Sunday morning, rain is falling...

Cheers to those who picked up on that Maroon 5 reference :)

During our recent storm, I had an (even stronger) urge to bake something sweet and a little indulgent for breakfast. At the same time, who wants to get out of bed super early to make a huge mess in the kitchen? I think this recipe finds the right balance between Saturday night prep and Sunday morning freshness, and the whole operation was very successful, in my opinion. Warm, yeasty, sweet and nutty, these buns are the perfect accompaniment for coffee and scrambled eggs - or just on their own!

Notably, this was also my first time using yeast in my baking; I shy away from it because it always seems so daunting to find the right environment for it to rise and the time commitment is a little longer than I normally have set aside for baking. However, this escapade was definitely not as intense as I expected, and I will definitely be venturing into the realm of yeast breads again!

The proportions in the original recipe make a bun that's not too sweet or gooey. While everyone who came in contact with these little guys was smitten, I honestly could have used some more glaze. If you're looking for Cinnabon-status rolls, go crazy and double the recipe for the topping. Also, I used part whole wheat pastry flour to try to offset the unhealthiness, which made the buns a little less tender than normal. Again, if you want to just take the plunge, use all white flour.


Overnight Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
From Thought For Food
Makes about 12 buns


For the dough:
1/2 C water + 1/2 C whole milk, warmed to 115 degrees
1/4 C butter, melted
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 - 3 C all-purpose flour
1 packet (2 tsp) active dry yeast
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt

For the glaze:
1/4 C butter, melted
3/4 C pure maple syrup
3/4 C pecans

For the filling:
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions: Mix together water, milk, melted butter, honey, wheat flour, 2 C all-purpose flour, and yeast in a mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, mix well until a rough ball of dough forms. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Add eggs and salt, and knead while slowly adding the remaining 1/2-1 C all-purpose flour. Knead on low for about 6 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth but still shiny and slightly tacky. If it gets too dry, drizzle in a little extra water. Remove dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Meanwhile, toast pecans on a foil-lined baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Set your oven to 325 degrees and watch carefully! I burn many pecans by getting distracted... Remove from oven and chop coarsely.

Place risen dough on a lightly floured surface, knead briefly, and let rest covered for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make your filling and topping. For the filling, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. For the topping, melt butter and maple syrup together in the microwave.





Roll rested dough into a rectangle 15x20". Brush surface with 2 Tbsp melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough into a 20" log (start with the long end). Using a sharp serrated knife, cut log into 1 1/2" pieces.

Pour syrup and butter into the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan, then sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the bottom. Place rolls in the pan and loosely cover with oiled plastic wrap. They will fit loosely until they have a chance to rise. Place in refrigerator to rise overnight.

In the morning, discard plastic wrap and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the rolls are well browned on top. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then turn the rolls out onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet (to catch the drippings). Let rest another 5 minutes and serve!

A beautiful morning landscape if I ever saw one!