Pecan Sticky Buns

This Pecan Sticky Bun recipe is one of the most insanely delicious things that I have ever made in my entire life.  Those are some serious words, I do not take them lightly.  I had half of a batch of my No Knead Challah Dough leftover and usually,I would make cinnamon rolls with them.  Cinnamon rolls are the one thing all of my children love, the one thing that they all agree on as a treat.  I saw the recipe for Flour’s Sticky Buns on the Food Network and instead of using brioche like they do, I used my challah dough.  Sometimes I get an idea in my head for a recipe and think that it is going to be good and turn out, this exceeded any expectation that I ever had.  Joanne Chang, the owner of Flour in Boston, starts by making what she calls “the goo”.  It is a mixture of butter, brown sugar, honey, cream, water and salt.  It makes the best “sticky” in the world.  The rolls are tender, the pecans add just enough crunch, and truly there is nothing better.

If you are in the market for a Christmas morning breakfast idea, I cannot think of a better way to celebrate Christmas than this.

The Goo:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the sticky buns:

1/2 batch No Knead Challah Dough
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
pinch cinnamon
1 cup toasted pecan halves (I leave half whole, and chop the other half)

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the brown sugar and cook until combined.  If it separates, don’t worry about it.  It all comes together in the end.

Take the butter mixture off of the heat, and whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt.

Let cool for 30 minutes.  At this point, you can put this into an airtight container and leave it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Pour the goo into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.  Scatter some the whole pecans on top of the goo.

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12×16 inches.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.

Scatter the sugar mixture over the dough.  Roll the dough up, trim off the ends, and slice into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Place the rolls cut side up on top of the goo.  Cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and let proof until almost doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes.  The rolls will be golden brown.

Let the buns cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Do not rush this step, if the goo does not cool a bit, the goo will run all over the place.  Place a platter on top of the baking dish and quickly and carefully flip it over.

Welcome to sticky bun heaven.

These are best eaten right away.  But you can reheat them in a 325 oven for about 10 minutes.

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