In this article
Saturday was sticky bun day in my mother’s house. She started the dough right after breakfast, and the kitchen smelled of yeast and cinnamon all morning, then of caramel, and by lunch the platter was empty. Nobody ever waited for them to cool, and she never once told us to. She knew what happened if you did: the caramel sets hard and stays behind in the pan, and you are left scraping it out with a spoon.
The whole secret sounds backwards the first time you hear it. The caramel goes in the bottom of the pan first: butter and brown sugar melted together, poured in and scattered with pecans. The cinnamon rolls sit right on top of that caramel to rise. In the oven the caramel bubbles up around the rolls, and when the pan comes out you turn the whole thing over onto a platter in one go. The pan lifts away, and the caramel runs down over every bun with the pecans on top. Here is exactly how long the dough rises each time, and how to make the flip without fear.
Why this pecan sticky buns works
- A rich, soft dough. Butter, egg and warm milk make a dough that bakes up tender and pulls apart in long soft spirals.
- Two rises, each one judged by eye. The dough doubles once in the bowl, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, and the rolls rise again in the pan for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they touch. That second rise is what makes them soft.
- Caramel on the bottom. Baked underneath, the caramel cooks into a real glossy sauce and soaks into the bottoms of the rolls.
- Cut with thread. Thread slices the roll cleanly without squashing it, so every bun keeps its round spiral.
- Turned out hot. Flipped within a minute or two of leaving the oven, the caramel is still liquid and runs down over the buns instead of setting in the pan.
Ingredients
Makes 12 large sticky buns in a 9x13 inch pan. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the dough
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees (240ml)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet, 7g)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (85g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (440g to 470g)
For the caramel
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (200g)
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup or honey (80g)
- 1 1/4 cups pecan halves (140g)
For the filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft (57g)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (100g)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Warm the milk only until it feels comfortably warm on your wrist. Hotter than about 115 degrees and it will kill the yeast. The syrup in the caramel keeps it from turning grainy and helps it run when you flip the pan.
How to make pecan sticky buns
- Stir the warm milk, sugar and yeast together in a large bowl and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Stir in the melted butter, egg and salt, then add the flour a cup at a time until the dough comes together. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and soft and only slightly tacky.
- Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with a towel and leave it in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This is the first rise.
- Meanwhile make the caramel: melt the butter, brown sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, just until smooth and bubbling at the edges. Pour it into a 9x13 inch metal or glass pan, spread it to the corners and scatter the pecans over it.
- Punch the dough down and roll it out to a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches. Spread it with the soft butter right to the edges, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over it.
- Roll it up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam closed. Slide a length of plain thread under the roll, cross the ends over the top and pull, cutting 12 even slices.
- Set the slices cut side down on the caramel in 3 rows of 4. Cover with a towel and let them rise again in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy and touching. This is the second rise.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) while they finish rising. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and the caramel bubbles thickly up the sides.
- Within a minute or two, set a large platter upside down over the pan. Holding the pan and platter together with oven mitts, turn them over in one quick move. Leave the pan in place for a few seconds, then lift it away. Scrape any caramel or pecans left behind back onto the buns.
Tips that make the difference
- Judge both rises by the dough, not the clock. A cool kitchen can stretch the first rise to 2 hours; a warm one can shorten it.
- Use a pan with sides at least 2 inches high. The caramel bubbles up as it bakes and will run over a shallow pan.
- Set the pan on a sheet of foil on the rack below to catch any caramel that does bubble over.
- Flip over the sink or a clear counter, and keep the platter wider than the pan. The caramel is very hot.
Variations
- Overnight sticky buns. After setting the rolls on the caramel, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, leave them on the counter for about 1 hour to finish rising, then bake as written.
- Walnut. Use walnut halves in place of the pecans.
- No nuts. Leave the pecans out for a plain caramel bun; add a pinch of salt to the caramel so it does not taste flat.
- Raisin. Scatter 1/2 cup raisins over the filling before rolling, the way some families always did.
Storage and make-ahead
Sticky buns are best the day they are baked. Keep leftovers covered on the platter at room temperature for up to 2 days.
To warm them, cover a bun loosely and microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds, or warm the whole platter in a 300 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, so the caramel softens again.
Baked buns freeze well for up to 2 months, wrapped tightly. Thaw at room temperature and warm before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How long does sticky bun dough rise?
Twice. The first rise in the bowl takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled. The second rise, on the caramel in the pan, takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the rolls are puffy and touching each other.
Why do I have to flip them right away?
The caramel is liquid when the pan comes out of the oven and sets as it cools. Flip within a minute or two and it runs down over the buns; wait too long and it stays glued to the pan.
Why did my caramel turn grainy?
The sugar crystallized, usually from boiling it too long before it went into the pan. Melt the butter and sugar only until smooth, and keep the syrup in the recipe; it prevents graininess.
Can I make these the night before?
Yes. Shape them, set them on the caramel, cover and refrigerate overnight. Let them finish rising on the counter for about an hour in the morning before baking.
Start the dough after breakfast, put the caramel in the bottom, and turn the pan over the minute it comes out. Then do what my family always did, and do not wait.
Pecan Sticky Buns (Caramel on the Bottom, Turned Out Hot)
Old-fashioned pecan sticky buns: a soft buttery yeast dough rolled with cinnamon sugar, set on a layer of brown sugar caramel and pecans, risen twice, baked at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes and turned upside down onto a platter while hot.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110 degrees
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup or honey
- 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir the warm milk, sugar and yeast together in a large bowl and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
- Stir in the melted butter, egg and salt, then add the flour a cup at a time until the dough comes together. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and soft and only slightly tacky.
- Put the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with a towel and leave it in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This is the first rise.
- Meanwhile make the caramel: melt the butter, brown sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, just until smooth and bubbling at the edges. Pour it into a 9x13 inch metal or glass pan, spread it to the corners and scatter the pecans over it.
- Punch the dough down and roll it out to a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches. Spread it with the soft butter right to the edges, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over it.
- Roll it up tightly from the long side and pinch the seam closed. Slide a length of plain thread under the roll, cross the ends over the top and pull, cutting 12 even slices.
- Set the slices cut side down on the caramel in 3 rows of 4. Cover with a towel and let them rise again in a warm spot for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy and touching. This is the second rise.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C) while they finish rising. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are deep golden and the caramel bubbles thickly up the sides.
- Within a minute or two, set a large platter upside down over the pan. Holding the pan and platter together with oven mitts, turn them over in one quick move. Leave the pan in place for a few seconds, then lift it away. Scrape any caramel or pecans left behind back onto the buns.
