Joanne Changs Sticky Buns Recipes

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.

JOANNE CHANG'S STICKY STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• To make the dough, combine the flours, yeast, granulated sugar, salt, 1/4 cup cold water, and the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Beat on low speed until all the ingredients come together, about 4 minutes, stopping the mixer as needed to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Once the dough has come together, beat on low speed for another 4 minutes. The dough will be stiff and will seem quite dry.
• With the mixer on low speed, begin to add the butter one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition until it disappears into the dough. Once all the butter has been added, continue to mix on low speed, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until all the butter is incorporated into the dough, about 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough becomes sticky, soft, and somewhat shiny, about 10 minutes. Test the dough by pulling at it; it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If the dough seems wet and more like a batter than a dough, add additional all-purpose flour, a tablespoon at a time, and mix until it comes together.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead gently for a few moments. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the dough. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 or up to 12 hours.
• To make the goo, 30 minutes before you are ready to roll out your dough, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the honey, cream, 1/3 cup water, and the salt until smooth. Pour the goo into a 9×13-inch baking dish, covering the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the surface and let cool slightly (about 20 minutes) before adding the buns.
• To make the filling, combine the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator (it will be the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh) and transfer it to a floured surface. Roll it out into a 12×16-inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the surface. Starting from a short side, roll up the rectangle tightly like a jelly roll. Trim about 1/4 inch from each end to even them.
• Use a chef's knife to cut the roll into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the buns, evenly spaced, cut side up, on top of the goo in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until almost tripled in size, 2 to 3 hours.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until the buns are golden brown and the goo is bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let the dish cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then invert the buns, one at a time, onto a serving platter, and spoon any extra goo and pecans from the dish over the top.

JOANNE CHANG'S STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• DOUGH:.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick.
• Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche.
• Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick.
• Spread the Goo on the bottom of a roasting pan and place buns evenly spaced in the pan. She sprinkled additional chopped pecans on the goo before placing the dough on the it.
• Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.
• GOO:.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar.
• Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water.
• Set aside.