Sticky Pecan and Caramel Buns
It’s been a long time since I’ve tried making me some sticky buns, but always was concerned the are too tedious and messy to make. Only after making them for the first time, I realized this is a serious game changer, and all my previous concerns had proven unjustified.
You just need to line your baking pan really well, so it is easier to unmold the pastries (remember that caramel is just sugar that only needs to be melted).
I serves them hot along with some honey- lavender ice cream- the one I made for Rosh HaShana even, and this combination was such a winner.
Hot pastry, soft yet get its crunch from the pecans, combined with the cold ice cream – these were devoured within seconds. I will say that although I’m adding a dough recipe here, you really can and encouraged to follow any cinnamon rolls recipe you prefer. The upgrade here is just the caramel and pecans, which is also why you can make them at any size you love or prefer.
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Sticky Pecan and Caramel Buns:
Equipment: This recipe is adjusted for baking in a standard baking dish sized 30 (w) x 40 (l) cm, however, you can adjust the size of pastries in accordance with the baking pan you have at home, and per your personal preferences.
Recipe:
Dough:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Bread Flour | 325g |
| Cake Flour | 85g |
| Milk | 165g |
| Eggs | 50g |
| White Granulated Sugar | 50g |
| Salt | 8g |
| Dry Yeasts | 8g |
| Cold Unsalted Butter, cubed | 80g |
Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Brown Demerara Sugar | 85g |
| White Granulated Sugar | 85g |
| Cinnamon | 7g |
| Salt | 1/4 tsp |
| Unsalted Butter, melted, for brushing the dough | 50g |
Pecans- Caramel Topping:
| Ingredient | Amount (g / units) |
| Crushed Pecans | 200g |
| Honey | 75g |
| Dark Brown Sugar | 155g |
| Unsalted Butter | 120g |
| Milk | 45g |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp |
Preparation instructions:
For the Dough:
- Into a standing mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, add all of the dough’s ingredients, except for the butter cubes. Mix on low speed for a few minutes until a lump of dough is formed.
- Add the butter gradually, a few cubes at a time, waiting until the first cubes are incorporated before adding the next ones. After all the butter is added, continue kneading for 10 minutes on low-medium speed, until the dough pulls away cleanly from the bowl.
- Using a half-rounded cake card or a silicone spatula, collect the dough from the bowl and transfer it onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roughly shape the dough to a rectangle, wrap the dough and refrigerate it overnight (4-6 hours at minimum, refrigerated).
For the caramel:
- In a small saucepan, cook all the caramel ingredients (except for the pecans), on medium heat, just until the butter has melted, and the mixture is uniform.
- Sprinkle the pecan chunks all across the bottom of the prepared cake pan, and pour the caramel on top in an even layer.
- Refrigerate the pan while prepping the pastries.
Assembly and baking:
- Roll the dough to a large rectangle- the exact size and thickness depend on your personal preference.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter, sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top, roll the dough to a log, and cut it into equally sized units.
- Arrange the units inside the pan, placing them on top of the caramel, add some moisture using a spray water bottle, cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven, set to 180C, fan mode off, placing a baking rack at the lowest level inside the oven, for 15-20 minutes, until the pastries have a browned top and the caramel is bubbly.
- Wait for 1-2 minutes, place a serving plate on top of the pan, flip them together to unmold the pasties. Serve them while they’re still hot or warm.
Note: You can unmold the pastries onto a large piece of parchment paper that has been adjusted to fit the size of your baking pan. This way, you could return them back to the oven for re-heating, in case you wish to serve them later.
