Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns Recipe

Prepare

1. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with a drizzle of vegetable oil and set aside.

Make the dough

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk over MED heat until warmed. Pour warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir in the granulated sugar and yeast. Let mixture sit about 5 to 10 minutes. Yeast mixture should be foamy looking and smell “yeasty”. This step to to activate the yeast and make sure it’s still good.  If mixture doesn’t look foamy, discard and start over with new yeast.
2. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add butter, eggs and salt, then mix on LOW speed until combined. Gradually add in the flour, in about 1 cup increments. When all the flour has been added, increase mixer speed to about MED, and mix about 5 minutes, or until a soft dough forms.  
3. Dough should be soft and smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky.  If dough is too sticky, add extra flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, and mix until it’s soft and smooth.  If dough is too stiff, add some water, about 1/4 tsp, and mix until dough is soft.

Knead the dough

1. Lightly flour your counter or other flat surface and transfer dough onto it. Dust your hands with flour and knead by hand about a minute or so, or until the dough comes together. Form the dough into a ball and transfer to prepared mixing bowl. 

First rise

1. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, loosely, and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm spot for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Roll dough

1. Once dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, roughly 12x18 inches in size. Use the rolling pin to make sure the dough is an even thickness.

Make the filling

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
2. Spread dough rectangle with softened butter, then top with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Gently use your fingers to pat the sugar/cinnamon mixture to help it stay in place during the rolling process.
3. Starting with one of the longer sides of the rectangle, roll up tightly into a log shape.  I find starting to roll one side, rolling away from you once, then moving down the line a bit and doing the same thing, repeating until you’re all the way across gives you the most even rolling method.
4. Once you have an 18 inch long log, carefully slice the log in 12 evenly sized rolls.

Make the caramel pecan topping

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla over MED heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in cream.
2. Butter or grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour caramel sauce into bottom of baking dish, lifting and tilting dish to make sure caramel is evenly coating the bottom.  Sprinkle pecans evenly over the top of the caramel.  

Second rise

1. Arrange rolls on top of the caramel and pecans, cut side up, then cover tightly with foil and let rise again for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until larger and puffy.

Bake

1. While the second rise is happening, preheat the oven to 375°F degrees, and once fully heated, bake sticky buns about 25 minutes. If you find the tops of the rolls are getting TOO golden brown, cover loosely with foil during the second half of baking.

Cool and invert

1. Remove pan from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes, then place a large serving tray or sheet pan over the top of the baking dish.
2. Very carefully, and using oven safe gloves/mitts, hold onto both the tray and the dish and flip them both over together to invert the rolls. Lift up the baking dish and set aside.  
3. Serve rolls warm, with additional caramel sauce if desired.