Quintessential Pecan Sticky Buns Food

PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt; set aside.
• In a small saucepan, add the milk, water, and butter and cook over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture is between 120°F and 130°F, if it's too hot, allow it to cool until it reaches this zone.
• Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture while mixing on low speed until fully combined. Increase speed and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and elastic but will still look as though it is sticking to the sizes but should pull away easily with a rubber spatula.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl greased with non-stick spray and flip it once so the side of the dough that first was on the bottom is now on the top and has cooking spray on it so it doesn't stick. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for 15 minutes, the dough should just about double in size in that time.
• Plop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 12x14-inches in size.
• While the dough is proofing, add all of the topping ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted.
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of sugar and use a pastry brush to brush the butter onto the dough leaving a small border around the edge.
• Sprinkle the butter with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and light brown sugar and start rolling the dough up as tightly as possible starting from one of the shorter ends.
• Once fully rolled up, use dental floss to loop around the roll and cross the ends to slice through the dough. You can also use a very sharp chef's knife, but dental floss will give these rolls the best shape. I like to cut the ends of the dough off and cut 12 rolls that are about 1-inch thick.
• Arrange the rolls on top of the pecan mixture and cover with plastic wrap and proof for an additional 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F and bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes. The tops should be golden brown in color when done.
• Allow the buns to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before running a paring knife around the edges of the pan and inverting onto a serving dish and enjoying. Then come back and leave a review and rating!

PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in the microwave in a small bowl for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave and add slices of butter. Stir until butter has melted. If butter doesn't completely melt, heat for an additional 10 seconds in the microwave. Pour the warm milk and butter mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and let it sit for about 5 to 7 minutes or until you see bubbles on the surface which indicates that the yeast has been activated.
• Using the paddle attachment, add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the sugar and salt and continue mixing to combine.
• Remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook. Add 3 cups of flour and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Add additional flour in ½ cup increments, mixing in between, until you've added a total of 4 cups. Continue mixing and add very small amounts of flour (⅛-cup to ¼-cup increments) until the dough has come together and is mostly holding on to the hook (some will still be at the bottom of the mixing bowl). You may not need the entire amount (I usually need about 4 ½ to 4 ¾ cup total). Continue mixing to knead the dough for about 5 or 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be very sticky.
• Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, lightly flour your hands and scrape the dough from the mixing bowl and into the prepared bowl. Form it into a ball with your hands and turn it over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen cloth and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 to 2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 14- x 18-inch rectangle. Pour the melted butter over the surface of the dough and use a pastry brush to coat the entire surface evenly.
• In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the melted butter.
• Roll up the dough, lengthwise, into a log, forming and shaping the dough with your hands to make it as even as possible. (Check length again after rolling and compress with your hands, if necessary, so it's 18-inches long). Trim and discard the uneven ends of the roll and then slice it in half. Then, slice each half into 6 equal size pieces for a total of 12 buns.
• Coat a 13- x 9-inch metal, glass or ceramic baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter the pecans evenly over the bottom of the pan. Be sure they are packed down evenly so the tops of the buns will all be coated with nuts.
• Melt the butter with the brown sugar, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over LOW heat. When the butter has melted, simmer the mixture, stirring constantly, for 1 minute,until it comes together into a thin caramel mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture evenly over the pecans.
• Place the buns over the caramel pecan mixture (3-across width of pan/4-down length of pan). Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• The next morning, take the baking pan out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and let it stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 22 to 30 minutes or until golden brown (buns will cook more quickly in a metal pan than in a glass pan). Place a piece of foil lightly over the top of the baking pan for the last 5 to 10 minutes of the baking time if needed, to prevent over-browning but to allow the buns to bake through to the center.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let the sticky buns cool for 5 minutes in the pan.
• Using oven mitts, carefully invert the pan onto a large serving platter or baking sheet (see tips below). Allow the pan to stay upside down over the rolls without lifting it for a few minutes and the warm topping will melt down the sides. Remove the pan. Serve warm.

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.

MAPLE-PECAN STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast, buttermilk and 1 tablespoon sugar, and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, salt and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir to combine, then add the butter and toss to coat in the flour. Add the eggs and buttermilk mixture, then mix on low to combine, about 1 or 2 minutes.
• Increase speed to medium, and mix the dough until it is soft, billowy and clearing the sides of the bowl, but still sticking to the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. If the dough seems very, very soft and still sticks to the sides of the bowl, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time (up to about 4 tablespoons).
• Lightly grease a separate large bowl with butter and transfer the dough to it. Turn the dough to coat with butter, then cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour, then refrigerate the dough for 1 hour more. (Alternately, refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours after the first rise, then proceed with the recipe as written.)
• When you are ready to bake the rolls, make the topping: In a medium saucepan (to prevent boiling over), combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium and cook for 1 minute. The mixture will thicken slightly. Pour the mixture into a metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan and tilt the pan to evenly cover the bottom with the syrup. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the top, and set aside.
• Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and salt.
• Assemble the rolls: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat or roll it into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle that's 1/4-inch thick. Gently spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of unbuttered dough on the long edge furthest from you. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top of the butter. From the long end closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. With the seam side down, use a serrated knife or length of floss to cut the log into 12 even pieces.
• Place the rolls spiral side up into the prepared pan, cover and let rise until puffy but not quite doubled in size, about 45 minutes. (This may take a little longer if you refrigerated the dough for longer than 1 hour after the first rise.) If you'd like to bake them later, you can refrigerate the rolls in the pan before this second rise for up to 24 hours. Let the rolls rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size before baking. They will take longer to rise after chilling, depending on the ambient temperature.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and the caramel is bubbling a bit around the edges. Carefully run an offset spatula or thin knife around the edges of the pan. Let the rolls cool in the pan on a rack for about 5 minutes, then flip them out onto a serving tray or sheet pan. Let cool for a minute or two, then enjoy warm.