Sticky Buns
This is a recipe I developed for my own picky taste buds. Instead of using traditional orange zest, which tends to be a bit overly aromatic for me, I use clementine zest. It’s milder, and more of a compliment to the spices rather than overpowering them.
In the bowl of a mixer, combine:
1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
Give it a quick stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. You’re looking for nice, foamy yeast. Then add:
3/4 cup milk
4 TBSP unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
1/2 TBSP clementine zest
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 cups flour
Mix on low speed with a dough hook until well mixed, then begin slowly adding a final cup of flour. Increase speed and knead dough until it’s smooth and just a little sticky, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add more flour if dough is too wet.
Shape dough into ball and place in buttered or oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 - 2 hours depending on how warm the room is.
Once dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Let sit for 20 minutes. Combine:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
in a small bowl and set aside with 4 TBSP salted butter, melted and separate from the sugar mixture.
In a small saucepan, combine:
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
6 TBSP salted butter
4 TBSP honey
2 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Over low heat, stir until sugar is melted well. Pour mixture into buttered 9” x 13” glass pan, sprinkle 2 cups toasted and chopped pecans over top, set aside.
Roll dough out into approximately 12” x 18”. It doesn’t have to be exact. Brush melted butter across dough, if any extra remains in bowl just dump it in the middle of the dough. Then, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough.
Starting with the edge furthest from you, roll dough length wise into a tight cylinder, ending with the seam underneath.
If you want a bigger batch of smaller buns, cut into 15 equal pieces. Some people like to use floss, I use a chef’s knife. I like bulkier buns so I cut 10 pieces out rather than 15.
Place buns into the 9” x 13” baking dish with prepared topping, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, remove rolls from fridge and let sit for half an hour while oven preheats to 375 degrees. Bake until the buns are golden, approximately 30 minutes.
Once done baking, remove buns from oven and immediately invert onto serving dish. Personally, I place another glass 9” x 13” pan over the top and, holding the handles tightly together, flip it real quick and the buns fall perfectly into the other dish.
Serve warm, always