]     85 ml               ½ cup butter 4 ounces 112 grams ¾  cup milk, scalded 12 fl ounces 190 ml 1½ cups bread flour  (strong) 6 ounces 168 grams 1 tsp salt     5 ml 2 Tbs sugar (caster)     30 ml               2 large eggs         ½ cup sugar 3½ ounces 100 grams 2½ cups flour (plain)      (may use up to 3½ cups) 10-15 ounces 285-400 grams

Filling:

¼ cup soft butter 2 ounces 55 grams ¾  cup brown sugar (demerara) 5 ounces 145 grams 1 Tbs cinnamon     15 ml ¾ cup pecans, finely chopped 3 ounces 85 grams

Topping:

¾  cup brown sugar (demerara) 5 ounces 145 grams ½ cup butter 4 ounces 115 grams 2 Tbs honey      30 ml 1½ cups pecans (halves or coarse pieces) 6 ounces 170 grams

Add yeast to water and stir until dissolved.
Add butter to the scaled milk and cool to lukewarm.  Add the yeast mixture.
Add the 1 ½ cups flour, salt & 2 Tbs sugar.  Beat until smooth.
Cover and let stand until spongy & bubbly.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
Add ½ cup sugar, then beat in the remaining flour.
Knead in processor for 2 minutes, or with mixer & kneading hook for 5 minutes, or by hand for 10 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and elastic, though quite soft.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour in a warm place (75-80°F) [24°C-27°C]

Punch dough down; turn out on floured board and let stand for five minutes.
Meanwhile mix topping by blending sugar, butter and honey in a glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until hot & starting to bubble.

Grease the sides of a  9"x13" [23 cm x 33 cm] pan and distribute pecans over the bottom.
Pour the warm syrup evenly over the pecans (see option, below).

Mix the Filling ingredients together in a small bowl until crumbly and set aside.

Roll out dough to about 12"x15" [30.5 cm x 38 cm].
Distribute filling evenly over the dough.
Roll widthwise to make a 15" [38 cm] long roll.  Seal the length of the roll using a bit of water.
Cut the roll into 15 one-inch [2.5 cm] slices.
Place each slice cut side up in the pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight, if desired.  Or continue with the second rise immediately.

Let rise, covered, for about 45 minutes to one hour, until doubled in bulk (if refrigerated, this may take longer).
Bake at 350°F [175°C] for 35 minutes.  They should be nicely browned.
Remove from oven and turn out of pan immediately, letting the syrup pour over the buns.  Scrape out any remaining syrup and nuts over the buns.
Serve while warm.

If made ahead of time, separate each bun and place on a small saucer. Place a pat of butter on top, then place in microwave and heat until the butter melts (about 30 seconds to 1 minute. These freeze well if packaged singly or in pairs so you can defrost just what you need.

Option:

Sometimes I find the very center of the pan doesn’t cook as well as the outer edges, I believe this is because of the of syrup on the bottom. One option is to cook the topping separately: 

Place the nuts in the bottom of the pan as indicated, but DO NOT add the sugar, butter and honey mixture. Instead, place the rolls in the pan, let rise and bake as indicated. When the buns are about half done, begin cooking the sugar, butter and honey for the topping in a pan on top of the stove. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is fully dissolved and the syrup forms a loose ball when a few drops are dropped into a glass of cold water (if it gets too hard, add some water). Leave the syrup in the pan but off the heat until the buns are done.

When the buns are done, remove from the oven and invert onto a platter. Pour the syrup evenly over the pecans and buns. Let it run down the sides as well.

This option works particularly well in Germany and other European countries where soft brown sugar is not available. The brown sugar crystals available will not completely melt when baked in the bottom of the pan and the result is a bit crunchy.

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