Sticky Buns / America's Test Kitchen

makes 12 buns

total time: 3¼ hours (make dough: 1 hour/ first rise: 40 min./ shape dough: 10 min./ second rise: 40 min./ bake: 30 min./ cool: 20 min.)

Ingredients

dough

• 3 cups (16½ ounces) bread flour, divided
• ⅔ cup (5⅓ ounces) water, room temperature
• ⅔ cup (5⅓ ounces) milk, room temperature
• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1½ teaspoons table salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened

topping

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup packed (3½ ounces) dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup dark or light corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

filling

• ¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. make dough. Whisk ¼ cup flour and water in small bowl until no lumps remain. Microwave, whisking every 20 seconds, until mixture thickens to stiff, smooth, pudding-like consistency that forms mound when dropped from end of whisk into bowl, 40 to 80 seconds. In bowl of stand mixer, whisk flour paste and milk until smooth. Add egg and yolk and whisk until incorporated. Add remaining 2¾ cups flour and yeast. Fit stand mixer with dough hook and mix on low speed until all flour is moistened, 1 to 2 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Add sugar and salt to dough and mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes. Stop mixer and add butter. Continue to mix on medium-low speed for 5 minutes longer, scraping down dough hook and sides of bowl halfway through (dough will stick to bottom of bowl). Transfer dough to lightly floured counter. Knead briefly to form ball.
3. first rise. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased bowl or container and lightly coat surface of dough with oil spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until just doubled in volume, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
4. make topping. While dough rises, grease 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Add water and whisk until incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pan and tilt pan to cover bottom. Sprinkle evenly with pecans, if using.
5. make filling. Stir sugar and cinnamon in small bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
6. shape.
7. (a) second rise. Let buns rise until puffy and touching on another, 40 minutes to 1 hour. (b) for an overnight rise. Refrigerate buns for up to 14 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let buns sit at room temperature until puffy and touching one another, 1 to 1½ hours
8. bake. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and lowest positions. Place rimmed baking sheet on lower rack to catch any drips and heat oven to 375°. Bake buns on upper rack until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate pan; cover loosely with aluminum foil; and bake until center of dough registers at least 200 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let buns cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Place rimmed baking sheet over buns and carefully invert. Remove pan and let buns cool for 5 minutes. Using spoon, scoop any glaze on sheet onto buns. Let cool for at least 10 minutes longer before serving.

from America's Test Kitchen, Everyday Bread