Sticky buns are undoubtedly an indulging treat! I enjoy one occasionally and specially at my favorite cafe/bakery. I am a little reluctant to make them often at home to be honest. Lets be honest, it is hard to stop at one and given the amount of sugar that goes into that gooey sticky stuff, this is definitely a treat to be enjoyed responsibly 🙂 LOL
So that is why this is a special occasion treat or a once in a while thing at my house. The best time to make this is to entertain a crowd. So yes! Thanksgiving, Christmas Day brunch, New year brunch with your friends! Make a batch of these and you will be loved!
Sticky buns are are the same as cinnamon rolls except that they are being baked on a bed of caramel and pecan that turn in to the sticky layer eventually. So if you have made cinnamon rolls, then you can really skip to the good part at the end.
However, I will mention all the steps so you don’t have to jump around picking bits and pieces of recipes. The dough is same as my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (with apple spice).
Commercial Yeast Version
Any sourdough recipe can be made using commercial yeast. Just replace starter with yeast and bulk and proof just like you would do with yeasted recipes.
The general rule is 7g yeast is enough to rise 500g flour roughly. We mix the dough and let it double in size, shape and then proof until doubled again. Then simply bake! Baking time and temperature are the same. For this recipe use 7g instead yeast and extra 25ml of water/milk.
Gather all the ingredients. Place everything in a bowl of a stand mixer except water. Start mixing using a paddle attachment and add water gradually until a slightly wet dough is achieved. Then change to the dough hook and mix for about 3-4 minutes until the dough comes together.
Bring the dough on to a floured surface and knead the until smooth, like shown in the picture
Place the dough in a container, cover and leave in a warm place until almost doubled.
Make the cinnamon paste while you wait
Also you can make the caramel mix
Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Pour the caramel mix into the baking dish. This will set as it cools.
Spread the pecan pieces in a single layer. Set this aside until the rolls are ready
Punch down the bulked dough and roll out on a floured surface.
You can place this in the fridge and slow ferment overnight too. But I made the rolls on the same day.
Spread the cinnamon mixture on the rolled out dough and roll in to a log
Using a sharp knife cut into 1.5 inch pieces
They don’t have to be exactly 1.5 inches. I usually cut into 12 or 9 equal pieces to fit my baking dish
12 pieces – 13″ by 9″ dish
9 pieces – 9″ by 9″ dish
It is a good idea to tuck the end underneath to prevent it unrolling
Place the rolls upside down on the prepared tray. Cover lightly and place in a warm place until doubled in size.
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180 °C)
Once the rolls are proofed, bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave on a wire rack for about 10 minutes to cool slightly
Invert the buns. Remember to place a tray or a parchment underneath the rack to catch any dripping syrup.
Leave to cool and set before separating the rolls
Once cooled, separate the buns and serve!
Ingredients
For the sweet starter/levain
- 60 g all purpose flour
- 25 g mature starter
- 25 g water
- 1 tbsp. sugar
For the dough
- Above start/levain
- 500g all purpose flour
- 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 medium eggs (85 g)
- 125 ml milk (1/2 cups)
- 100 ml water
- 3 tbsp. butter soft (room temperature)
Cinnamon Spread
- 2 tbsp.(25g) soft butter
- 100g brown sugar (dark or light)
- 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
For the sticky layer
- 150g brown sugar (dark or light)
- 50g(half a stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- about 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- Make the starter ahead of time
- To make the starter/levain, mix the flour, water, starter, sugar into a smooth dough and place in a jar
- Loosely cover and set aside for 8-10 hours to mature (overnight is fine)
- To mix the dough, place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
- Give a quick mix
- Add milk to the eggs and whisk just to mix and add that straight in to the flour followed by the starter
- Start mixing and add water gradually
- Scrape down the bowl as needed
- Once everything start to get hydrated, change to dough hook and add the butter tablespoon at a time and mix
- Scrape down to help incorporate butter
- Increase the speed to medium-low and mix for another 3-4 minutes until the dough becomes a bit shiny and elastic. The dough will still be sticky
- Transfer the dough to a flat, smooth surface
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes (you can wash your dishes, equipment in the meanwhile)
- And then lubricate your hands with butter or water and use slap and fold method to bring the dough together
- after about 30 seconds in to folding, the dough will get a lot smoother and less sticky
- Mold into a round dough ball and place in a greased bowl cover loosely and leave in a warm place to bulk
- We want the dough to almost double in size. Might take about 3-4 hours at 27°C or longer if it is colder
- Until the dough is bulked, prepare the cinnamon sugar paste and the sticky caramel mixture
- To make the cinnamon paste, mix soft butter with sugar and cinnamon just until it becomes a paste and set aside
- To make the caramel, place sugar, butter, corn syrup in a saucepan and heat stirring until everything melts and becomes syrupy. Pour into a greased pan, spread evenly and set aside
- Once the dough has bulked, punch down the dough and mold again into a smooth ball
- If you want, refrigerate this dough overnight otherwise start making the buns straight away
- When ready to roll, take the dough out on to a slightly floured surface
- Roll out to a rectangle (about 40cm by 30cm) or any size you prefer, depending on the tray/dish you are going to bake in. Thickness about 1/4 inch or thinner if you like
- Spread the paste on the rolled out dough and roll/buns into a cylinder. Check images above
- Cut into equal pieces (about 1.5 inch wide) using a sharp knife
- Arrange the rolls/buns in the prepared baking dish, leaving ample space around, for them to proof
- Cover the tray and leave aside at room temperature (about 25°C – 26°C) for about 3 hours until proofed
- Mean while preheat the oven to 375°F (conventional oven) and place a rack in the center
- Place the proofed buns in the oven and bake for about 30 – 40 minutes rotating the tray towards the end of the bake
- Once they are baked, leave to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before inverting the buns
- Let them cool before separating
