Homemade Sticky Buns...

Welcome to my happy place... :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons dry yeast
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temp.)
1/2 cup dry nonfat milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more as needed

Glaze:
1/2 unsalted butter softened  (that's a stick of butter peoples!)
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dough:  In a small bowl get your 1/2 cup warm water (should be about 115 degrees), yeast and a pinch of sugar going until it's foaming.  Don't stir...just let it sit and let the yeast do it's thing.  It'll get all foamy and yummy smelling.

In a mixer, mix the remaining sugar, butter, milk powder and salt until it's well blended.  Then, beat in your eggs one at a time.  (don't you dare dump them in!) Mix in the remaining cup of water and your yeast mixture.  (if it's not foamy...start it over).   Then put in 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time.  Using a rubber spatula add in your last cup of flour.  Dough should be very soft and sticky.  Sprinkle your surface with flour and dump out your sticky dough.  Add just enough flour to make this pliable to knead.  NO MORE!  It should still be a little sticky to the touch...not like bread dough at all.  Then butter a large bowl and place your dough in it.  Turn it to coat with butter and then cover it up for about an hour...maybe an 1 1/2 hours until is rises to about double in size.

Glaze:

Butter two round cake pans very well, including the sides. Beat your brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, honey, corn syrup, and water until well blended.  You can do this in a bowl...no need to get the mixer back out.  Spread the glaze evenly between your two cake pans. Then evenly distribute your pecans over the top of the glaze. 

Now, once your dough is ready, punch it down and divide it.  Roll each piece of dough until it's about a 1/3 of an inch thick, then brush them with melted butter.  Next, sprinkle an even amount of your sugar/cinnamon mix over each piece of dough.  I'm pretty liberal with mine.  Then, roll from the LONG side into a log shape.  Cut into at least 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Thicker if you like them larger.  (I actually cut mine into almost 1 inch thick pieces!)  Place your buns into your cake pans. Cover and let sit about 30 mintues or so until they rise just a little more. 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and cook just until lightly golden brown.  Don't burn these babies or they won't have that nice sticky bun consistency. 

Place a plate over the top of the cake pans and turn them upside down until they come out onto the plate.  You should see your glaze drizzle all over the top of your warm, yummy sticky buns...but, don't eat them yet.  We still have icing to add!  ...drool...

Icing:

Squeeze 1/2 lemon into a bowl and add about 4 cups of powered sugar.  (3 if you don't like it as sweet)  Then, add about 1/4 cup of milk...or just enough to make it thin enough to drizzle.  If you make it too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. 

Drizzle these over warm sticky buns to taste. 

Welcome to my happy place....  :)