Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For the Dough:
1 recipe Brioche, chilled
1½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
For the Filling:
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
For the Topping:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
42 pecan halves
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Directions: |
Directions:1). Make the brioche dough according to the instructions through Step #6. Divide the dough in half and keep half covered in the refrigerator while you work with the other.
2). On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that's 11-inches-wide and 13-inches-long, and about ¼-inch-thick. Try to work quickly, because the dough is so active that even the warmth of your hands may be enough to get it rising again. Dot the surface of the dough evenly with half of the softened butter and fold the dough in thirds, as though you were folding a business letter. Turn the dough so that the closed fold is to your left and then roll it out again, taking care not to roll over the edges. You don't want to crush the layers you're creating by folding and rolling. Fold the dough in thirds again, wrap it well in plastic, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes so that it can relax. Repeat the rolling and folding and chilling with the second piece of dough and the remaining butter.
3). For the filling, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and keep it close at hand. Remove the first piece of dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured work surface, roll it into a rectangle 11-inches-wide, 13-inches-long, and ¼-inch-thick, just as you did at the start.
4). Using a pastry brush, paint the surface of the dough with the beaten egg. Leaving the top quarter of the dough bare, sprinkle over half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture and half of the chopped pecans; spread everything around with your fingers so that the filling is evenly distributed. Very lightly roll the rolling pin over the dough to press in the filling.
5). Starting from the base of the rectangle, roll the dough up into a log. Wrap the log in plastic and freeze it until it's firm, about 45 minutes to an hour, so it will be easy to cut. Repeat with the second piece of dough. The sticky bun logs can now be doubled-wrapped and kept in the freezer for up to a month. If left to freeze solid, the rolls should be allowed to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before you continue with the recipe.
6). For the topping, while the logs are chilling, prepare the pans. You'll need two 9-inch round cake pans with high sides. Using your fingers, press a stick of butter evenly over the bottom of each pan; sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter.
7). Remove the log of dough from the freezer and, if the ends are ragged, trim them. Using a long sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice the log into seven 1½-inch-wide slices. Lay each piece on one of its flat sides, press the slice down with the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly, and then with cupped hands, turning the slice around on the work surface two or three times to reestablish its round shape. Press 3 pecans flat side up, into the top of each slice so that the nuts form a triangle. Holding on to the nuts as best as you can, turn the sides over into the prepared pan, placing the buns in a circle and putting the last slice in the center; the seams of the buns should face the outside of the pan. Repeat with the second log of dough. Allow the pans of sticky buns to rest, uncovered at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours, or until the slices rise and grow to touch each other.
8). Arrange the oven racks so that one rack is in the middle of the oven and the other is just below it and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pans of sticky buns on the middle rack and slip a foil- or parchment-lined jelly-roll pan onto the lower rack, ready to catch any drips. Bake the buns for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, invert them onto a serving dish. If you leave the buns in the pan for a few minutes, the sugar may harden, and they may be difficult to unmold. Serve the sticky buns at room temperature, or just slightly warm. Never serve them straight from the oven, because the caramelized topping is dangerously hot. Serve the day they are made. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Not only do these buns start with the best possible brioche dough, but you also then fold as much butter between the layers of the dough as you have already beaten into the it. Then they are filled with sugary pecans and a caramel, sweet, gooey glaze on top. The technique of folding the butter into the dough and giving the dough two turns, as you would puff pastry, enriches an already rich dough and produces beautiful buttery layers. These bear no resemblance to store-bought!
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This recipe for Buttery Brioche Pecan Sticky Buns is from