pecan-honey-sticky loveliness

i have been eying the recipe from dorie for golden brioche loaves and the recipe right after it for pecan honey sticky buns for a long, long while. i cannot even express how sad i am that i waited so long. the brioche is magic…buttery and tender and absolutely luscious with a bit more butter spread across it. we ate the whole loaf before the day was over. i also made a half batch of the sticky buns and they were equally amazing…perfectly sticky and tender with just the right amount of spice. not to mention pecans and honey are two of my favorite things ever.

i made the dough saturday evening and sunday by noon (i like to sleep in a little bit at least once a week…okay?) the house was warm with the aroma of buttery-bready deliciousness. i am making a double batch this weekend to make more sticky buns. a pan is going to be frozen and given to my mom and mel for christmas morning, a pan for my best pal brooke (upon request), and a pan for her family who are very near and dear to my heart. i wish i could share these with everyone. and though the process was long and took a little timing it was worth it…the results were divine and perfect for munching while unwrapping gifts and sipping mimosas in front of the fire christmas morning…because we should all know that is definitly how i will be doing it up for the holiday.

pecan honey sticky buns
adapted from baking: from my home to yours
i reduced the recipe for the glaze and filling because i only baked half a batch of buns. i also didn’t have any brown sugar on hand so i used all white with yummy results. next time i will use brown sugar too.

glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
3/4 cup pecans, chopped coarsely

filling:
5 tbsp sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp softened butter

for the buns:
1/4 recipe golden brioche loaves (pg. 48 in the book and below)
*make the full recipe and divide after allowing to refrigerate overnight.

making the glaze and filling:
in a medium sauce pan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. pour the glaze into a buttered 8×8 pan.

combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. work butter in another bowl if needed to ensure spreadability and loveliness.

making the buns:
on a flour dusted work surface roll out the chilled dough into a square (i rolled it to about a 1/4 inch). spread softened butter over the dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar leaving a 1 inch border on the side farthest from you. starting with the closest edge roll the dought tightly into a cylinder (you can wrap it and freeze it at this point). with a sharp knife, in a gentle sawing motion, cut the cylinder into 1 inch rounds and arrange in pan on top of glaze. cover and allow to rise for about 1 hr 45 mins. they will be puffy and soft.

center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 F. uncover and place on a baking sheet. bake for about 30 mins or until buns are puffed and golden. unmold very soon after baking so glaze does not harden to pan. the glaze will be super hot and sticky and delicious.

golden brioche loaves
all of this can be done by hand with a wooden spoon…but i am not that ambitious. heck no.

2 packets active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm to touch water
1/3 cup warm to touch whole milk
3 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
3 large eggs at room temp
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks room temp butter

for egg wash:
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

place yeast, water and milk into stand mixer and stir until yeast is dissolved. add flour and salt and using the dough hook (or wooden spoon and no mixer if you are cooler than me…which you very well may be). cover mixer with a kitchen towel and turn on and off in short pulses until flour is dampened. remove towel and turn to medium mixing for a minute or two. you will have a kind of dry and shaggy mass (or mess…whatever).

scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, turn mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. increase to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until dough comes together to form a ball. reduce to low and add butter in 2 tbsp chunks, not adding more until the butter before is nearlly all the way incoporated. the dough will be very soft and batter-like. increase speed to high and beat for about 1 minutes…the douch will pull away from the sides of the bowl.

transfer to a large clean bowl and cover with plastic. allow to double in size (about 40-60 mins depending on room temp). deflate by lifting the deges and allowing dough to slap back into bowl. cover and refrigerate, slapping down dough every 30 minutes for about 2 hours…until dough stops rising. leave dough covered in refrigerator overnight.

to make loaves:
cut chilled dough into 2 equal pieces and divide each piece into quarters. roll quarters into logs and place into loaf pans crosswise–four logs per pan, this allows for the loaves to be easily pulled apart and devoured after baking. cover and allow to rise 1-2 hours or until loaves are puffed and fill the pans.

center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 F (this is what the recipe suggests, but i think i will lower the temp for my oven next time to 375…my loaves were a bit more than golden).

brush risen loaves with egg wash and bake loaves on a baking sheet until well risen and deep gold–about 30-35 minutes. transfer to cooling rack for 15 minutes before turning out.