60-Minute Sticky Bun Recipe From ‘The Crepes of Wrath’
Every week, we’re spotlighting a different food blogger who’s shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, Sydney Kramer of Crepes of Wrath shows how to get decadent, caramel-glazed sticky buns in under an hour flat.
Pressed for time? Sticky buns could still be in your future. Photo: Sydney Kramer
60-Minute Sticky Buns
Makes 12 buns
I could not believe how quickly these sticky buns came together, and how absolutely delicious they were. Now, they’re not going to be as soft and pillowy as buns that you’ve allowed to rest, rise, and rest again for hours and hours, but that’s okay. These remind me of the buns you’d get from a can at the grocery store, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
For the dough:
¾ cup warm milk or water (about 105°F)
1½ tablespoons active dry yeast (a little more than 2 packets)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup chocolate, chopped (optional but recommended)
For the caramel glaze:
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (or whole milk)
½ tablespoon corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Pearled sugar, for decoration (optional)
Grease a 12-cup muffin tin well with butter and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand), combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foaming. Add butter to the yeast mixture and beat until the butter is slightly incorporated (it will be far from perfect), about 1 minute or so. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add in the flour and salt, then mix at low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then increase the speed to medium, and mix the dough for 2 minutes longer. The dough will still be soft and a little sticky, and might seem a bit heavy. This is fine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let it stand for 10 minutes in a warm-ish spot.
When ready, on a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 11 by 17-inch rectangle.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Brush the 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the dough, then sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over that, if you’re using it.
Beginning at a long edge, roll up the dough as tightly as possible, pinching the seams on both ends. Cut the rolled dough into twelve pieces with a sharp knife, discarding the less pretty end pieces, and set them in the muffin cups cut side up. Cover with a dish towel, and let stand again for 15 minutes.
While the dough rises one more time, preheat oven to 425°F. Set the muffin tin on a baking sheet (this helps to retain heat and lets the buns bake evenly), and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown and bubbling. While the buns are baking, make the glaze.
Combine the brown sugar, butter, heavy whipping cream or milk, and corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the salt, vanilla, and baking soda. The glaze will foam up a little, so allow room for that. I made my glaze a little early and it stiffened up a bit, but you can simply place it back over the heat for a few minutes, stirring the entire time, until it’s warmed up again.
When the sticky buns are ready, let them cool in pan for 5 minutes, then use a butter knife to carefully wiggle them out of the muffin tin. Place the sticky buns on a piece of parchment or wax paper, then use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the hot sticky buns. Sprinkle with pearled sugar, if you like.
Note: You can make the buns ahead of time and then place them back in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350°F to warm them back up. I recommend wetting a small piece of paper towel and placing it somewhere on the sheet to add back some moisture if the buns have sat out for a while.
More sweet breakfast treats:
The secret to making the cruffin, a croissant-muffin hybrid
Cinnamon-sugar monkey bread from famed Boston baker Joanne Chang
Blueberry grunt recipe from ‘Breakfast’
How do you take your breakfast, sweet or savory? Tell us below!
