Quintessential Pecan Sticky Buns

Soft, milk- and butter-enriched yeast dough is stuffed with aromatic cinnamon filling and glazed with a sticky, sugary topping loaded with pecans… Have we piqued your interest?! This sticky bun relies on two of our proprietary products to earn its "quintessential" label, but you can certainly make the buns without them. P.S. Step-by-step photos illustrating how to make these sticky buns are available at Baker's Banter, our King Arthur blog.

3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (9 ounces) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons (1 ounce) potato flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk (the powder, not the flakes or beads)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

Cinnamon Filling
1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) Baker's Cinnamon Filling* mixed with 1/4 cup (2 ounces) water

Glaze
1/2 cup (5 1/2 ounces) light corn syrup or maple syrup
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) rum, optional
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter, melted
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Sticky Bun Sugar*
1 cup (4 ounces) diced pecans

*Baker's Cinnamon Filling and Sticky Bun Sugar are both key to making an ultra-sticky, delightfully tasty sticky bun. However, you can choose not to use them and still make a pretty good bun. Substitute 1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon (to taste) for the Baker's Cinnamon Filling; and 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) brown sugar for the Sticky Bun Sugar.

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead them together–by hand, mixer or bread machine–till you've made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 1 hour; it'll become puffy, but won't double in bulk.

While the dough is rising, lightly grease two 9" round cake pans.

To make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the syrup, rum (if you're using it) and melted butter. Divide this glaze evenly between the pans (if you're using two pans). Sprinkle the Sticky Bun Sugar (or brown sugar) and pecans atop the glaze.

To shape the buns: Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. It’s a nice, soft dough, and pats out easily. Spread with the prepared cinnamon filling (or cinnamon-sugar), leaving an uncovered strip about 1" wide along one long end of the dough. Roll the dough into a log the long way; it’ll stretch to about 20" long as you roll. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 16 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. Space eight buns in each of the prepared pans. Cover the pans, and let the buns rise for 60 to 90 minutes; they should spread out and touch one another.

Bake the sticky buns in a preheated 350°F oven for about 25 minutes, tenting them lightly with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished buns will be a light golden brown, despite their aluminum foil cover. Loosen the edges of the buns with a knife, then carefully—the sugar is hot!—turn them out onto a rack or parchment-covered sheet pan to cool, scraping any glaze that may have stuck to the pan onto the warm buns. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Yield: 16 sticky buns.

©2007 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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