Sticky Buns

Fluffy clouds of ooey-gooey deliciousness is the best way to describe these! The dough itself is rich, soft, and moist. But the highlight of the sticky buns, is the glaze: sweet carmelized sugar and slightly salty, it finds its way into all the crevices between layers of dough so every bite is like party that melts in your mouth. This is a sure way to impress so make these for on a special occasion or holiday for breakfast or dessert. I'm usually not a big fan of sweets, but these sticky buns are amazing. And when fresh out of the oven, they are to die for!

Sticky buns are rolled pieces of rich, leavened dough that are compressed together into a baking loaf or pan which is lined with a sticky glaze. As it is baked, the glaze bubbles up and is absorbed into the buns, getting all in between the layers of dough. After cooling, the pan is turned upside-down so the glaze ends up on the top of the buns. You have to scale ingredients and there are many steps, but it is not hard. The final product will be well worth it!

Ingredients- Dough:

• 4 oz butter (you can substitute 1-2 oz of butter for shortening to make dough easier to handle)
• 4 oz sugar
• 0.4 oz salt
• 1 oz non-fat milk solids (dried milk)
• 3 oz eggs
• 8 oz water
• 0.525 oz dry instant yeast (fast acting or rapid rise)
• 1 lb bread flour
• 4 oz cake flour
• cinnamon-sugar

Ingredients- Glaze:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup toasted pecans (optional)

1. Start by making the dough. Using a paddle in an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and non fat milk solids. Then slowly add in the eggs, allowing them to incorporate before adding more. Next, add in the water. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast ad flours. Then add in the flour to form a dough. You can add a little more cake flour if dough is too loose. Switch to a dough hook and knead for 4 minutes.
2. The dough will need to ferment for 1.5 to 2 hours at 75F. Be sure to cover it so it doesn’t dry out. While the dough is fermenting, make the glaze. Cream together all ingredients using a paddle in an electric mixer. Spread the glaze onto the bottom of a pan with tall sides (and sprinkle with pecans if using), such as a roasting pan, and cover.
3. Once the dough is done fermenting, transfer it to a floured surface. Fold the dough 2-3 times. Then roll out into a rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll dough into log and cut into 8 even pieces. Place the rolls into the pan, resting on top of the glaze. Cover and let proof for 30-45 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Glaze will be bubbly and buns will be browned.
5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then turn pan over onto parchment paper.