Apple Butter Cinnamon Pecan Sticky Buns Food

CINNAMON PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Place the flour, sugar and 1 tsp salt in a mixing bowl, then rub in the pieces of butter until the mix has the texture of breadcrumbs. Tip in the yeast and eggs. Pour in the milk and mix well until you get a soft dough (you may need to add a little more milk). Knead in a mixer with a dough hook for 7 mins or by hand for about 15 mins until the dough is smooth, soft and springy. Tip into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film or a clean tea towel, then leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
• Make the filling: place the cinnamon, sugar and pecans in a food processor, then whizz until the nuts are finely ground. Punch down the dough and knead to knock out the air, then split the dough in two. Roll and stretch each piece to form a 25 x 35cm rectangle.
• Melt the butter for the topping. Brush half all over each rectangle, then sprinkle half the filling mixture over each. Use a rolling pin to press the filling into the dough. Tightly roll each rectangle up from one of the long ends to get a thick log, then pinch the ends together to seal. Cut each log into 8 pieces. Can be frozen for up to 1 month.
• Brush two 20 x 30cm deep baking trays with melted butter. Mix the maple syrup and sugar into the remaining butter, then pour this over the bottom of each baking tray, swirling around so it is coated. Sprinkle with the pecans. Place the rolls on the tray, leaving a gap of at least 2cm around each roll. Cover with lightly oiled cling film, then keep in a warm place for about 30 mins until lightly risen.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Remove the cling film from the tray, then bake for 30 mins until the buns are lightly browned and feel firm. Serve warm, sticky-side-up.

PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Place the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Allow it to stand for about 3 minutes.
• Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the warm water and the yeast mixture and stir with your fingers to moisten the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself until it gathers into a shaggy mass.
• Move the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for 5 minutes. This is a soft, moist dough. If the dough seems too stiff and hard to knead, add extra warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a nice malleable dough. Gently shape the dough into a loose ball, cover it with plastic, and let it rest on the table for 20 minutes. (This rest period is the autolyse.)
• Gently knead the dough on the lightly floured surface for 1 to 2 more minutes, or until it becomes smooth, supple, and elastic but not too firm. The texture of the dough should be soft but springy. Shape the dough into a loose ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat the top with oil. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature (75 to 77 degrees F) until it has doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• While the dough is rising; in a small saucepan, heat the 9 tablespoons butter and the dark brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar is completely moistened (it won't be dissolved), then whisk until the mixture looks silky and a little lighter in color. Use 1 tablespoon softened butter to grease the sides of a 9-inch square pan, then pour in the caramel, tilting the pan slightly so the mixture spreads evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the toasted pecans over the warm caramel and press them down slightly. Put the pan in the refrigerator to cool the caramel; be the pan's on a level surface. Put the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Set aside.
• When the dough has doubled, gently pour it out of the bowl onto the floured work surface. Flatten the dough and stretch it with your fingers to form a 13 by 10-inch rectangle, with a longside facing you. Work gently so you don't tear the dough surface. The dough should stretch easily at this point, but if it resists, let it rest for 5 minutes and resume stretching. Check to be sure the dough isn't sticking to the work surface; flour the table again, if necessary.
• Spread 3 tablespoons of the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch strip unbuttered along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture generously and evenly over the butter, again leaving the top 1/2-inch of the rectangle bare. Starting with the bottom edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll fashion into a long log. If the dough sticks to the table as you're rolling, use a dough scraper to loosen it gently. Pinch gently but firmly along the seam to seal it. If necessary, gently shape the roll so it is a nice uniform log.
• Take the caramel-lined pan out of the refrigerator. Cut the log of dough into 9 equal pieces. (It's easiest to mark the roll first to show where you're going to make the cuts--a slight indentation with the knife edge will do--then use a sharp serrated knife to cut completely through the dough.) Lay the pieces cut side down on top of the caramel. Don't worry if it's a tight fit. Let rise, uncovered, at room temperature until the dough has almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The rolls should fill the pan and extend 1/2 to 3/4-inch above it. In the meantime, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the pan of sticky buns on a foil-lined baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, until the tops of the buns are golden brown and crusty. It's important to bake the buns long enough so the dough is cooked all the way through and the caramel topping develops properly. Set the pan of buns on a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then quickly but carefully turn the pan upside-down and release the sticky buns onto a large flat heatproof plate. Immediately scrape out any hot caramel remaining in the bottom of the pan and spread it on the tops of the buns, filling in any bare spots. Let them cool until just warm before serving. (Clean the pan by soaking it in very hot water to dissolve the caramel.) Store any leftovers covered in plastic wrap at room temperature.

APPLE BUTTER STICKY BUNS WITH PECANS AND CURRANTS

Steps:

• Lightly grease a large bowl and set it aside. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the yeast, and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add the milk mixture and egg, and mix the dough on low until almost combined, about 3 minutes. (You may need to help it along with a spatula at first.) Add the 6 tablespoons of butter all at once, and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, another 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour. It should still be very moist but the bottom of the bowl should be mostly clean. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it stand until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a full boil and looks foamy with large bubbles. Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the pecans and currants.
• Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar and cinnamon.
• When the dough has doubled, tip it out onto a very lightly floured surface. Knead it once or twice to expel the air, and then roll it with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 10-inch square. Spread the apple butter evenly over the surface and sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Tightly roll the dough, and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife or using a piece of floss, cut the roll crosswise into 8 pieces. Set them in the prepared pan, spirals facing upward.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let the rolls rest until the dough has almost doubled again, about 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake until deep golden brown and set, 28 to 32 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes and then carefully cut around the edge with a paring knife and invert the rolls onto a serving plate.