By Samantha Seneviratne
- Total Time
- About 1 hour, plus rising
- Rating
- 4(178)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These sticky buns are so pillowy and sweet you may want to fall right into them and take a nap. Caramel-drenched currants and pecans blanket the top. Apple butter gives them a pleasant tang, and maple syrup nudges them toward fall. To bake these in the morning with a bit less hassle, make this recipe through Step 5 the night before, cover the buns with plastic wrap and refrigerate. About 2 hours before you plan to eat, remove them from the fridge. Let them stand in a warm place until doubled, then bake as directed.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 large buns
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowl
- ⅔cup/160 milliliters whole milk, heated to 110 degrees
- 3tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1¾teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2½cups/320 grams all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 1large egg, lightly beaten
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
- ¼cup/55 grams packed dark brown sugar
- ¼cup/60 milliliters maple syrup
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- 1cup/100 grams pecans, coarsely chopped
- ⅓cup/45 grams currants or raisins
- ¼cup/55 grams packed dark brown sugar
- 2tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½cup/120 milliliters apple butter
For the Dough
For the Topping
For the Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
559 calories; 28 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 72 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 36 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 265 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Lightly grease a large bowl and set it aside. In a small bowl, mix together the milk, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and the yeast, and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Step
2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Add the milk mixture and egg, and mix the dough on low until almost combined, about 3 minutes. (You may need to help it along with a spatula at first.) Add the 6 tablespoons of butter all at once, and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, another 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour. It should still be very moist but the bottom of the bowl should be mostly clean. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it stand until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Step
3
Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a full boil and looks foamy with large bubbles. Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the pecans and currants.
Step
4
Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the dark brown sugar and cinnamon.
Step
5
When the dough has doubled, tip it out onto a very lightly floured surface. Knead it once or twice to expel the air, and then roll it with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 10-inch square. Spread the apple butter evenly over the surface and sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Tightly roll the dough, and pinch the top seam closed. With a serrated knife or using a piece of floss, cut the roll crosswise into 8 pieces. Set them in the prepared pan, spirals facing upward.
Step
6
Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let the rolls rest until the dough has almost doubled again, about 30 minutes.
Step
7
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover the rolls and bake until deep golden brown and set, 28 to 32 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes and then carefully cut around the edge with a paring knife and invert the rolls onto a serving plate.
Ratings
4
out of 5
178
user ratings
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Genny
Can you refrigerate overnight after the second rise and then pop them in the oven right out of the refrigerator the next morning?
Tessa
When I make any sticky bun recipe, I invert the pan onto a cookie sheet or large plate (depending on what kind of pan I've used) as soon as the rolls come out of the oven and let them cool on that. The topping drips back down into the rolls rather than staying at the bottom of the pan.
Tom Deacon
It would be wise to line tge bottom of the pan with buttered parchment paper, as I left a fair bit of the topping in the pan. You don’t really want to lose any of that gooey topping, now, do you?
Anne
These were a gigantic hit at the brunch I brought them to. I did two versions: the apple butter as directed, and some filled with pumpkin butter from Trader Joes (and less sugar in the filling). Just a warning: there is so much liquid in these that it might take them longer to bake fully. I ended up tenting them with foil and baking an extra 10 minutes.
Lisa Weingarten
I made this recipe vegan by substituting the butter with almond oil and leaving the egg out. I used almond milk instead of whole milk. I used less sugar by 2/3rds. It was still plenty sweet. Also, I lined the pan with parchment paper and it was easy to get the buns out without losing any topping. It was DELICIOUS, gooey and sweet. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Suzit
This was such a delicious delight! Sweet, but not cloying. I could taste all the ingredients. Definitely like soft pillow in texture. I had leftover, raisins, pecan pieces, and dark brown sugar. My 1st rising didn't happen within 1 hour. I checked the yeast packets and they were 1 year past their use by date. BUT I gave it longer, and it passed the ripe test. Completed thru step 5. Following morning 2nd rise and ripe test. Baked, ahhh Sunday morning breakfast!
Ariana
Spectacular treat for autumn. I followed others’ advice and lined the springform pan with parchment and immediately inverted the pan onto a plate to save the gooey topping. I used homemade apple butter (which I make more on the tangy side than sweet side) and it was a perfect complement to balance the sweetness of the topping and cinnamon sugar. For a first-timer when it comes to sticky buns, the recipe was easy to follow and turned out fantastic.
denise l
Delicious! Used caramel apple butter and raisins. The bottom of my bowl was still quite sticky but the dough worked just fine. Thank you! I love Samantha’s recipes.
Beth
These can rise quite a bit and go over the edge of a regular cake pan. A taller pan or spring form would work better to keep the size more uniform.
Nova
Made these with walnuts and raisins in a cast iron skillet, which was just the right size. Omitted the sugar in the filling and just used straight apple butter. Was plenty sweet. Came out delicious. Would make again.
Mathy Rudkins
I recommend placing a baking tray on a rack under the pan. My buns always leak a bit of bubbly apple butter as they bake.
Amirissa
These were great! Soft dough and a delicious flavor without being overly sweet.I did taste the filling prior to spreading and decided to add some nutmeg, allspice, and clove to the mix. I ended up grinding down the pecans and putting in as a filling because of picky eaters in the family. I wish I had added the raisins as well as a good number ended up a bit charred sitting in the caramel. If you use a spring cake pan, be sure to line the bottom with parchment to avoid any loss of caramel.
John
In NB bake for 26 minutes
S. Forte
these were AMAZING! first time i've made sticky buns. had trouble getting yeast to foam in milk. after 3rd try, we used it without being foamy. still made dough rise & double in size. didn't use apple butter---used regular butter (really rich). used pecans & raisins on half the pan so some were plain.they baked very quickly. only took 22 minutes! didn't put on rack--used inverted plate method & cooled on plate (see note below)definitely will make them again and wouldn't change a thing!
lily
These were delicious! We used walnuts and no currants for the topping and no apple butter. instead we brushed the rolled out dough with melted butter before sprinkling the cinnamon and sugar. Decadent. You may want to have a baking sheet to catch spillover caramel and avoid a mess :)
Becky
Made these tonight! Soft and delicious--I was so pleased the dough turned out even though I mixed it by hand, not with a mixer.
mlizx3
This recipe is amazing! Would make again. But change it up a little.
R.Post
I used dutch appelstroop because i could not find apple butter. It worked out great. Very lekker!
R.Post
I heated the milk to 110 degrees and put in the yeast. Apparently my yeast died at a temperature above 45 degrees. Have to start over again.
Lisa Weingarten
I made this recipe vegan by substituting the butter with almond oil and leaving the egg out. I used almond milk instead of whole milk. I used less sugar by 2/3rds. It was still plenty sweet. Also, I lined the pan with parchment paper and it was easy to get the buns out without losing any topping. It was DELICIOUS, gooey and sweet. Perfect for afternoon tea.
Anne
These were a gigantic hit at the brunch I brought them to. I did two versions: the apple butter as directed, and some filled with pumpkin butter from Trader Joes (and less sugar in the filling). Just a warning: there is so much liquid in these that it might take them longer to bake fully. I ended up tenting them with foil and baking an extra 10 minutes.
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