There’s something really magical about baking with yeast. Every time I bake bread, or rolls or buns, I’m equally shocked that the dough has risen! Twice! Pulling back the dish towel on a bowl of proofing dough hasn’t lost its luster, even after all this time.
I grew up eating many delicious, complicated home-baked confections that I 100% took for granted. Access to such quality goods meant that I also spent most of my childhood pining after the Rice Krispies treats that the moms who DIDN’T bake made with their kids. But my primary childhood sugar craving that I didn’t have easy access to at home was cinnamon buns. Specifically, the gigantic ones from the Cinnabon at the mall that I could have on VERY special occasions like when my mom’s patience was worn to a thin veneer on a back-to-school shopping trip, and the Pillsbury ones my friend Kristin’s mom would make us the morning after a sleepover. I would have offered to become an indentured servant at their house if it meant I could eat those every morning.
Considering my strong feelings on the topic, it’s kind of weird that I waited until I was 33 to try my own hand at making sticky buns. Though, when I think about it, it was probably my way of saving myself from eating an entire pan of them hot out of the oven. Anyhow, I finally got around to it a few months ago and the result was pretty much everything I dreamed it would be, and more.
The most important component of the Pillsbury buns at Kristin’s house was the packet of icing that you would cover the buns with (evenly to the naked eye but with JUST A LITTLE more on the bun you knew you’d be choosing). It was also the part of the Cinnabon that always put you RIGHT over the edge, from happily indulged to nauseous with a sugar headache. I guess you could call this version a “sticky bun for grown-ups” because there’s no icing packet, just a delicious sticky glaze with rum.
There’s not much more for me to say here, besides that these are incredibly delicious and will make your house smell amazing. If I were you, I’d invite some people over for brunch to eat them, because if you’re anything like me you’re going to hear their little voices calling your name until you’ve polished off the whole pan, tearing off piece after piece and watching while they unravel down to that doughy center core (i.e. the best part). Proceed at your own risk – but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) unsifted bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg + 2 large COLD eggs
- 10 tablespoons very soft unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecan halves
- Reserved raisin-soaking liquid
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- First make the dough. To proof the yeast, combine the 2 1/2 tablespoons water (ideally a tepid 110 degrees F), 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Set aside in a draft-free spot for 10 to 20 minutes. By this time, the mixture should be full of bubbles.
- Place 1/3 cup of the flour and 1 egg in a food processor (preferably with the dough blade) and process a few seconds until smooth. Sprinkle the remaining flour over the mixture but do not mix it in. Cover and let stand for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Add the remaining sugar, salt and remaining 2 cold eggs and process 1 1/2 minutes or until the dough is smooth, shiny and cleans the bowl. Let rest 5 minutes with the feed tube open. Add the butter in 2 batches and process for 20 seconds after each addition or until incorporated. (The butter must be soft so as not to overtax the motor of the processor.)
- Scrape the dough into a lightly buttered bowl. It will be very soft and elastic. Sprinkle lightly with flour to prevent a crust from forming. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (80 degrees F but not above or the yeast will develop a sour taste) until double in bulk, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Deflate dough by gently stirring it and refrigerate for another hour.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it into a rectangle. Fold the dough into thirds (as in folding a business letter) and again press it out into a rectangle, lightly flouring the surface as needed to prevent stickiness. Fold it again into thirds and dust it lightly with flour on all sides. Wrap it loosely but securely in plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate it for 6 hours or up to 2 days to allow dough the ripen and harden.
- To make the filling, place the raisins and rum in a small heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water, cover and let stand for at least 1 hour. When ready to fill the dough, drain the raisins, reserving the soaking liquid.
- In another bowl combine the sugars and cinnamon.
- To make the topping, stir together the butter and sugar in a small bowl until well mixed. Spread evenly in the prepared pan with a small spatula or rubber scraper. Top with the pecan halves top sides down.
- Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface into a 14-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Brush with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar mixture and raisins. Roll up from the short end, brushing off the excess flour as you go. The dough will have a lively, silky feel.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the roll into 4 pieces and then cut each piece into thirds. Place each piece cut side down in an 8" inch square pan, lightly greased, pressing tops so that the sides touch. Cover with well-buttered plastic wrap and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the pan (about 2 hours).
- To make the glaze, reduce the raisin soaking syrup to q tablespoon in a small saucepan over high heat or in a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup in a microwave on high power. Add the butte rand stir until melted. The glaze should be lukewarm when used. Set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest shelf and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (The hot baking sheet will boost the "oven spring" of the brioche; the foil will catch any bubbling caramelized syrup.)
- Brush the buns with the glaze. Place the pan on the hot baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 degrees F and bake 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If becoming too brown, cover loosely with foil after 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let the buns cool in the pan for 3 minutes before unmolding onto a serving plate. Sticky buns may be eaten at once or reheated in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, loosely wrapped in foil.
Notes
From The Cake Bible
