Photographs by David Engelhardt // The recipe comes from Sugar Rush, by Johnny Iuzzini

“The combo of the rich chewy dough, the sweet filling, and the crunchy nuts is irresistible to me. This is one of the few desserts I enjoy eating that is on the sweeter side. These rolls have several components and take a bit of time to prepare, but I guarantee they’ll be the best sticky buns you’ll ever eat.”

Makes 1 1/2 Dozen Buns

INGREDIENTS

For The Filling

• ½ cup (packed) light brown sugar (116g)

• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, softened (84 g)

• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (34 g)

• 2 tablespoons honey (40 g)

• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (3 g)

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (2 g)

• 1 teaspoon ground star anise (2 g)

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (2 g)

• 1 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped (100 g)

For The Rolls

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the pans (42 g)

• About ½ cup Demerara sugar, for the pans

• All-purpose flour, for rolling

• Dough for Buttermilk Brioche (RECIPE FOLLOWS), rested overnight in the refrigerator

For The Caramel

• 1 cup heavy cream (240 g)

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (1 g)

• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)

• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup (12 g)

• 1 tablespoon water (15 g)

• 2 tablespoons (¼ stick) cold unsalted butter, diced (28 g)

DIRECTIONS

• To make the filling, put the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, honey, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, and salt into a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon
until well combined.

• To make the rolls, grease two 8-inch cake pans with butter. Generously dust the pans with Demerara sugar, tapping out the excess. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Lightly dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour and roll the cold dough out into an even rectangle about 12 × 20 inches and ⅛ inch thick. Pull the dough lightly at the corners to make the rectangle even so the rolls will be uniform in size. Using an off set spatula, spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along the bottom edge. If the filling is too stiff to spread, add hot water, a tablespoon at a time, and stir until it is softened and spreads easily. Sprinkle half of the pecans evenly over the filling. Brush the exposed dough along the bottom with some of the melted butter.

• Working from the top edge down, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder and pinch the seam together where the dough roll meets the bottom edge. Roll the cylinder lightly several times on the counter to seal the edge and gently press with your hands while rolling to elongate the dough roll; keep rolling until it is 27 inches long. Bend the dough into a horseshoe shape and transfer it to the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the caramel. In a saucepan, gently warm the cream and salt over medium-low heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water.

• Put the sugar, corn syrup, and water into a large saucepan. Make a wet caramel: : 1 Stir sugar and water with a finger until moistened. 2 Wet your finger and use to clean sides of pan. 3 When sugar is dissolved and boiling, brush sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. 4 Gently swirl pan as sugar cooks for even browning. 5 Check color of caramel by dipping a whisk in and holding it up to light. 6 Dip pan in an ice bath to stop cooking process.

Cook until deep mahogany brown and the caramel is emitting white smoke. Reduce the heat to low and carefully whisk in the warm cream a little at a time (the sugar will bubble up), whisking well between additions. Once all the cream has been added, whisk well to dissolve any sugar lumps that appear. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the butter into the caramel a little at a time, until very smooth. Dip the bottom of the pan into the bowl of cold water to cool off the pan and caramel, which should be cool but still pourable.

• Once cool, divide the caramel between the sugared pans, swirling them to evenly coat the base of each pan. Sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly into each pan.

• To assemble the rolls, remove the dough roll from the refrigerator, slice it in half to make two 13½-inch logs, and roll each log lightly on the work surface to straighten it. Slice each cylinder into 9 slices, each exactly 1½ inches thick, and reshape them with your hands until very round and even if necessary. Place 1 slice, cut side down, onto the caramel directly in the center of each pan. Arrange 8 more slices so that the sides are barely touching in each pan. Brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter, cover with a towel, and let stand in a warm spot until the rolls are puffy and doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1½ hours.

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for about 40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to release any rolls that are stuck before inverting them onto serving platters.

Serve warm.

BUTTERMILK BRIOCHE

• .6-ounce fresh yeast, crumbled (17 g)

• ½ cup low-fat buttermilk (120 g)

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (343 g)

• 2 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more as needed (225 g)

• ¼ cup sugar (50 g)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (12 g)

• In a standing mixer bowl, whisk the yeast into the milk until dissolved. Add the flours, attach the bowl to the mixer along with the dough hook, and turn the mixer on to low speed. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down the bowl and hook with a rubber spatula, mixing for 4 to 5 minutes, until the ingredients are incorporated and the dough begins to come together.

• Increase the mixer speed to medium. With the mixer running, slowly add the butter, a couple of tablespoons at a time, waiting until the butter is incorporated before adding more. Once the butter
is fully absorbed, continue mixing for 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and hook occasionally. This will develop the gluten in the flour and create a light, airy structure in the bread.

• With the mixer still running, add the sugar and salt and continue mixing until the dough is very smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. Stop the mixer periodically and scrape down the dough hook and bowl.

• To test the dough to see if it is ready, grab a handful (about 1⁄2 cup) of dough in the bowl. Use both hands to pull the dough into a “window pane”; you should be able to stretch out the dough until it is thin enough to see through without tearing. If it tears easily, continue mixing for a few minutes and then test it again.

• Grease a large bowl or plastic container with butter and transfer the dough to it. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.