Very Sticky Sticky Buns
If you could smell these sticky buns, you'd be be drooling. They are absolutely perfect and are literally my pride and joy.
Developing a recipe with yeast can be a little tricky. So on my first batch of these buns, I held my breath the whole time they were baking. And even though they looked perfectly poofed and swirled out of the oven, I was crazy nervous about the big flip! (All the caramel pecan glaze is on the bottom of the pan.) Luckily for me and you, I couldn't be happier with what turned out of the pan. The buns are fluffy and buttery, the cinnamon swirls tightly wound, and the glaze as sticky as possible.
But hey, if you're more interested in Classic Cinnamon Rolls, I get it. We have a pretty perfect recipe for those, too.
Cooking spray
lukewarm milk
plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
or 1 (0.25-oz.) package active dry yeast
all-purpose flour
packed brown sugar
kosher salt
baking soda
large eggs
(1 stick) butter, softened and cut into cubes
packed brown sugar
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
kosher salt
finely chopped toasted pecans
melted butter
(1 stick) melted butter
packed brown sugar
honey
pure vanilla extract
chopped toasted pecans
- Make bun dough: Grease a large bowl with cooking spray. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add lukewarm milk and 1 teaspoon sugar and sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add milk and yeast mixture, and eggs. Mix at medium speed until a very soft dough forms, about 5 minutes. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and add butter a tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer dough to greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (At this point, you can refrigerate dough before letting it rest. Bring to room temperature and let it double in size before proceeding to next step.)
- Make filling: In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pecans.
- Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 9"-x-13" baking pan with cooking spray. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust with more flour. Roll out into a large square, about 18" square. Brush with melted butter all over, then sprinkle filling mixture evenly on top. Roll dough tightly into a log and cut into 12 evenly sized pieces about 1 1/2" wide.
- Make topping: In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with chopped pecans. Place rolls in pan, leaving 1/2" between each roll. Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then flip onto a cutting board. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
