AB5MD Sticky Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

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The book contains several master dough recipes, and this is an enriched, sweet dough, perfect for a loaf of Challah (the braided dough) and the Sticky Rolls. You start by mixing the master dough first, Let that rest overnight in the refrigerator, then the next day, pinch off a cantaloupe sized hunk-o-dough to make your Sticky Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls! Return the rest to the refrigerator to use for another day.

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  • 9

Ingredients

  • Master Dough:
  • 14 ounces Water, Lukewarm
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Yeast, Instant
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt, or 1.5 tsp regular salt
  • 4 Eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1/2 Cup Honey
  • 1/2 Cup Butter, Unsalted
  • 33 ouonces All-purpose Flour
  • The Dough:
  • A Cantaloupe Sized Chunk of the Master Dough (about 1.5 Lbs)
  • The Gooey Sticky Caramel Topping:
  • 6 Tbl Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 30 Pecan Halves
  • The Heavenly Sweet Cinnamon Butter Filling:
  • 4 Tbl Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped and Toasted Pecans
  • 1 Pinch Freshly Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 Square Or Round Cake Pan (9")

Preparation

Step 1

MAKING THE MASTER DOUGH: In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, honey, melted butter, yeast and salt. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add in the flour. STIR, BABY STIR!!! Stir until you don’t see any more dry bits of flour (about a minute). Cover (not airtight) and stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you let it fart around in the refrigerator (literally!), the better tasting the dough will be.

pssst….if you want, you can let it rise for 2 hours on the counter, pinch off the dough that you need to make your rolls. However, I’ve found that with only a 2-hour rise, the bread isn’t very flavorful. Still good, but definitely not as good as if you had let it sit 1-4 days in the refrigerator.

NOTE: When you let the dough hang out in the refrigerator, it’s not going to “rise” like a normal dough


The photos I have on this post was the book’s recipe followed exactly. However, the recipe below is modified it a bit, increasing the amount of caramel and amount of filling, as I like my rolls to be oozing, dripping of the sweet cinnamon butter and sugar. Due to popular demand, I’m cutting back on the butter! The recipe is as-is from the book!

Think of Cinnabon, that chain store found in every American mall, except EVEN BETTER.

The first thing you need to do is take that master dough out of the refrigerator, grab a small cantalope sized chunk of dough. Return the rest of it to the refrigerator to use another time (psst…get the book for all the other recipes using this dough!). Generously flour your hands and the dough. Shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough and tucking it to the bottom all around, rotating hte ball a quarter-turn as you go. This creates a taut, smooth surface. Let the dough rest, covered with a towel to take the chill off while you prepare rest of ingredients.

While the dough is unchilling, mix the topping and the filling.

FOR THE TOPPING: Cream together the butter, salt and sugar. Spread this topping evenly on the bottom of the cake pan. Scatter with pecan halves (I used chopped pecans in my photos).

FOR THE FILLING: Cream together all ingredients except the pecans. Set aside.

Dust your counter with flour and roll out the dough with a rolling pin to 1/8? thick rectangle. Try to get it 13? x 17? I had trouble with the rectangle shape, so I we just rolled it into a large oval. Spread the sweet butter filling evenly on the surface. Scatter chopped pecans all over. Here is Andrew, the bad-ass baker boy at work. (hey, if your kid wants to eat sweets, make him cook or bake it himself - that’s my rule!)

Roll it up, starting with the long side.

Flour your serrated knife and cut roll into 9 even pieces (square pan) or 8 pieces (round pan).

Set it in the pan on top of the caramel, cover with towel and rest for 1 hour

Preheat your oven to 350F. The book says to bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and well set in the center. But take a peek at the rolls around the 35 minute mark.

While still hot, run a knife round the edge of pan and invert immediately onto a plate. If you wait until it cools, the caramel will harden and it will be difficult to turn out.

YUM. Soft, pillowy dough. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg butter dribbling down your chin. Sticky, gooey caramel. Crunchy pecans.

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