Cinnamon rolls were born in the Nordic countries, Americans popularized them, and now you can eat them in most cities around the world. It’s not very difficult to deduce why: they’re beautiful, and their spiral shape makes them incredibly tender, with thin layers that separate with every bite in a kind of sponge cake puff. Thanks to the glaze, they also last a very long time and are very easy to prepare compared to other pastry preparations. Come on, everyone wins here.
The only problem I see is that I’ve eaten many. Most of them are quite similar in shape, taste and texture, it’s hard to find a cinnamon roll that makes you say “wow”. There are of course exceptions: in Madrid, the Novomundo bakery makes incredible puff pastry with buttercream; and Panem, some cinnamon-filled puff pastry knots that will have you saying “wow” and smiling with emotion. But hey, I’ll beat the bush: the cinnamon rolls are a bit on the look-out, and you need to vary them a bit.
Today’s recipe is that of cinnamon rolls’ first cousins: sticky buns. The name translates to “sticky buns” and its definition is as follows: They’re regular cinnamon rolls, but instead of having the classic white frosting, they’re baked on top of toffee with honey and pecans. They then turn around to reveal shiny, fluffy, and most importantly, sticky buns. They’re just right sweet as they should be—tough when that classic white frosting kicks in—and the contrast of texture and flavor the pecans offer makes them a tad superior, I think.
This recipe also features a tangzhong, a Japanese technique in which a premix of flour, milk, and water is boiled to gelatinize the protein in the flour and increase its water absorbency. Therefore, by adding the tangzhong to the dough, we get juicier buns, and also shorter kneading.
difficulty
The brioche batter is a bit sticky, but with patience and a love of eating, you’ll be fine.
Ingredients
for the buns
- Tangzhong (20g flour + 20ml water + 20ml milk)
- 450 grams of wheat flour
- 7 g dry instant baker’s yeast
- 50 grams of sugar
- 2 grams of salt
- 100 ml whole milk
- 75 ml water
- 2 eggs l
- 50g unsalted butter
For the filling
- 25g unsalted butter
- 150g brown sugar
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- zest of 1 orange
- Nutmeg to taste
For the glaze
- 125g unsalted butter
- 125g brown sugar
- 50 grams of honey
- 10 g cane honey (optional)
- 2 grams of salt
- 150g pecan nuts
Preparation
To prepare the tangzhong, place the water, milk, and flour in a saucepan and heat over medium-high. Stir frequently until it thickens considerably and forms a sticky and elastic mixture. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
In a large bowl, add flour, instant baker’s yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix with a whisk, make a hole in the center and add the milk, water, 2 eggs and the tanzghong. Beat until the mixture is homogeneous and begin to incorporate the flour little by little, creating a dough that you put into your hands when the chopsticks are no longer serving.
When all the flour is incorporated and a dough has formed, add the diced and creamed butter in three batches. Incorporate each batch completely by hand before adding the next.
When all the butter is incorporated, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 to 15 minutes, or until smooth and springs back completely to finger pressure. The dough will be a bit sticky at first, but gradually it should gain structure and be easier to work with.
When the dough is ready, form it into a ball, place in a lightly floured bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Leave to ferment at room temperature for two hours or until doubled in volume. You can also let it ferment in the fridge overnight, which will further develop its flavor.
While fermenting, cut half of the pecans into irregular pieces and grease a pan with butter. Place butter, brown sugar, honey, cane syrup and salt in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Mix frequently until all the sugar has dissolved and you have a thick, homogeneous mixture. Transfer all of the frosting to the mold, then spread the chopped walnuts over the entire surface, as well as the rest of the whole walnuts.
Melt the butter for the filling in the microwave and leave to cool. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and when ready, remove the sourdough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a rectangle until it measures about 50 x 30 cm. Glaze the entire surface with the cold melted butter, sprinkle all the cinnamon sugar on top and grate the orange zest and nutmeg on top.
Roll the dough in on yourself, working side to side, working your way up little by little, making sure it’s tight. When fully rolled, gently pinch the end to seal.
Cut off the ends, then using a serrated knife, divide the roll into 12 equal pieces, split in half, then each half in half, and each half in three. Transfer each piece to the mold with the cut side up, leaving room between them for growth. Cover pan with greased plastic wrap or a damp towel and allow to rise at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the buns are puffed up and spring back slightly with finger pressure.
Place the buns in the oven at 180 degrees, heat from the bottom only, for 25 minutes or until golden brown. If you want to make sure they’re done and have a thermometer, the inside of the buns should read 93 degrees.
Remove the buns from the oven and let cool for three minutes. Separate the edges with a knife, place a tray on top and turn over. Tap the bottom of the mold and then lift it up. If some of the frosting remains in the pan, quickly spread it back onto the buns before they get too cold.
If you make this recipe, share the result on your social networks with the hashtag #RecipesComidista. And if it goes wrong, complain to the Defender of the Cook by sending an email to [email protected].