Sticky Buns – cinnamon roll’s nutty more complicated cousin.

By more complicated, I’m referring to the extra day it takes to make these gooey lovelies (it can be done in one very long day, but it is actually easier to not cut corners with this one), the application and creation of the filling which requires slightly more work then the lackadaisical sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon, the patience of waiting out the slow rise, and the final scramble (and singed fingers) of removing these babies from their tins while hot and sticky.

… but if you are looking for a fun weekend-long project, are in the market for some new friends (these are guaranteed to draw a few people’s attention), or are just looking to bribe someone – these are well worth the effort!

This recipe makes 20 rolls.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp Salt
• 6 – 6 1/2 cups Flour
• 1 3/4 cups hot Water
• 4 Eggs (room temp)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted Butter

Filling:

• 1 lb Butter (room temp)
• 2 tbsp ground Cinnamon
• 2 cups Sugar

Assembly:

• 1 cup chopped Nuts (Walnuts or Pecans)
• non-stick Spray

Directions:

Dough (Day 1):

1. In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, the 1 tsp salt, and the 3 1/2 tsp of yeast.
2. Make a hollow in the middle of your dry ingredients, and place the water, beaten eggs, and melted butter in the hollow.
3. Beat the ingredients together for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time while still beating.
5. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes or until the flour is fully incorporated.  It’s best to use a machine with a bread hook attachment.  The dough is very soft and sticky, and can be hard to knead by hand unless you add more flour.  Do not over knead or your dough will get tough.  This recipe doesn’t need a heavy knead to come together.
6. Place the dough in a large greased container with an air tight seal.  A rectangular shaped container will give you an easier start to rolling out your sticky buns, and is recommended.
7. Store the dough in the refrigerator overnight to slow rise it.

Filling (Day 1):

1. Whip together the softened butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
2. Store overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Make sure to remove the filling from the refrigerator the next morning to soften before use.

Assembly, Proofing, and Baking (Day 2):

1. Prepare 20 jumbo muffin cups for the rolls by spraying them with a non-stick spray and sprinkling a couple of tablespoons of chopped nuts into the bottom of them.
2. Dust your work surface with some flour or non-stick spray (the non-stick spray works really well with the chilled dough), cut your dough rectangle down the middle to divide it equally in half, and roll out your first piece of dough into a large rectangle.  The dough should be about 1/4″ thick.
3. Spread half of the filling mixture over the dough so that the dough is covered in an even layer of filling.  Don’t skimp on the filling. The layer of filling should only be slightly thiner then the layer of dough.
4. Take one of the longer ends of the dough and roll it over.  Continue rolling it until your dough is in the shape of a large log with the filling within.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 10 even segments – about 1 1/2″ – 2″ thick.
6. Place the rolls in the greased muffin tins, the uglier side up since you will be flipping them over to serve.
7. Repeat this process with the second half of dough.
8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
9. Allow the rolls to rise for a couple of hours.  They should proof over the sides of your tins.  The lighter the better.  Don’t worry too much about over proofing, as long as you can uncover and transfer them to the oven without deflating them your golden.
10. Set your muffin tins on a couple of edged baking sheets for baking.  The filling has a tendency of dripping over, and it is easier to clean a baking sheet then an entire oven.
11. Bake the rolls for about 35-45 minutes.  The rolls should be golden on top and baked all the way through.
12. A couple of minutes after you pull the rolls out of the oven, use a small spatula to carefully flip the rolls over, out of their tins, and then scoop up the remaining nuts and place them on top of the flipped rolls.  Work quickly, as the rolls cool it will be harder to remove them from the tins.