sticky buns from joanne chang's flour bakery.

after waiting and waiting for the brioche to proof, i was finally able to make my sticky buns.  i must say, this recipe is very time consuming (about 30 minutes of kneading, 6 hours to proof in the refrigerator, and 2 hours for the dough to rise... more or less 9 hours in total), but it was definitely worth it.  the bread was moist and rich.  the goo was sticky and flavorful.  i only have one word to summarize it.  YUMMY!

a nice golden brown :D

i wasn't able to roll the dough tight enough so when i tried to place them in the pyrex after cutting them, some of the filling fell out.  but to my surprise, after rising, the dough puffed up enough to fill in the gaps.  but note to self, roll tighter...

sticky buns.

adapted from joanne chang's flour: spectacular recipes from boston's flour bakery + cafe.
*yields 8 buns.

what you'll need:

• medium sauce pan
• small bowl
• silpat non-stick silicone baking mat (optional)
• bench scraper OR chef's knife
• plastic wrap
• kitchen towel
• 9 by 13 baking dish

ingredients:

Goo:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups (330 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (110 grams) honey
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) water
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Sticky Buns:

• 1/2 basic brioche dough
• 1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (100 grams) pecan halves, toasted and chopped

directions:

1. toast the pecans in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.  
2. first, make the goo.  in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (note: it may look separated, that's okay).  remove from heat and whisk in the  honey, cream, water, and salt.  strain to remove any undissolved lumps of brown sugar.  let cool for about 30 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.  you should have about 3 cups.  (note: this mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator)
3. on a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into the rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4 inch thick.  it will have the consistency of cold, damp play-doh and should be fairly easy to roll.  position the rectangle so a short side is facing you.  
4. in a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and half of the pecans. sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the dough. starting from the short side farthest from you and working your way down, roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. try to roll tightly, so you have a nice round spiral. trim off about 1/4- inch from each end of the roll to make them even.
5. use a bench scraper or a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2-inches wide. (at this point, the unbaked buns can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 week. when ready to bake, thaw them, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, then proceed as directed.)
6. pour the goo into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly over the surface. arrange the buns, evenly spaced, in the baking dish. cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm spot to proof until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching-almost tripled in size, about 2 hours.
7. position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350F.
8. bake until golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. let cool in the dish on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. one at a time, invert the buns onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the bottom of the dish over the top.
9. the buns are best served warm or within 4 hours of baking. they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, and then warmed in a 325 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before serving.

final notes:

my goo didn't come out as goo-y as i would have liked.  but it may have been my fault as i didn't really let it come to a complete cool before i used it.  i didn't realize that it needed to cool and i already rolled out the dough into pretty rolls.  don't make the same silly mistake i did, read the directions throughly BEFORE starting NOT while....

<3 BabyBear