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Recipe Detail Page
Sticky Pecan and Date Buns
Holiday 2008
If you’ve only had store-bought buns, this recipe will be something of a revelation―think of the ultimate pecan sticky bun crossed with sticky toffee pudding. The dates naturally sweeten the filling and take these buns to another level altogether. Pecan buns taste best the day that they’re made. This recipe allows you to do the work of making and assembling these buns early in the evening and have sticky buns ready to bake the next morning for a real breakfast treat. If you have a glass baking dish, it’s helpful to use it for this recipe, as the top of the buns may seem ready before the bottoms are fully cooked.
Makes 12
½ cup (125 mL) warm milk
2 tsp (10 mL) traditional dry active yeast
2 large eggs
2¾ cups (675 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50 mL) sugar
½ tsp (2 mL) salt
¼ cup (50 mL) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
Filling
1½ cups (375 mL) coarsely chopped pitted dates
½ cup (125 mL) water
2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
¼ cup (50 mL) unsalted butter
Glaze
½ cup (125 mL) light brown sugar
⅓ cup (75 mL) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp (25 mL) corn syrup
2 tbsp (25 mL) whipping cream
1½ cups (375 mL) pecan halves
1. Combine milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast has dissolved. Add eggs and whisk to combine.
2. Add flour, sugar and salt to yeast mixture and using the dough hook attachment, beat until dough has come together and “cleaned up” the bowl. Add butter to dough 1 piece at a time, beating well between additions. Continue to beat dough at medium speed for 5 minutes or until it is shiny and elastic and slaps the side of the bowl. Dough will be soft and tacky to the touch.
3. Scoop dough in a clean buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk (about 2 hours).
4. While dough is rising, combine dates, water and cinnamon in a small pot. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes or until dates have become a spreadable paste. Add butter and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool.
5. To make the glaze, combine brown sugar, softened butter, corn syrup and whipping cream in a mixing bowl, and stir until uniform. Butter the sides of a 9 x13-inch (3-L) baking dish, and spread glaze in an even layer on the bottom of dish.
6. Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC) degrees.
7. Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes or until they smell toasty. Place pecan halves, rounded side down, and evenly spaced, on top of glaze in baking dish.
8. Sprinkle dough in bowl with a little flour to make it easier to handle, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle about 10 x 12 inches (25 x 30 cm). Spread dough with date mixture leaving a ½-inch (1-cm) border along top long edge. Tightly roll dough lengthwise to enclose filling. Pinch long edge to seal log closed. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut log into 12 equal pieces, being sure not to squeeze out filling or overly distort shape.
9. Arrange buns, cut-side down. in prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove baking dish from fridge, let rise for 1 hour or until they look puffy and touch each other in the dish.
10. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
11. Remove plastic from dish. Place dish on a baking sheet. Bake buns in the lower ⅓ of oven for 40 minutes or until buns are deep golden brown, top and bottom, and glaze is bubbling. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to allow glaze to cool and be slightly absorbed. Run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen buns and invert onto a serving platter.
Makes 12
