Sticky Butter Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Course: Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Rising Time: 1 25

Total Time: 2 25

Servings: rolls

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Soft yeast-risen cinnamon buns finished with gooey pecan praline sauce

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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 ½ cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
7 grams active dry yeast typically one packet
5 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
2 eggs
½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey
¾ teaspoon almond extract

For the Filling

¾ cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¾ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

For the Praline Sauce

¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ teaspoon heavy cream
1 pinch fine sea salt
¾ cup pecans pieces or chopped

Instructions

Make the Dough: Warm milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, then add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a whisk or kitchen spoon to dissolve two tablespoons of granulated sugar in the milk. Stir in yeast and set aside for about 10 minutes or until foamy.
*If the milk gets too hot, just remove it from heat and allow it to cool to down between 100 and 120 degrees F before mixing in the sugar and yeast.
1 ½ cup milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 7 grams active dry yeast
Add remaining sugar, flour, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla extract, bourbon, and almond extract, then secure the bowl to the base of your stand mixer and attach the dough hook. Mix at low speed until the mixture starts to become dough-like (about 45s to one minute), then increase to medium speed for about five minutes or until you have a smooth, sticky dough. Use floured hands to remove any dough stuck to the hook, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and set aside in a warm spot to rest and rise until it doubles in size (about one hour).
*If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for about 10 minutes.
5 cups all-purpose flour, 2 eggs, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey, ¾ teaspoon almond extract
Make the Filling: Mix up the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
¾ cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Assemble and Proof the Rolls: Dust your cutting board or work surface with flour. Punch or press the middle of the dough to flatten out air and turn it out onto the floured surface. Flour your hands and rolling pin, then knead the dough for a minute or two, and shape it into a rectangle. Use rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large rectangle that’s about 12 x 18 inches and about ⅓ inch thick.
Spread the butter all over the dough, stopping about half an inch from the edges. Cover the butter with the brown sugar mixture, then gently press it into the butter to help it stick.
¾ cup unsalted butter
Roll the dough, along one of the long edges, into a tight spiral (but don’t squeeze the dough so much that it changes shape) until it reaches the other edge. Press that edge of dough against the log to seal it. Use a knife to score the log into 12 equal sections then use the same knife or a string of unflavored dental floss to cut the log into pieces.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking dish with parchment paper or grease with a bit of softened butter, then place the rolls in the pan and cover with a damp towel and set in a warm spot to proof until doubled in size (about 25 minutes).
*I recommend placing the rolls on the stove to rise (as long as none of the burners are going) while the oven preheats, so they can benefit from the warmth radiating from the oven.
Bake the Rolls: Uncover the rolls and transfer to oven to bake for about 30 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown, and the cinnamon filling is gooey.
Make the Pecan Praline Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then stir in the brown sugar, cream, and salt until uniform. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to thicken. Stir in half the pecans, then remove from heat.
¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon heavy cream, 1 pinch fine sea salt, ¾ cup pecans
Finish and Serve: Let the baked cinnamon rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then pour sauce over top, and enjoy warm.

Notes

Preparation

You can make the praline sauce up to two weeks ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Heat it up and stir to re-incorporate all the ingredients before adding it to the rolls.

Modifications

As written, this is a jumbo 12-cinnamon-roll recipe. Or you can make 24 more standard-sized rolls by rolling the dough along a long edge instead of a short edge, then cutting the spiral into two dozen pieces.

To make overnight praline sticky buns, do not let the rolls rise for a second time during step seven. Instead, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, remove the pan from the fridge and let the rolls rise covered for up to two hours or until doubled in size, then continue with the recipe as written. Remove the plastic wrap before baking.

Storage

Store the rolls in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. They will be good for up to two days at room temperature, then in the refrigerator for up to five days. After seven days of storage time, the taste and texture of the rolls may begin to degrade.

To freeze the rolls, cool them to room temperature, then wrap each roll individually with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. For extra protection from potential freezer burn, I like to put all the wrapped rolls in an airtight, freezer-safe container, too. Or, you can wrap the entire pan of rolls altogether with a couple layers of plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. Once frozen, they can last for up to three months.

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