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A sticky bun topped with caramel and pecans on a plate, with more sticky buns in the background.
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5 / 2 votes

Sticky Buns

Sticky buns are the ultimate in sweet gooeyness. These cinnamon-filled, caramel-pecan topped lovelies are no exception. Perfect warm or at room temperature.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time16 hours 30 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 484

Ingredients

For the starter

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/16 teaspoon instant yeast

For the dough

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
  • 2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup (22g) dried potato flakes (optional but makes a more tender bun)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • Baking spray, butter, or vegetable shortening, for the pans and work surface

For the filling

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the glaze

  • 1/2 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon rum (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup diced pecans
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the starter

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, water, and yeast, stirring until fairly smooth. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest at room temperature (cooler than 75°F [24°C]) overnight, or for 12 to 16 hours. The starter should be puffy and bubbly.

Make the dough

  • If using a mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the overnight starter with all the dough ingredients and knead until the dough is soft and smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.

    If kneading by hand, in a large bowl, mix the overnight starter with all the dough ingredients and knead until the dough is soft and smooth, about 7 minutes.
  • Cover and let the dough rise for about 1 hour; it will become slightly puffy but won’t double in bulk.
  • While the dough is rising, prepare the pans: two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans or a 9-by-13-inch (23-by 33-cm) pan. Spray with nonstick pan spray or lightly grease with vegetable shortening or butter.

Make the filling

  • In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

Make the glaze

  • In a separate small bowl, whisk together the syrup, rum, if using, and melted butter. Pour the glaze into the pan, or divide it evenly between the pans if you’re using 2 pans. Sprinkle the brown sugar and pecans on top of the glaze.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Lining your pan(s) with parchment paper will make for easier removal of your sticky buns.

Assemble

  • Lightly slick your work surface with butter. Move the dough to the work surface and roll it into a rectangle approximately 14-by 20-inches (35-by 50-cm).
  • Spread it with the prepared filling, leaving an uncovered strip about 1 inch (25 mm) wide along one short end of the dough. Starting with the short end without the filling, roll the dough into a log and slice it into 12 slices, each about 1 to 1 1/4 inches (25 to 31 mm) wide.
  • Place the buns in the prepared pan(s), leaving about 1/2 inch (12-mm) between them. Cover the pan(s), and let the buns rise for 90 minutes; again, they won’t rise much, they’ll just seem to spread a bit.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
  • Bake the buns, tenting them lightly with aluminum foil for the final 5 minutes if they appear to be browning too quickly, until golden brown, 22 to 35 minutes.
  • Loosen the edges of the buns with a knife, then carefully (the sugar is hot!) turn them out (upside down) onto a wire rack placed over a parchment-covered baking sheet to cool, scraping any glaze that may have stuck to the pan onto the warm buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 51g