Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns

Before you start

Sticky buns are baked upside down. A layer of butter, brown sugar, honey and cream goes into the pan first, toasted pecans go over it, and the rolled buns sit on top. In the oven the caramel bubbles up around the dough; after a short rest you turn the whole pan out so the glossy topping coats the buns.

This dough uses a tangzhong, a cooked flour-and-milk paste, which holds extra moisture and keeps the buns soft for days under all that caramel. The timing of the flip matters most: too soon and the bubbling caramel can scald you, too late and it sets in the pan. About five minutes out of the oven is right.

Ingredients

• Tangzhong25 g (3 tbsp) bread flour
• 125 ml (½ cup) whole milk
• Dough400 g (3⅓ cups) bread flour
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast
• 1 tsp (6 g) fine salt
• 120 ml (½ cup) whole milk — lukewarm
• 1 large egg
• 55 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• Caramel115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 200 g (1 cup packed) dark brown sugar
• 60 g (3 tbsp) honey or light corn syrup
• 60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 120 g (1¼ cups) pecan halves — toasted and roughly chopped
• Filling40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — softened
• 100 g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Make the tangzhong: whisk 25 g bread flour into 125 ml milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until it thickens to a pudding-like paste, about 2 to 3 minutes or 65°C (149°F). Scrape into the mixer bowl and cool 10 minutes.
2. Add the 400 g bread flour, sugar, yeast, salt, lukewarm milk and egg. Mix on low until combined, then knead on medium-low for 5 minutes. Add the softened butter in pieces and knead 6 to 8 minutes more, until smooth, elastic and barely tacky.
3. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.
4. For the caramel, melt the butter, brown sugar, honey, cream and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth and just simmering, about 2 minutes. Pour into the ungreased pan, tilt to cover the bottom and scatter the pecans evenly on top.
5. Mix the filling butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into a 40 × 30 cm (16 × 12 in) rectangle, spread the filling over it and roll up from a long side. Cut into 12 pieces and set them cut side down on the pecans.
6. Cover and let rise until puffy and touching, 40 to 50 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with a sheet of foil on the rack below to catch drips.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until deep golden on top and the center bun reads 88°C (190°F). The caramel should be bubbling thickly at the edges.
8. Rest the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, set a rimmed sheet over the pan and, wearing mitts, flip both together in one confident motion. Lift the pan away and scrape any pecans left behind onto the buns. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Tips for success

• Toast the pecans at 175°C (350°F) for 7 to 8 minutes first; raw nuts taste flat under caramel.
• Flip over a sink-free counter area with the sheet's rim facing up. Molten caramel can run off a flat platter.
• A metal pan conducts heat better and gives a darker, more even caramel than glass.

Substitutions

Pecans

Walnuts work the same way. For nut-free buns, skip the nuts; the caramel is just as good, but stickier and flatter.

Tangzhong

Skip it and use 425 g bread flour and 200 ml milk in the dough. The buns will be good but firm up faster.

Honey

Light corn syrup gives a neutral flavor and a caramel that is slightly less prone to crystallizing; maple syrup adds flavor but makes a thinner topping.

Variations

Bourbon sticky buns

Replace 2 tbsp of the cream with bourbon in the caramel; simmer 1 minute longer.

Salted caramel buns

Increase the salt in the caramel to ½ tsp and sprinkle flaky salt over the buns after flipping.

Troubleshooting

Caramel stuck to the pan

The buns cooled too long before flipping. Set the pan back in a warm oven for 3 to 4 minutes to remelt the caramel, then turn out.

Caramel turned hard and crunchy

It cooked too long on the stove or the oven ran hot. Only bring the caramel to a simmer before pouring, and check the oven with a thermometer.

Bottoms are pale and doughy after flipping

The buns were underbaked; the caramel layer slows heating from below. Bake until the center reaches 88°C, tenting the tops with foil if needed.

Storage

Cover leftover buns and keep at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rewarm at 160°C (325°F) for 8 to 10 minutes to soften the caramel. Freeze individually wrapped buns for up to 2 months.

Safety notes

Molten sugar causes serious burns; flip with oven mitts and keep children away. The raw dough contains egg and flour and should not be eaten. Contains wheat, milk, egg and tree nuts.