Honey Bun Quilt Along Food

HONEY BUNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk milk, butter, eggs, honey, salt, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed. Add yeast mixture, and whisk for 1 minute. Switch to dough hook, reduce speed to low, and add 4 cups flour. After flour is incorporated, raise speed to medium, and continue kneading.
• Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Raise speed to medium-high, and knead for 10 minutes. (Alternatively, knead by hand until smooth, 15 to 20 minutes.)
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic, and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Make the filling and topping: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in honey, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. Let cool. Combine mascarpone and creme fraiche in a bowl.
• Punch down dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 3 portions. Roll each into a ball. Freeze 2 for up to 3 months (thaw in the refrigerator before using). Roll remaining dough into a 10-by-13 1/2-inch rectangle. Brush lightly with honey, spread mascarpone mixture evenly on top, leaving a 1-inch border, and sprinkle with pecans. Starting on 1 long side, roll dough into a log. Pinch along seam to seal. Cut into nine 1 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Pour honey mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan. Place buns, cut sides down, in pan, 3 to a row. Let buns rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place oven rack in lower third. Bake buns, rotating halfway through, until brown and bubbling, about 1 hour. (If buns darken too quickly, cover with foil.) Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Immediately invert buns onto rack. Drizzle with honey, and serve warm.

HONEY BUNS

Steps:

• Whisk ⅓ cup (40 g) bread flour and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan until combined. Set over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a runny paste, 1-2 minutes. Transfer tangzhong to a small bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Whisk 2 Tbsp. whole or nonfat dry milk powder, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. instant yeast, and remaining 4¾ cups (570 g) bread flour in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Whisk 1 large egg, room temperature, 1 cup whole milk, room temperature, and 2 Tbsp. honey in a medium bowl until combined; add to dry ingredients along with tangzhong and 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces.
• Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment and mix on low speed, stopping motor and scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until a shaggy dough comes together around hook, 12-14 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-low and mix until dough springs back when you poke it, 7-9 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky but should slap and clean the sides of bowl.) Remove bowl from mixer and scrape dough from hook into bowl.
• Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Transfer dough to bowl and lightly coat top of dough with nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill dough at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. (Dough should double in size; the longer it ferments, the more flavor it will develop.)
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (packed; 100 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spoon filling into a pastry bag or a 1-qt. resealable plastic bag. Set aside at room temperature.
• Do ahead: Filling can be made 1 day ahead; chill in pastry bag. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; dust top with flour. Using your hands, gently press and stretch dough to an 11x9" rectangle, then slice dough into nine 1" strips (alternatively, weigh out nine 135 g pieces). Using moderate pressure, roll each piece into a 30" rope, dusting surface with more flour (as little as possible) to prevent sticking if needed. Let rest 5 minutes.
• Pat down each rope with your palms to flatten until about ¾" wide. Make sure filling is soft and pliable but not melted; if using a resealable plastic bag, snip off one corner to make a ¼-½" opening. Pipe a thin strip of filling down the center of each flattened dough rope. Working one at a time, roll up each rope to create a spiral, then lay down on surface and tuck end underneath bun to finish. The buns should be a slightly domed, but gently push centers in to keep in line with the rest of the bun (if it sticks out too far, it can burn).
• Arrange buns on a large parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, spacing ½" apart. (You should be able to fit all 9 buns on the baking sheet; you want to give them just enough space so they proof into one another slightly.) Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 75-90 minutes.
• Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°. Bake buns 10 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and continue to bake until buns are golden brown on top, 6-8 minutes (Some filling will seep out onto baking sheet-that's okay). Let cool 5 minutes.
• While the buns are cooling, vigorously whisk 2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, ½ tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract, and a pinch of kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Sift in ¼ cup (28 g) powdered sugar and whisk to incorporate.
• Generously brush buns with icing (it will melt when it hits the warm buns), then sprinkle lightly with 1 Tbsp. bee pollen, crushed to a powder, if desired.