About the Recipe
Nothing beats a hot, fluffy, sticky bun on a chilly fall morning. Thank good ol' Betty Crocker in the 1970s for this one because my mom has been making these for at least my entire life. Filled to the brim with syrup, sugar and raisins (or fruit if you're healthy like that). Who am I kidding? There is nothing healthy about these things; there's literally a half a pound of butter.
Sticky Buns are a Thanksgiving tradition in my family. My mom would wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning to make them so that they'd be ready to eat by the time the Macy's Day Parade was coming on. While it's been a few years since she's done that because of her work schedule, I want to bring that tradition back.
Ingredients
Dough
1 (¼ oz) package active dry yeast
1 t sugar
¼ c warm water (110 deg)
⅓ c sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
⅓ c butter, melted
½ c dairy sour cream, room temperature
1 t vanilla extract
1 t salt
3 ¼ to 3 ¾ c all purpose or bread flour
Maple topping
½ c pure maple syrup
¼ c packed brown sugar
⅓ c butter
¼ t salt
Filling
1 c raisins
⅔ c packed brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
½ c finely chopped pecans (optional)
Preparation
Dough
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in water. Let stand until foamy, 5 go 10 min. Add ⅓ cup of sugar, eggs, butter, sourcream, vanilla, and 1-½ to 2 cups of flour. Beat 200 vigorous strokes, or 2 min by electric mixer.
Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Clean and grease bowl. Knead dough for 4-6 min or until smooth. Dough will feel soft and buttery, but not sticky.
Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with a slightly damp towel. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until it has doubled in size, 1-½ hrs.
Buns
Punch down dough; knead for 30 seconds. Cover and let stand for 10 min. Prepare 18 in of waxed paper with butter and set aside. Generously grease a 13 in X 9 inch baking pan.
Prepare topping and pour it into the prepared pan; set aside. Prepare the filling and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 24 in X 12 inch rectangle. Rub with butter, leaving 1 in not buttered on one side. Sprinkle evenly with filling.
Beginning with the buttered, long side, tightly roll up the dough, jelly roll fashion. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the roll into 24 equal pieces. Arrange rolls, cut side down, in the prepared pan.
Cover with the buttered waxed paper. Let them rise in a warm, draft free, place until doubled in size, about 1 hr.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg. Remove waxed paper and bake for 30 to 35 min or until golden brown. Let stand in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes; invert baked rolls onto a platter or a wire cooling rack set over wax paper. Spoon any remaining topping back over the rolls. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm. Separate rolls by gently pulling them apart with two forks.
Filling
Combine all ingredients into a small bowl.
Topping
Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to simmer.
Notes
Replace the raisins with 1 cup of thawed, frozen blueberries for a variation