Sticky Buns

Ingredients

Dough:

• 92 g sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 5.5 tbsp shortening or unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp lemon extract (or grated zest)
• 454 g all-purpose (or bread) flour
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 1⅛ cup whole milk or buttermilk
• ½ cup cinnamon sugar
  • 6½ tbsp sugar
  • 1½ tsp cinnamon (or any other spice, e.g. Chai)

Caramel:

• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (105g?)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ lb unsalted butter (room temp)
• ½ cup corn syrup
• ½ tsp lemon/orange/vanilla extract

Fillings (optional):

• Walnuts, pecans, other nuts
• Raising, cranberries, cherries (dried)

Supplies:

• Baking dishes or pans with sides at least 1½" high.

Directions

1. Beat the sugar and salt into the fat (butter or shortening)

2. Slowly mix in the egg and the lemon zest. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk.

3. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.

4. Switch to the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 10 min.

   The dough should start off very soupy (i.e. the dough hook just seems to move through it without really mixing). It should slowly become cohesive, until finally around 7-8 min it should start thwapping the sides of the bowl a bit and around 9-10 min it should really come off the sides and stick to the dough hook. By the end, the dough should pass the window-pane test.

5. Transfer to oiled bowl.

6. Cover and let rise for 2h (the dough should double in size).

7. Transfer dough to oiled counter.

8. Roll the dough into a rectangle (using a rolling pin):

   Larger buns: 14" × 12" × ⅔" Smaller buns: 18" × 9" × ⅔"

9. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the dough.

10. Roll the dough into a log.

11. With the seam side down, cut the log into pieces:

• Larger buns: 8-12 1¾" pieces
• Smaller buns: 12-16 1¼" pieces

13. Beat the sugar and salt (for the caramel glaze) into the fat at high speed for 2 min.

14. Add the corn syrup and the extract, then continue to cream for another 5 min. The result should be light and fluffy.

15. Cover the bottom of your baking dishes with the caramel glaze. Spinkle with nuts and dried fruits. Lay the buns on top of the glaze, with about ½" space between each one. Mist the dough with spray oil and cover with plastic wrap.

16. Let rise for 75-90 min. The buns should have doubled in size and grown into one another.

    You can also put the buns in the fridge for up to 2 days before proofing, you just need to pull then pan out of the fridge 3-4 h before baking to allow them to proof.

17. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position the rack on the lowest shelf.

18. Bake for 30-40 min. Remember that the tops will become the bottoms, so the buns may appear dark, but what really matters is that the underside is fully baked.

19. Cool the buns for 5-10 minutes before removing from the baking pan. Scoop any run-off glaze back over the buns, then wait another 20 min before serving.