Maple - Pecan Sticky Buns

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm water (105f-115f)
• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 teaspoons grated lemons, rind of
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about)
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 9 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins (if you don’t like raisins, use this amount of pecans)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Recipe

• 1 place water in small bowl.
• 2 sprinkle yeast and 1 tsp sugar over and stir to blend.
• 3 let stand until yeast dissolves, about 8 minutes.
• 4 combine oats, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, lemon peel and salt in large bowl.
• 5 heat milk in small saucepan until bubbles start to form around edge of pan.
• 6 pour hot milk over oat mixture and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
• 7 cool mixture 10 minutes.
• 8 add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and dissolved yeast to oat mixture; stir to blend.
• 9 mix in 3 cups flour.
• 10 beat batter for 100 strokes with a wooden spoon (or, better yet, get your husband to do it!).
• 11 cover bowl with plastic wrap; let batter rest 10 minutes.
• 12 mix enough flour into batter, ¼ cupful at a time, to form soft dough.
• 13 turn dough out onto floured surface.
• 14 knead gently until smooth and slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour if very sticky, about 8 minutes.
• 15 lightly oil large bowl.
• 16 place dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil.
• 17 cover bowl with plastic wrap, then with towel.
• 18 let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 ½ hours.
• 19 make maple topping: butter two 13x9x2 inch glass baking dishes.
• 20 combine maple syrup and butter in medium saucepan.
• 21 stir over medium heat until butter melts.
• 22 remove from heat.
• 23 mix in brown sugar.
• 24 pour half of topping into each prepared dish; tilt to coat bottom of dishes evenly.
• 25 sprinkle each with half of nuts; cool.
• 26 make filling: combine all ingredients in processor.
• 27 pulse until pecans are finely chopped.
• 28 assembly: carefully turn doubled dough out onto floured surface (do not punch down dough).
• 29 roll dough gently to flatten slightly.
• 30 using hands, pull and stretch dough to 12x18 inch rectangle.
• 31 brush dough evenly with all of melted butter.
• 32 sprinkle filling evenly over dough, leaving a ½ inch plain border on one long side.
• 33 starting at long side opposite plain border, roll up dough jelly roll-fashion, forming log.
• 34 pinch seam to seal.
• 35 using large knife, score log into 12 equal pieces.
• 36 cut log at scores.
• 37 arrange 6 pieces, cut side up and evenly spaced, in each prepared baking dish.
• 38 lightly press down on buns with palms.
• 39 (can be prepared to this point and refrigerated overnight) let buns rise in warm, draft-free area until light and puffy, about 50 minutes if buns are at room temperature, 1 hour 15 minutes if refrigerated.
• 40 position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375f bake buns uncovered until tops are golden-brown and topping bubbles thickly, reversing baking dishes halfway through baking, about 25 minutes.
• 41 remove dishes from oven.
• 42 immediately place large baking sheet over 1 baking dish.
• 43 with oven mitts, grasp dish and baking sheet together and turn over to release buns and topping onto sheet.
• 44 repeat with second baking dish and a second baking sheet.
• 45 cool buns 5 minutes.
• 46 eat hot!
• 47 buns can be frozen, but best eaten within 2 weeks of baking.
• 48 bake frozen buns, covered, at 375f until heated through, about 15 minutes.