Description
Warm, gooey, and irresistibly delicious homemade sticky buns with a rich caramel sauce and optional pecans or walnuts. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the melted butter and beaten eggs to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add a little flour if too sticky, but be careful not to add too much.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1 ½ hours, or until doubled in size.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: While the dough is rising, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Assemble and Bake: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour the caramel sauce evenly into the bottom.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans or walnuts (if using) over the caramel sauce.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch it down.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 12×18 inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough.
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough.
- Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log.
- Cut the log into 12 equal slices using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss.
- Place the slices, cut-side up, in the prepared baking pan, spacing them evenly apart.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, or until the buns have puffed up slightly.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown and the caramel is bubbly.
- Let the buns cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting them onto a serving platter.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Use warm milk (105-115°F) to activate the yeast.
- Don’t over-knead the dough.
- Allow the dough to rise in a warm place.
- Use softened butter for the filling.
- Don’t skip the second rise.
- Keep an eye on the buns while they’re baking.
- Invert the buns while they’re still warm.
- For an extra touch of flavor, add a pinch of sea salt to the caramel sauce.
- If you don’t have pecans or walnuts, you can use other nuts, such as almonds or macadamia nuts. You can also omit the nuts altogether if you prefer.
- For a richer flavor, use brown butter in the caramel sauce. To make brown butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it turns a nutty brown color. Be careful not to burn it.
- To make these sticky buns ahead of time, you can prepare the dough and filling the night before. Store the dough in the refrigerator overnight and let it come to room temperature before rolling it out. You can also prepare the caramel sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat it before pouring it into the pan.
- If you want to make individual sticky buns, you can use muffin tins instead of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Grease the muffin tins well and place one slice of dough in each tin.
- These sticky buns are delicious served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. They’re also great with a cup of coffee or tea.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes