Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns – Once Upon a Chef

Wake up to gloriously gooey, cinnamon-scented sticky buns.

Photo by Brent Hofacker

Sinfully sweet and gloriously gooey, sticky buns are fluffy yeast rolls with a caramel pecan filling and topping. The spirals of dough are baked in a pan with extra filling underneath, so when the buns are inverted after baking, the caramel bottom becomes a syrupy, nutty topping that drips down the sides. You can make sticky buns with any bread dough enriched with butter and eggs. This recipe, tweaked just a bit from one of my favorite baking books, The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, is made with brioche dough.

Note that while the dough is a cinch to make and requires only 30 seconds of kneading, it requires two separate rises as well as at least 3 hours in the fridge. To have fresh baked sticky buns in the morning, make the dough a day or two before. You can assemble the buns in the morning or the night before you plan to serve them; they need only a final 1-hour rise at room temperature before baking. The recipe makes 8 sticky buns; feel free to double it and bake the rolls in a 9×13-inch pan, but keep in mind that sticky buns are best served fresh out of the oven.

What You’ll Need To Make Sticky Buns

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, warm water, sugar, salt and yeast.

Whisk to combine, then add the eggs and egg yolk.

Whisk until evenly combined.

Add the flour all at once.

Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is uniform; it will be wet, lumpy, and a bit elastic (it will firm up in the fridge and smooth out when you knead it).

Cover loosely with plastic wrap (make sure the entire bowl is covered but don’t seal it airtight) and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Step 2: Toast the Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Arrange the pecans on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and toasted. Transfer the pecans to a plate to cool. Leave the foil on the baking sheet; you’ll use it again. (Shut off the oven.)

Step 3: Make the Caramel Filling

In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Whisk until thickened and all of the butter is absorbed.

Step 4: Assemble the Sticky Buns

Grease a 9-inch square cake pan with butter, then spread half the caramel mixture (about ⅞ cup) evenly over the bottom. Scatter half (1 cup) of the pecans over the caramel mixture and set aside. Transfer the remaining pecans to a cutting board and chop finely (these will go into the filling).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Dust a clean work surface generously with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and place on the work surface. Dust the dough with flour and knead, sprinkling more flour as necessary so the dough doesn’t stick, for about 30 seconds.

Roll out the dough to an 1⁄8-inch-thick rectangle, about 14×12 inches, adding more flour under and over the dough, as needed, to prevent it from sticking.

Using an offset spatula, spread the remaining caramel mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the finely chopped pecans evenly over top.

Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a log.

Pinch the seam closed and press the ends in so the log is an even thickness throughout.

Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 8 equal pieces.

Arrange over the pecans and caramel in the prepared pan, so that the swirled cut edge is facing upward. Allow to rest for 1 hour on the counter, loosely covered with plastic wrap. They will rise just a bit. (Alternatively, place the pan in the refrigerator overnight and let sit out at room temperature for 1 hour before baking the next day.)

Step 5: Bake the Sticky Buns

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cake pan on the foil-lined baking sheet, in case the caramel bubbles over, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and well set in the center (a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center shouldn’t have any wet bits of dough on it).

While still very hot, run a knife around the outer edge of the pan to release the caramel rolls, and invert immediately onto a large serving dish or sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The warm topping will drip down the sides. (If you let the buns sit too long, they will stick to the pan and be difficult to turn out.) Let the buns cool slightly and serve warm.

Photo by Brent Hofacker

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