Amy Scherber's Pecan Sticky Buns - Tvfn

Title:
Amy Scherber's Pecan Sticky Buns - Tvfn

Yield:
9 Servings

Categories:
Cheese,
Vegetables,
Appetizers,
Vegetarian




Ingredients:





 2 1/4 ts Active dry yeast


     2 oz Very warm water; (115F)


    24 oz Unbleached all-purpose flour


 2 1/4 ts Kosher salt


    16 oz Warm water; (90F)


 4 1/2 oz Unsalted butter


     5 oz Dark brown sugar; firmly


          -packed


     2 oz Unsalted butter; softened


   1/2 c  Plus 1 tbsp pecan pieces;


          -toasted


 2 1/2 oz Granulated sugar


     1 ts Cinnamon






 Equipment: One 9-inch square baking pan, preferably non-stick, buttered on


 sides only; one sheet pan, lined with aluminum foil Place the yeast and


 warm water in a small bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast.


 Allow it to stand for about 3 minutes. Mix the flour and salt together in
a


 large bowl. Add the warm water and the yeast mixture and stir with your


 fingers to moisten the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding


 the dough over itself until it gathers into a shaggy mass. Move the dough


 to a lightly floured surface and knead it by hand for 5 minutes. This is a


 soft, moist dough. If the dough seems too stiff and hard to knead, add


 extra warm water 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a nice malleable


 dough. Gently shape the dough into a loose ball, cover it with plastic, and


 let it rest on the table for 20 minutes. (This rest period is the


 autolyse.) Gently knead the dough on the lightly floured surface for 1to 2


 more minutes, or until it becomes smooth, supple, and elastic but not too


 firm. The texture of the dough should be soft but springy. Shape the dough


 into a loose ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn to coat the


 top with oil. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise at room


 temperature (75 to 77 degrees F) until it has doubled in volume, about 1


 1/2 to 2 hours. While the dough is rising; in a small saucepan, heat the 9


 tablespoons butter and the dark brown sugar over low heat, stirring


 occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar is completely


 moistened (it won't be dissolved), then whisk until the mixture looks silky


 and a little lighter in color. Use 1 tablespoon softened butter to grease


 the sides of a 9-inch square pan, then pour in the caramel, tilting the pan


 slightly so the mixture spreads evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle


 the toasted pecans over the warm caramel and press them down slightly. Put


 the pan in the refrigerator to cool the caramel; be the pan's on a level


 surface. Put the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir


 until evenly mixed. Set aside. When the dough has doubled, gently pour it


 out of the bowl onto the floured work surface. Flatten the dough and


 stretch it with your fingers to form a 13 by 10-inch rectangle, with a long


 side facing you. Work gently so you don't tear the dough surface. The dough


 should stretch easily at this point, but if it resists, let it rest for 5


 minutes and resume stretching. Check to be sure the dough isn't sticking to


 the work surface; flour the table again, if necessary. Spread 3 tablespoons


 of the softened butter evenly over the the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch strip


 unbuttered along the top edge. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture


 generously and evenly over the butter, again leaving the top 1/2-inch of


 the rectangle bare. Starting with the bottom edge, roll up the dough


 jelly-roll fashion into a long log. If the dough sticks to the table as


 you're rolling, use a dough scraper to loosen it gently. Pinch gently but


 firmly along the seam to seal it. If necessary, gently shape the roll so it


 is a nice uniform log. Take the caramel-lined pan out of the refrigerator.


 Cut the log of dough into 9 equal pieces. (It's easiest to mark the roll


 first to show where you're going to make the cuts--a slight indentation


 with the knife edge will do--then use a sharp serrated knife to cut


 completely through the dough.) Lay the pieces cut side down on top of the


 caramel. Don't worry if it's a tight fit. Let rise, uncovered, at room


 temperature until the dough has almost doubled, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. The


 rolls should fill the pan and extend 1/2 to 3/4-inch above it. In the


 meantime, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to


 375 degrees F. Put the pan of sticky buns on a foil-lined baking sheet and


 place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature


 to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, until the tops of


 the buns are golden brown and crusty. It's important to bake the buns long


 enough so the dough is cooked all the way through and the caramel topping


 develops properly. Set the pan of buns on a rack to cool for 5 minutes.


 Then quickly but carefully turn the pan upside down and release the sticky


 buns onto a large flat heatproof plate. Immediately scrape out any hot


 caramel remaining in the bottom of the pan and spread it on the tops of the


 buns, filling in any bare spots. Let them cool until just warm before


 serving. (Clean the pan by soaking it in very hot water to dissolve the


 caramel.) Store any leftovers covered in plastic wrap at room temperature.


 BAKER'S DOZEN AMY SCHERBER SHOW #BD1A54 Copyright, 1996, TV FOOD NETWORK,


 G.P., All Rights Reserved By "William E. Webster" 
on


 Feb 28, 1997 Posted to EAT-L Digest by Jazzbel 


 on Dec 21, 1997