Caveat comedentis: this week's TWD recipe, Pecan Sticky Buns, should probably be saved for special occasions. Regular consumption of this much butter and sugar will have your doctor prescribing Lipitor and insulin to you in a heart beat, trust me.
The sticky buns start with a rich, egg-y brioche dough that is laminated with butter. (Laminate - just a fancy schmancy pastry term for creating layers in the dough with butter.) The dough was a dream to work with and super easy to roll out. But with its 15 minutes of non-stop kneading I have to tell you it really did test the strength of my Kitchen-Aid professional stand mixer. I'm happy to report that in the battle of dough versus machine, the machine prevailed. A true workhorse, I tell you!
Rather than baking the buns on the same day I ended up freezing the cinnamon and nut filled brioche logs to finish at a later time. Unfortunately I found that postponing the baking inhibited the dough's ability to proof and rise in a timely manner. It took over 24 hours for the buns to expand enough to fill the entire 9-inch cake pan.
Once baked all was right with the world - the buns puffed and browned beautifully. Sadly, I found the topping disappointing. The butter and brown sugar separated and didn't meld in to the thick and gooey caramel that I was expecting. Next time I think I'll reduce the butter used from 8 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons (per cake pan), substitute dark brown sugar for light and pre-cook it before pouring in the the cake pan. This recipe wasn't necessarily a home run for me, more like a work in progress.
Once baked all was right with the world - the buns puffed and browned beautifully. Sadly, I found the topping disappointing. The butter and brown sugar separated and didn't meld in to the thick and gooey caramel that I was expecting. Next time I think I'll reduce the butter used from 8 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons (per cake pan), substitute dark brown sugar for light and pre-cook it before pouring in the the cake pan. This recipe wasn't necessarily a home run for me, more like a work in progress.
Hi, your buns looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI did not like the topping but loved the "modified brioche" (next time I have to add more salt and sugar to it).
I'll re-make the brioche for sure - but not the sticky buns
Happy Blogging!
I really enjoyed these buns... that dough was simply beautiful!!! I did wonder about how they would perform if you froze them.. 24 hours is a long time to wait for them!! Thanks for the info!! As for the butter..lets just say I havent missed a day's workout at the gym ever since I made these!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou really waited for them to rise! Too bad you didn´t like them much.. but your pictures are beautiful as always
ReplyDeleteI love all the pecans! Your buns look great:)
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you! I've solved the mystery about why mine didn't rise fully! I froze two pans and brought one to room temperature to bake, but they never really filled the pan, and consequently went a little squished on the sides. I will know better with the second pan and take them out of the freezer way in advance. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNot a home run for me either, but now we have done it and have ideas as to what to do differently if we do it again!! Your buns look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt looks beautiful. Ours wasn't very caramelly either, but I enjoyed the glaze it had instead.
ReplyDeleteOh I like the way yours look with all those nuts on top! Great job…they look beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYours look extra delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteI have had better success with other sticky bun toppings - the topping on this one did seem to be missing something.
ReplyDeleteLovely job!
I love how you used chopped pecans on top instead of the 3 halves per bun. It really looks appetizing. I too had a problem with the logs rising after being in the freezer overnight. I could not wait for them to fill the pan before baking. But I don't think it changed the taste or appearance of the final product. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteLook at all those nuts!! So pretty! I was feeling the same about the butter/brown sugar combo. When I bake off the rest of the frozen ones, I will precook the caramel. And probably chop up all my pecans, just like yours. Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures alone are making me put on weight.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! My topping didn't caramelize that well either. But I skimped on the butter in the pan. It seemed like sooo much.
ReplyDeleteI like your disclaimer:) That should come with several of our recipes!
ReplyDeleteWow! Yours look amazing!! I like the crushed pecans... nice job :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! I've stumbled upon various websites and been comparing the recipes. I like how you made this recipe with a personal touch and not just copy it from others. Keep posting! managed web hosting
ReplyDelete