Chicago Sticky Buns Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Combine warm water and milk in a mixing bowl and sprinkle yeast over. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, egg, and melted butter for dough to the yeast mixture. Mix with a whisk before adding 75% of the flour with the salt. Mix, adding more flour, until a very soft and sticky dough is formed. Let knead in the mixer for about 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• While dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously butter a 9x13-inch metal baking pan.
• Combine brown sugar, white sugar, salt, melted butter, and water for topping in a bowl. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Scatter pecans evenly over the top. Set aside until needed.
• Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl for filling; mix until thoroughly combined. Set aside until needed.
• Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands and press and stretch the dough to form a 18x15-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough to the edges, leaving a 2-inch border along the edges. Lightly press the sugar mixture into the dough with your hands.
• Roll the dough into a cylinder with lightly floured hands starting with the edge closest to you; try not to roll too tightly. Finish shaping the cylinder as uniformly as possible, seam-side down. Lightly score the roll with the edge of a knife to indicate 12 equal portions.
• Slide a piece of string or floss under the dough, lining it up at the first knife mark. Cross the ends of the string over the top and pull in opposite directions to cut through the dough. Continue with remaining dough.
• Transfer buns into the pan with topping, making 3 rows of 4 buns. If one side of a bun has more dough than another, place with the doughier side up in the pan. Tent the pan loosely with foil and let rise until buns have almost doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Save foil in case you need it towards the end of baking time.
• Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun reaches 200 degrees F (93 degrees C), about 35 minutes. If the tops are getting too browned, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.
• Remove from the oven onto a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over carefully onto a serving platter. Use a spoon to transfer any sticky topping that has remained in the pan. Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• For the dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together the sugar and 1.6 ounces of butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Roll dough out flat into a rectangle. Top dough with 1/3 of the remaining butter. Fold the dough over the butter and put in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove the dough, fold again with 1/3 of the butter, and refrigerate for 1 more hour. Repeat folding process 1 more time, using the last 1/3 of the butter.
• For the filling: Cream the butter. Add the sugar and vegetable shortening and mix together. Add the honey and vanilla and mix well.
• To assemble: Put enough filling into each cup of a muffin pan so that it covers the bottom. Sprinkle some pecans over the filling in each cup.
• Flatten out a piece of dough. Egg wash the surface of the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder, sugar, golden raisins and pecans, to taste. Roll the dough into a log and then cut into 1-inch pieces. Place 1 piece into each muffin cup. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Place the muffin pan on a cookie sheet and flip over. Sticky buns should come out with a rounded caramelized pecan top.

FLOUR'S FAMOUS STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• First, make the goo. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook, stirring, to combine (it may look separated, that's ok). Remove from the 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. (The mixture can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)
• Divide the dough in half. Use half for this recipe and reserve the other half for another use.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche into 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.
• 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.
• 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.)
• 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.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350 degrees F.
• 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.
• 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.
• 1 3/8 cups (2 3/4 sticks; 310 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 10 to 12 pieces
• Using a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and 5 of the eggs. Beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined. Stop the mixer, as needed, to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 3 to 4 minutes. The dough will be very stiff and seem quite dry.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 1 piece at a time, mixing after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Continue mixing on low speed for about 10 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. It is important for all the butter to be thoroughly mixed into the dough. If necessary, stop the mixer occasionally and break up the dough with your hands to help mix in the butter.
• Once the butter is completely incorporated, turn up the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, another 15 minutes. It will take some time to come together. It will look shaggy and questionable at the start and then eventually it will turn smooth and silky. Turn the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute. You should hear the dough make a slap-slap-slap sound as it hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix on medium speed for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. It is ready when you can gather it all together and pick it up in 1 piece.
• Put the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof (that is, grow and develop flavor) in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight At this point you can freeze the dough in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in water. Add butter, sugar, milk powder and salt, then beat in 2 cups flour on low for 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, make sauce by combining brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in pecans. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Punch down dough. Turn onto a floured surface; roll into a 16x10-in. rectangle. Make filling by combining butter, sugar and cinnamon; spread to within 3/4 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices; place slices cut side down over sauce. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Cool 3 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

MARCIA'S FAMOUS STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Sprinkle nuts in the bottom of a greased Bundt pan. Lay frozen roll dough on top of the nuts. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over the dough, then the brown sugar, then the cinnamon. Pour the melted margarine over all. Lay a damp paper towel over the pan and place it in a cold oven over night.
• In the morning, remove paper towel and place pan in cold oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then flip out onto plate.

SUPER EASY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup brown sugar with the water and 2 tbsp of butter.
• Cook and stir until sugar has melted and the mixture is well blended.
• Spread all but about 3 tbsp of this mixture in the bottom of a shallow 9 inch baking dish.
• On a lightly floured surface, shape the thawed bread dough into a rectangle.
• Roll with a rolling pin until you get a 10x16 rectangle, letting the dough rest a few minutes if it is resistant to rolling.
• Spread remaining 2 tbsp of butter over the dough.
• Sprinkle on remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans, and drizzle with remaining caramel.
• Roll dough up jelly-roll style, starting at the long end.
• Pinch the seam together tightly.
• Using a serrated knife, cut the roll into 12 equal pieces.
• Place in pan, cut side up, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 30 minutes, until buns are golden brown.
• Let sit for 5 minutes, then invert onto serving platter.
• Serve warm.

HOMEMADE STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• Lightly grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish and large bowl with shortening or cooking spray.
• Place yeast in ungreased large bowl. Add warm water; mix well until dissolved. Stir in all remaining Dough ingredients except flour until well mixed. Add 3 cups of the flour; stir until a soft dough forms.
• On lightly floured work surface, knead dough 10 to 12 minutes, adding no more than 1/2 cup additional flour until dough is a good consistency and not too sticky. Dough should be slightly sticky and does not break when stretched. If it breaks, continue kneading.
• Place dough in greased large bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place 2 to 3 hours or until doubled in size.
• Punch down dough; place on lightly floured work surface. Cover dough with plastic wrap again; let rest 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, mix all Topping ingredients except pecans. Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle with pecans.
• After dough has rested, roll out dough with rolling pin into 18x12-inch rectangle. Brush dough with 1/4 cup softened butter, leaving 1-inch strip of dough along one long side. In small bowl, mix 2/3 cup brown sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over buttered dough.
• Staring with topped long side of dough, carefully and tightly roll dough into very long roll. Cut roll evenly into 15 slices. Place slices in 5 rows by 3 rows in baking dish over Topping. Let rise in warm place 30 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
• After rolls have doubled in size, heat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls 25 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately invert rolls onto serving platter, being extremely careful of hot sticky topping. Serve warm.