Sticky Buns
For sticky buns, be sure to use pans with at least 2-inch-high walls, as the slurry will bubble and foam while baking and could overflow a pan with a shallow rim. Place the pans on a sheet pan to catch any glaze that does bubble over. I’ve given you three options for the sweet slurry in the bottom of the pan. Each is delicious, so you’ll just have to give them all a try and see which you prefer. Thanks to recipe tester Jim Lee for the delicious creamy caramel slurry recipe, a classic cream and sugar version, which is very easy to make. His caramel is different in texture and color from Susan’s (my wife’s no-longer-secret recipe!), which is made from a sugar and butter combination, but both result in serious childhood flashbacks. If you use the honey almond slurry, yet another wonderful glaze, it would be a good idea to use slivered or coarsely chopped almonds if you sprinkle nuts over the dough before rolling it up. Whichever version you use, the uncooked slurry should cover the bottom of the pan to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 24 sticky buns
Ingredients
Slurry Options: Creamy Caramel Slurry
Honey Almond Slurry
Susan’s Sticky Bun Slurry
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the all-purpose sweet dough as directed on page 140.
On baking day
Step 2
Remove the sweet dough from the refrigerator about 3 hours before you plan to bake. Divide it in half and form each piece into a ball. Cover each ball with a bowl or plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
Step 3
On a floured work surface, roll each ball of dough into a 12 by 15-inch rectangle, rolling from the center to the corners and then rolling out to the sides. If the dough starts to resist or shrink back, let it rest for 1 minute, then continue rolling. The dough should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
Step 4
Make cinnamon sugar by whisking the cinnamon into the sugar. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle the raisins, chopped nuts, or both over the surface if you like. Roll up the dough like a rug, rolling from the bottom to the top to form a tight log. Make one of the slurries.
Step 5
Fill the bottom of two 8- or 9-inch round pans or one 12-inch square pan with 1/4 inch of one of the slurries. Store any excess slurry in the refrigerator, where it will keep for at least 2 weeks. Sprinkle chopped nuts over the slurry if you like; although this is optional, it’s highly advised for flavor.
Step 6
Cut the log into 1-inch slices and place them on the slurry with the nicest side down, leaving about 1 inch of space between the buns. Mist with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough swells noticeably and the buns begin to expand into each other.
Step 7
About 15 minutes before baking, put the oven rack in a low position (so the slurry gets plenty of bottom heat) and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Step 8
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans as needed for an even bake. The slurry will melt, bubble, and caramelize, and the visible dough will be a dark golden brown. Lift one of the buns with a metal spatula or a pair of tongs to check the underside of the dough, which should be a light caramel brown, not white. The sugar slurry should turn a rich amber or golden brown, and all of the sugar should have melted to become caramel. (If it is still grainy and not amber, continue baking; you can put a tent of aluminum foil over the buns to protect them from getting too dark while the slurry finishes caramelizing.)
Step 9
Remove the pans from the oven and let the buns cool for 2 to 3 minutes in the pans so the caramel begins to firm up. Place a platter or pan over the top of the baking pan. It should be large enough to cover the baking pan and hold all of the buns. Wearing oven mitts or using hot pads, flip the entire assemblage over to release the buns and caramel onto the platter. Be careful, the glaze will still be very hot at this point. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining glaze from the pan and drizzle it over the tops of the buns.
Step 10
Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Variations
Step 11
A nice addition is to sprinkle about 1/2 cup (3 oz / 85 g) of raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit over the slurry before placing the rolls in the pan. If using larger dried fruits, such as dried apricots, chop them into small bits first.
Step 12
You can also bake the buns in greased muffin tins. Put 1/4 inch of slurry in each cup, sprinkle in nuts or dried fruit as you wish, then press in a slice of the rolled dough. You’ll probably need to slice the log thinner than 1 inch so that the spirals fill the muffin cups half full. Proof and bake as directed above.
Slurry Options: Creamy Caramel Slurry
Step 13
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes . If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a large spoon for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and homogeneous.
Honey Almond Slurry
Step 14
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a large spoon for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and homogeneous.
Susan’s Sticky Bun Slurry
Step 15
Combine the sugars and butter in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. If mixing by hand, stir vigorously with a large spoon for 2 minutes. The ingredients should be smooth and evenly blended. Add the corn syrup, salt, and lemon extract and mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed, or continue mixing vigorously by hand, for about 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high speed or stir even more vigorously for 1 or 2 minutes, until the slurry is fluffy.
