Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Additional time: 2 hrs | Total time: 3 hrs 5 mins | Servings: 12 | Yield: 12 sticky buns
I will be forever impressed with the contract of the attractively tender, airy dough and the sweet, crunchy, sticky topping of these Chef John’s Sticky Buns! This has been one of my top picks recipes. Try this very soon, and I am sure you’ll love this as much as I do!
Ingredients
Dough:
1 large egg, beaten
⅔ c. warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
⅔ c. warm milk
2 tbsp white sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ tsp fine salt
4 c. all-purpose flour, or more as needed
Sticky Topping:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ c. packed light brown sugar
¼ c. white sugar
3 tbsp water
1 c. chopped toasted pecans
1 pinch salt
Sugar Filling:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ c. packed light brown sugar
How to make Chef John’s Sticky Buns
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, mix the warm water and milk, then sprinkle with yeast. Allow it to sit for approximately 10 minutes until frothy.
Step 2: To the yeast mixture, add the sugar, egg, and melted butter. Mix everything using a whisk, then add 75% of the flour with the salt. Continue whisking, adding more flour, until the dough is very soft and a sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough with a mixer for approximately 5 minutes. Cover the dough and allow it to rise for about an hour in a warm spot until the size has doubled.
Step 3: In the meantime, prepare the oven. Preheat it to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Generously grease a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan with butter.
Step 4: In a bowl, place the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, melted butter, and water. Mix well until smooth to make the topping. Pour and evenly spread this to the prepared pan to cover the bottom, then evenly scatter the pecans on top. Set aside for now.
Step 5: For the filling, whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until well mixed. Set aside.
Step 6: Onto a lightly floured surface, transfer the dough. Press and stretch the dough with your lightly floured hands and form it into an 18 x 15-inch rectangle. Over the dough to the edges, evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border on the edges. Then, lightly press the sugar mixture into the dough.
Step 7: Into a cylinder, roll the dough, beginning with the edge nearest to you, trying not to tightly roll the dough. After shaping the dough into a cylinder as evenly as possible, turn it seam-side down. Using the edge of a knife, lightly score the roll to indicate 12 equal portions.
Step 8: Under the dough, place a piece of string/floss and line it up at the first knife mark, crossing the ends of the string on top. Then, pull the string in the opposite directions to cut through the dough. Do the same with the rest of the dough.
Step 9: Into the pan with the topping, transfer the buns, creating 3 rows of 4 buns. Loosely cover with a foil and allow the buns to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour until almost the size has doubled.
Step 10: Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of a bun reached 200 degrees F or 93 degrees C. In the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking time, loosely cover the pan with foil if the tops are getting too browned.
Step 11: Transfer the pan onto a wire rack when done and allow the buns to cool for about 5 minutes before carefully turning the pan over onto a serving platter. Allow to cool further and serve warm or at room temperature. Make sure to spoon the sticky toppings that have remained in the pan. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts:
Per Serving: 449 calories; protein 6.6g; carbohydrates 63g; fat 19.8g; cholesterol 47.1mg; sodium 324.7mg.
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ⅔ c. warm water
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- ⅔ c. warm milk
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ tsp fine salt
- 4 c. all-purpose flour, or more as needed
- Sticky Topping:
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ½ c. packed light brown sugar
- ¼ c. white sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 c. chopped toasted pecans
- 1 pinch salt
- Sugar Filling:
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ c. packed light brown sugar
Instructions
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, mix the warm water and milk, then sprinkle with yeast. Allow it to sit for approximately 10 minutes until frothy.
Step 2: To the yeast mixture, add the sugar, egg, and melted butter. Mix everything using a whisk, then add 75% of the flour with the salt. Continue whisking, adding more flour, until the dough is very soft and a sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough with a mixer for approximately 5 minutes. Cover the dough and allow it to rise for about an hour in a warm spot until the size has doubled.
Step 3: In the meantime, prepare the oven. Preheat it to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Generously grease a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan with butter.
Step 4: In a bowl, place the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, melted butter, and water. Mix well until smooth to make the topping. Pour and evenly spread this to the prepared pan to cover the bottom, then evenly scatter the pecans on top. Set aside for now.
Step 5: For the filling, whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl until well mixed. Set aside.
Step 6: Onto a lightly floured surface, transfer the dough. Press and stretch the dough with your lightly floured hands and form it into an 18 x 15-inch rectangle. Over the dough to the edges, evenly sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border on the edges. Then, lightly press the sugar mixture into the dough.
Step 7: Into a cylinder, roll the dough, beginning with the edge nearest to you, trying not to tightly roll the dough. After shaping the dough into a cylinder as evenly as possible, turn it seam-side down. Using the edge of a knife, lightly score the roll to indicate 12 equal portions.
Step 8: Under the dough, place a piece of string/floss and line it up at the first knife mark, crossing the ends of the string on top. Then, pull the string in the opposite directions to cut through the dough. Do the same with the rest of the dough.
Step 9: Into the pan with the topping, transfer the buns, creating 3 rows of 4 buns. Loosely cover with a foil and allow the buns to rise for about 45 minutes to an hour until almost the size has doubled.
Step 10: Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of a bun reached 200 degrees F or 93 degrees C. In the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking time, loosely cover the pan with foil if the tops are getting too browned.
Step 11: Transfer the pan onto a wire rack when done and allow the buns to cool for about 5 minutes before carefully turning the pan over onto a serving platter. Allow to cool further and serve warm or at room temperature. Make sure to spoon the sticky toppings that have remained in the pan. Enjoy!
