TWD: sticky gooey nutty messy- DELISH!

I finally got my hands unstuck and could sit down to type this up.:)

Dorie does it again with the Pecan Sticky Buns, this week's Tuesday with Dorie selection by Madam Chow. I love Madam Chow. She was one of the first people to comment when I first join TWD and now I know we are friends from afar because I would have chosen this recipe, were it my turn. (Only 18 more weeks to go!)

Now, for the buns. The sticky buns are made from Dorie's brioche dough which I had the pleasure of experiencing a few weeks ago. I liked the raisin brioche snails but I think I like their sweeter, nutty cousin a lot better. Nutty cousins always make life more interesting. Just ask my cousins what they think about me and they'll confirm.

Anyway, my dough rose like a dream and this time I had the good sense to hold my KA mixer down so it didn't dance across the counter. A few slaps, more rising, and a few more slaps and the dough was ready to chill all night long.

The next day, I woke up and followed the directions for bun assembly. (Could there be any more butter in the recipe?) Everything worked just as Dorie explained and my buns we rolled, sliced and ready to rise. I followed a tip another TWD gave once and let my buns rise in the oven with the light on. It worked almost too well as my buns were doubled in just an hour. A quick confirmation IM to my buddy CB and I was convinced it was time to bake.

I popped the suckers in and just half an hour later, I was ready to devour these tasty treats. Did I mention that this was supposed to be breakfast and it was now almost 1 o'clock?

I'm taking these to work so I'll let you know what the coworkers think. Hubs and I gave it an A. So delish!

Head on over to TWD and see how all our Dor-ific bakers did this week!

Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Makes 15 buns
For the Glaze:
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces1/4 cup honey1-1/2 cups pecans (whole or pieces)

For the Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Buns:
1/2 recipe dough for Golden Brioche loaves (see below), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating it overnight)

Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan (a Pyrex pan is perfect for this).

To make the glaze: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Pour the glaze into the buttered pan, evening it out as best you can by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle over the pecans.

To make the filling: Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.

To shape the buns: On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the chilled dough into a 16-inch square. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months . . . . Or, if you want to make just part of the recipe now, you can use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder. Reduce the glaze recipe accordingly).

With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends of the roll if they're very ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. (Because you trim the ragged ends of the dough, and you may have lost a little length in the rolling, you will get 15 buns, not 16.) Fit the buns into the pan cut side down, leaving some space between them.

Lightly cover the pan with a piece of wax paper and set the pan in a warm place until the buns have doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The buns are properly risen when they are puffy, soft, doubled and, in all likelihood, touching one another.

Getting ready to bake: When the buns have almost fully risen , center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the sheet of wax paper and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed and gorgeously golden; the glaze will be bubbling away merrily. Pull the pan from the oven.



The sticky buns must be unmolded minutes after they come out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold them, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mate or buttered foil. Be careful - the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.