A buttery dough spiraled with sugar and spice and topped with sweet syrup-glazed apples and pecans makes these Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns a recipe you’ll want to indulge in time and time again.
Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns
Makes 10
Ingredients
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided
- 2 tablespoons sorghum syrup
- 2 tablespoons cane syrup
- ⅔ cup pecan halves
- ⅓ cup (3/16-inch-thick) sliced Gala apple
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Sticky Bun Dough (recipe follows)
- 1⅓ cups finely chopped peeled Granny Smith apples
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- STICKY BUN DOUGH
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Instructions
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook ¾ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, sorghum, and cane syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Sprinkle pecan halves evenly in bottom of skillet.
- In a small bowl, stir together sliced apple and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; arrange apple slices on pecans. In another small bowl, stir together cinnamon, salt, remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar until smooth.
- Turn out Sticky Bun Dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into an 18×12-inch rectangle. Spread brown sugar mixture onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border on one long side.
- In a small bowl, stir together chopped apple, chopped pecans, and remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch; sprinkle onto brown sugar mixture. Starting at long side without border, tightly roll up dough into a log, pinching seam to seal. Using a serrated knife, trim 1⁄4 inch of each end of log. Cut log into 10 (1¾-inch-thick) slices. Place slices, cut side up, on apples in skillet. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert buns onto a serving plate; serve warm.
- STICKY BUN DOUGH
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together 1½ cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, heat ⅓ cup water, milk, butter, and vanilla over medium heat until mixture registers 120° to 130° in an instant-read thermometer. Slowly add milk mixture to flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Add egg, beating until combined. Beat in 1½ cups flour on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape hook and sides of bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a smooth round. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray; place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Loosely cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
