Sourdough Sticky Bun Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Sourdough Sticky Bun Recipe

Ooey, gooey, sticky pecan rolls made with 100% natural yeast sourdough. These are incredibly delicious and deserve a place on your breakfast table this year. We love the sticky pecan topping and sweet cinnamon roll. The perfect pairing for a special occasion.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Fermentation Time1 13

Total Time1 14 30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

mixer
9 by 13 glass baking pan

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Levain (10-12 hours/overnight at 78 degrees F)

10 grams ripe/active sourdough starter about 2 teaspoons
10 grams granulated sugar about 1 Tablespoon
50 grams all-purpose flour about 1/3 cup
25 grams water about 1.5 Tablespoons

Sticky Pecan Roll Dough

90 grams levain all of it, about 1/3 cup
220 grams warm whole milk about 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons
55 grams unsalted butter, melted about 1/4 cup
60 grams granulated sugar about 1/4 cup
1 large egg about 50 grams
6 grams salt about 3/4 teaspoon
475 grams bread flour about 3-4 cups

Filling

55 grams unsalted butter very soft or melted, 1/4 cup
100 grams brown sugar about 1/2 cup
4 grams ground cinnamon about 1/2 Tablespoon
5 grams all-purpose flour about 1/2 Tablespoon

Sticky Pecan Topping

225 grams pecans roughly chopped, about 1.5 cups
113 grams unsalted butter about 1/2 cup
200 grams brown sugar about 1 cup
100 grams real maple syrup about 1/3 cup
55 grams heavy cream about 1/4 cup
2 grams salt about 1/4 teaspoon
4 grams vanilla extract about 1 teaspoon, reserved

Instructions

Levain (10-12 hours, overnight)

Mix together ripe sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and water. Knead the levain until it forms a cohesive ball. Set in a clear container and cover for 10-12 hours until the levain has doubled in size and the top is rounded.

Sticky Pecan Roll Dough

Warm the milk in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes full power) or on the stove. It should be around 90-100 degrees F, no warmer than that. To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the ripe levain, warmed milk and melted butter.
Add the sugar, egg, salt and most of the bread flour. Turn on the dough hook and knead for a few minutes. Add the remainder of the bread flour as needed. The dough should be tacky, not overly sticky and should all cling to one side of the bowl (or away from the edges depending on your mixer). Knead for a total of 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
Bulk Fermentation: Put the dough in a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 78-80 degree F place for 4 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to make sure the dough temperature stays right around 78 degrees F. This temperature is optimal for fermentation.
At the end of about 4 hours, the dough should be puffed up and feel very elastic. If it doesn't feel this way, let it bulk ferment for another half hour and check again.
Overnight Refrigeration: At this point, after the bulk fermentation has finished, cover the dough and put it in the refrigerator. Proceed with the recipe the next day, shaping and proofing the rolls before baking. This allows you to time the sticky pecan rolls for breakfast or brunch if desired. If you prefer to shape the rolls and bake them the same day, skip the overnight refrigeration and proceed with the recipe.
Mix up the Filling: Near the end of bulk fermentation, mix up the cinnamon roll filling. To a small bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Mix together. Set aside.
Prepare the Pan with Sticky Pecan Topping: Pour the chopped pecans (I like to give them a few pulses in the blender) in the bottom of a 9 by 13 glass baking dish. To a small saucepan over medium heat add the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream and salt. Let simmer for about 2 minutes. Then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour this sauce over the pecans in the pan.
Shaping: Dump the dough on the counter and roll the dough out into an approximate 18 by 12 rectangle. Mix up the cinnamon filling by mixing softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together until it forms a thick paste. Spread the cinnamon filling all over the dough with your fingers, making sure to cover up to the edges of the cinnamon roll. Starting with the dough closest to you, roll up the cinnamon roll and pinch together the seam. Flip the cinnamon roll over, seam side down. Cut the long log of cinnamon roll dough into 12 equal pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls on top of the gooey pecan mixture in a 3 by 4 grid.
Proofing: Cover the pan and let rise in a 78 degree F place until puffed up and risen, about 3 hours. Do not bake these rolls if they have not risen.
Baking: Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Bake risen rolls about 30-35 minutes until baked all the way through and the rolls register 190-195ºF. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes before flipping the pan over onto a serving platter. Place the serving platter upside down on top of the pan. Use hot pads and flip the pan over. This turn the rolls upside down so the sticky pecan topping is now on top! Enjoy!

Notes

Bread Flour: I always think it’s wise to use the best possible flour for a great product. Bread flour creates dough with more elasticity thanks to the higher protein content, and I prefer the texture of sticky pecan rolls made with bread flour. If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all purpose flour or use all purpose and substitute some vital wheat gluten to increase the protein content of the flour.

Whole Milk: 2% milk can be substituted

Proofing Options for Morning Sticky Buns: Most of us enjoy eating sticky buns in the morning which can be a little tricky with 100% sourdough recipes. Here are some of the proofing options that help make this possible

Refrigerate the dough for 12-24 hours and shape rolls in the morning: Refrigerate the dough, shape and fill the next morning. Rolls rise in a warm (80-85ºF) place for 3-4 hours and are typically ready for brunch.
Shape Rolls, Proof, and Refrigerate to bake the next morning: Go through the entire process of shaping the rolls and then proofing them until just doubled in size. Cover and stick the risen rolls in the refrigerator overnight. Bake straight from the fridge the next morning. The rolls may need a few extra minutes of baking time.
Shape and Let Rise Overnight: If you time it right and have consistently lower temperatures (76ºF-78ºF), it can work well to mix the dough in the evening and shape the rolls about 10-12 hours before you want to bake them, giving them time to rise overnight and bake when you wake up.
Shape Rolls, Proof and Bake: Shape the rolls, proof them and bake the rolls when they are risen, light and airy. Cover with foil. Reheat the next morning in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and enjoy warm.

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