Bread & Breakfast | Dec 22, 2010 | 0 Comments

Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Once the baking starts, there’s nothing stopping it. What was I thinking? giving up baking for soooo long, relying on mediocre food from restaurant delivery and fast food. I know someone is very pleased that there’s warm meals on the table after work and our fridge is full again with every imaginable sweets and desserts — although he’s also silently unhappy about the fact that from now on he has to triple his time at the gym. Hahahaha

This particular recipe is a bit tricky to make. I went through a few trials and errors until I got it right. And when I did, it was really worth it. Beautiful bread baked to perfection covered in sticky brown caramel on the bottom sprinkled with crunchy pecans and dark-rum soaked raisins.

I am now more confident in baking this baby and will share a couple of useful tricks with you guys.

Basic dough is made from the most-raved bread recipe “No-Knead Bread” from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day book. Basically it’s a great way to make bread, just a cup of this, a spoon of that, stir and stir and stir. Cover and stick it in the fridge for a day or two. And then, voila! A soft puffy bread dough ready for the next workout.

I tried the “stick it in the fridge and leave for 1 or 2 days” thing but not very happy with the result. I find another way that works better for me. Treat the yeast (instant or not) like a pampered kid. Yeast is the key to everything. If it doesn’t rise, the dough is going nowhere.

Place yeast in a small bowl, add 3 tbs lukewarm water (remember, lukewarm, not hot otherwise you’ll kill the yeast) and 2 tsp sugar. Stir. Cover with plastic wrap and keep it warm until it bubbles. I usually put the bowl in warm water in the kitchen sink. The four elements — sugar, lukewarm water, warm environment and moist are the ultimate playground for yeast. A pampered kid, remember?
Once the yeast has risen and frothed, you are ready to roll.

INGREDIENTS FOR BREAD DOUGH
* 7 cups of all purpose flour
* 4 pcs large eggs
* 1½ tbs instant yeast
* ½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
* 1¾ cup of lukewarm water
* ½ tbs salt
* ½ cup honey

In a bowl mix eggs & butter, salt, honey, yeast. Add flour bit by bit and stir. Pour in water also bit by bit, watch out for consistency. I do everything by hand – then cover with clingwrap. Place the bowl inside a bowl of warm water. Wait for about 45 mnts to 1 hour until the dough rises slightly. Then stick it in the fridge overnight. Or up to 4 days if you wish. The taste gets better.

CARAMEL TOPPING
* ½ cup of maple syrup
* 6 tbs butter – melted
* ½ tsp salt
* 1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
* 1 cup diced pecans

Mix butter, salt and sugar. Spread topping mix evenly on the bottom of the cake pan. Scatter with pecan.

CINNAMON FILLING
* 4 tbs butter – softened
* ½ cup light brown sugar
* 2 tsp ground cinnamon
* ½ cup chopped pecans
* ½ cup rum-soaked sultanas/raisins

1.) Divide dough into 2 parts. Shape the dough into a ball rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. This creates a taut, smooth surface. Let the dough rest, covered with a towel to take the chill off while you prepare rest of ingredients.

2.) Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16″ x 12″ rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over the dough, leaving an uncovered strip about 1″ wide along one long end of the rectangle.

3.) Roll the dough into a log shape. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 16 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices.

4.) Place buns in the prepared pans. Cover the pans, and let the buns rise till they spread out and touch one another, about 60 to 90 minutes.

5.) Bake the sticky buns for 15 minutes. Tent them lightly with aluminum foil, and bake till they’re a light golden brown, about 10 more minutes.

6.) Remove the buns from the oven. Carefully turn them out onto a rack or parchment- covered sheet pan to cool, scraping any glaze that may have stuck to the pan onto the warm buns.

7.) Serve warm, or at room temperature. Wrap airtight and store at room temperature.

Recipe source : SteamyKitchen and KingArthurFlour