It's the weekend. It's cold outside. And I need a project.
I think I'll make sticky buns.
I have lots of recipes for sticky buns. This one's just the latest.
It's dripping in a sweet and sticky syrup featuring brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
It's pretty darn good, but then I don't think I've ever had a bad bun.
I'll give you the recipe first, then you can check out the step-by-steps.
Sticky Buns
For the dough:
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup cream
2 pkgs yeast
1/3 cup sugar
5 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
For the filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup crushed pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
For the syrup:
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 TB light corn syrup
1/4 cup heavy cream
Make the dough:
Rosie Note: Instead of 1 cup skim and 1/2 cup cream, you could use 1 1/2 cups whole milk. I just never have whole milk on hand so I substitute with what I do have, which is always skim and cream. I think the actual ratio for a cup of whole milk is 1 1/2 TB heavy cream and the balance skim. But I like to err on the side of fat. Don't think you can go wrong there.
Heat the milk/skimandcream to slightly warm (105° - 115°).
Pour 1/2 cup of the milk/cream into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and a little sugar over top. Let stand until the yeast "proofs." That means it "proves" it's alive by eating the sugar and getting all poofy and bubbly. If it doesn't, then your yeast is no good. Throw it out and use good yeast.
In a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Mix with dough hook until combined.
In another small bowl, whisk remaining 1 cup warm milk/cream with eggs. Add to dry ingredients, along with yeast mixture. Mix at medium speed about 2 minutes, until a soft dough forms. Add butter and continue beating until dough is smooth and elastic, about 4-5 minutes.
Rinse a large bowl with hot water, pour it out, then put dough in wet bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume. About 2 hours.
Make the filling:
Combine brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix well.
Make the syrup:
In a small sauce pan, combine butter, sugars, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Heat over low until butter is melted. Bring to a simmer and simmer, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Make the buns:
Turn the risen dough out onto a large well-floured surface and dust with more flour. Roll it out into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle, with long side towards you. Using an offset spatula, spread butter evenly onto dough, then sprinkle filling over dough. Roll up dough to form a 16-inch log, pressing seam to seal. Let rest about 10 minutes, then cut log into 16 equal slices.
Assemble:
Using 2 8x8-inch baking dishes, pour half the syrup into each dish. Arrange 8 buns, cut side up, in each dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake:
Heat oven to 350°. Bake buns until puffed and golden About 32 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, rotate the pans and cover with foil if needed. Let buns rest in pans on a rack for about 15 minutes, then invert onto platters.
Now, for the step-by-steps:
Sprinkle the yeast onto the warmed milk.
Yeast is hungry, so give it some sugar to munch on.
And wait...
Numyumnumyum.
It's ready.
In another small bowl, whisk together remaining warm milk and eggs.
Add egg mixture to dry ingredients.
Pour in yeast mixture.
Knead away until you get a nice ball like this.
Knead in butter.
Then place dough in the wet bowl.
Cover and let rise.
Back right - risen dough.
Back left - brown sugar, pecan, and cinnamon filling.
Front - makings of syrup mixture - butter, sugar, dark brown sugar, cream.
Turn out dough onto floured work surface.
Using additional flour and flipping the dough, as needed, roll it out into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle.
Dot surface with a stick of butter and then ...
schmear it out.
Sprinkle on the brown sugar/pecan/cinnamon mixture.
And now, you're ready to roll.
Start rolling lengthwise...
...and press the seam to seal.
My baking dishes are ready with the syrup.
Start slicing the log.
Into 16 pieces.
Tuck pieces into the baking dishes.
And let rise until doubled.
And bake.
Invert.
And here ya go.
Gooey, ooey goodness.
A Saturday well spent.
Enjoy!
