Susans Sticky Bun Slurry Food

STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough: Heat the milk, oil and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and let cool to warm.
• Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk mixture for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and remaining 1/2 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (The dough is easier to work with if it's been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
• To assemble the rolls: On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 inches by 10 inches. The dough should be very thin.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the filling: Pour the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Sprinkle over the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Don't be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
• Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don't worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. You'll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log. Slip a cutting board underneath the log and, with a sharp knife, make 16 equal slices.
• For the smear and base: Cream together the brown sugar, butter, honey and salt until lightened, then slowly add the whiskey and vanilla while mixing.
• Butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, layer the bottom with the pecan pieces and then scoop 5 large scoops of the smear on top. Heat in the oven until the smear is slightly foamy and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and place the sliced rolls on top of the melted smear (it's fine to put them on the hot smear). Allow the rolls to rise for 20 minutes.
• Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the rolls are golden brown and the smear is brown and sticky, 20 to 30 minutes. Take another 12-inch skillet and place it on top of the hot skillet. Flip over quickly and carefully. All of the caramelly, boozy goodness will be on top.

FLOUR'S FAMOUS STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that's ok). Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt. Strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar. Let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature. You should have about 3 cups. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
• Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into rectangle about 12 by 16 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 the brown sugar, granulated sugar, 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. Trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.
• 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. Arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. 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 10 to 12 minutes before serving.
• 1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all 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.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. 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 the butter to be thoroughly mixed 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 until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. 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 1 piece.
• Put 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 (that is, grow and develop flavor) 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.

SUSAN'S STICKY BUN SLURRY

Steps:

• Combine the sugars and butter in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a large spoon for 2 minutes. The ingredients should be smooth and evenly blended. Add the corn syrup, salt, and lemon extract and mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or continue mixing vigorously by hand, for about 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high speed or stir even more vigorously for 1 or 2 minutes, until the slurry is fluffy.

EASY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
• Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful - they're hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Generously grease two 6-cup jumbo muffin tins with softened butter. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine sugars and mix thoroughly until well blended. Set aside. Coarsely chop half of the pecans.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream 3/4 cup butter together with 3/4 cup brown sugar mixture and the salt on medium speed. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn syrup and mix until well combined. Divide butter-brown sugar mixture evenly between prepared cups, about 2 tablespoons per cup. Top with four to five whole pecans.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into an 18-by-10-inch rectangle. Brush dough with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and liberally sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture and chopped pecans.
• Beginning with the long side facing you, tightly roll dough away from you into a log; pinch edge of dough to seal. Cut dough crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place each cross-sectional piece into prepared muffin cup and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Place muffin tins in warm place until buns double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, centering one rack in the oven and the other directly below, lining rack below with foil.
• Once dough has doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and place on middle rack. Bake until tops are dark brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately invert to cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Let cool slightly before serving.

STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Make dough: Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix milk, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla on low speed until eggs and milk are combined, 2 minutes. Add yeast mixture; mix 1 minute. Add 4 cups flour; mix until smooth.
• Switch to the dough hook; continue mixing, and add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, just until dough no longer sticks to bowl (about 2 more cups). Beat dough on medium-high speed, 10 minutes.
• On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until very smooth, about 2 minutes; transfer to a large buttered bowl. Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel; let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Make topping: Melt butter in a saucepan; stir in sugars and corn syrup. Cook, stirring, over low heat, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Punch down dough, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into three equal pieces; roll each into a ball. (Work with one ball at a time; refrigerate or freeze any not being used.)
• Assemble buns: Roll out dough ball into a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter. Top with filling; leave a 1/2-inch border. Starting on one long side, roll dough into a log. To seal, pinch dough edge to log. Cut the log into nine slices approximately 1 1/3-inch-thick.
• For each batch, divide 1 cup topping among nine cups of a large (1 cup capacity) muffin tin, or cover the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Transfer the buns to a tin or pan.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack on lower level. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet; set aside. Let buns rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Bake buns, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately invert buns onto rack. Serve warm.