Flours Sticky Sticky Buns Food

FLOUR'S STICKY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• To make the brioche dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 cup cold water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all of the ingredients have come together. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.
• On low speed, add 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (or 2 3/4 sticks) of the butter, cut into small pieces, one piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Then, continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all of the butter to be mixed thoroughly into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.
• Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat for another 15 minutes, or until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually will turn smooth and silky. Then, turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it: it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in one piece.
• Place the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. At this point, you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• To make one loaf into plain brioche: Divide the dough in half. Reserve one half for the Sticky Stick Buns. Line the bottom and sides of s 9 by 5 inch loaf pans with parchment, or butter the pan liberally. Press one piece of dough into about a 9-inch square. The dough will feel like cold, clammy Play-Doh. Facing the square, fold down the top one-third toward you, and then fold up the bottom one-third, as if folding a letter. Press to join these layers. Turn the folded dough over and place it, seam-side down in one of the prepared pans.
• Cover the loaf lightly with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to proof for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the loaves have nearly doubled in size. They should have risen to the rim of the pan and be rounded on top. When you poke at the dough, it should feel soft, pillowy and light, as if it's filled with air - because it is! At this point, the texture of the loaves always reminds me a bit of touching a water balloon. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg until blended. Gently brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top and sides of the loaf are completely golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan and continue to cool on the rack.
• The bread can be stored tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days (if it is older than 3 days, try toasting int) or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• To make the goo: In a medium saucepan, melt 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1 1/2 cup brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, 1/3 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 2 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.).
• To make the rolls: On a floured work surface, roll out the second piece of dough into a rectangle about 16 by 12 inches and 1/4 inch thick. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and should be fairly easy to roll. Position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the cinnamon, and half of the pecans. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. Starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. Even off the ends by trimming about 1/4 inch from each one.
• Use a bench scraper or a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. (At this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. When ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.).
• Pour the goo into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. Place the buns, a cut side down and evenly spaced, 2-by-4 inches, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to proof for about 2 hours, or until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. One at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.
• The buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325-degree-F oven for 6 to 8 minutes before serving.

JOANNE CHANG'S STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• (Brioche):.
• In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.
• Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick.
• Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche.
• Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick.
• For the Goo: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water.
• Spread the Goo on the bottom of a 1/4 sheet pan (so you have enough room to proof & spread out) and place buns evenly spaced in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.

JOANNE CHANG'S STICKY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• To make the dough, combine the flours, yeast, granulated sugar, salt, 1/4 cup cold water, and the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Beat on low speed until all the ingredients come together, about 4 minutes, stopping the mixer as needed to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 4 minutes. The dough will be stiff and will seem quite dry.
• With the mixer on low speed, begin to add the butter one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Once all the butter has been added, continue to mix on low speed, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until all the butter is incorporated into the dough, about 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, about 10 minutes. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If the dough seems wet and more like a batter than a dough, add additional all-purpose flour, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until it comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently for a few moments. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 or up to 12 hours.
• To make the goo, 30 minutes before you are ready to roll out your dough, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, 1/3 cup water, and the salt until smooth. Pour the goo into a 9×13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the surface and let cool slightly (about 20 minutes) before adding the buns.
• To make the filling, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator (it will be the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh) and transfer it to a floured surface. Roll it out into a 12×16-inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the surface. Starting from a short side, roll up the rectangle tightly like a jelly roll. Trim about 1/4 inch from each end to even them.
• Use a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the buns, evenly spaced, cut side up, on top of the goo in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until almost tripled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the buns are golden brown and the goo is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the dish cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then invert the buns, one at a time, onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the dish over the top.

CHEF JOHN'S STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Combine warm water and milk in a mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, egg, and melted butter for dough to the yeast mixture. Mix with a whisk before adding 75% of the flour with the salt. Mix, adding more flour, until a very soft and sticky dough is formed. Let knead in the mixer for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously butter a 9x13-inch metal baking pan.
• Combine brown sugar, white sugar, salt, melted butter, and water for topping in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Scatter pecans evenly over the top. Set aside until needed.
• Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl for filling; mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside until needed.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands and press and stretch the dough to form a 18x15-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough to the edges, leaving a 2-inch border along the edges. Lightly press the sugar mixture into the dough with your hands.
• Roll the dough into a cylinder with lightly floured hands starting with the edge closest to you; try not to roll too tightly. Finish shaping the cylinder as uniformly as possible, seam-side down. Lightly score the roll with the edge of a knife to indicate 12 equal portions.
• Slide a piece of string or floss under the dough, lining it up at the first knife mark. Cross the ends of the string over the top and pull in opposite directions to cut through the dough. Continue with remaining dough.
• Transfer buns into the pan with topping, making 3 rows of 4 buns. If one side of a bun has more dough than another, place with the doughier side up in the pan. Tent the pan loosely with foil and let rise until buns have almost doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Save foil in case you need it towards the end of baking time.
• Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun reaches 200 degrees F (93 degrees C), about 35 minutes. If the tops are getting too browned, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.
• Remove from the oven onto a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over carefully onto a serving platter. Use a spoon to transfer any sticky topping that has remained in the pan. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.