sourdough sticky buns

pillowy soft cinnamon rolls topped with melt-in-you-mouth toasted pecan caramel goo. flour bakery's famous sticky sticky buns naturally leavened with sourdough.

formula

levain build

25 g levain
100 g water @ 85°F
25 g king arthur whole wheat flour
100 g king arthur all purpose flour

brioche dough

300 g king arthur all purpose flour
50 g king arthur bread flour
227 g levain
170 g whole milk, room temp
50 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
8 g sea salt
55 g butter, room temp

goo topping formula

175 g butter
275 g light brown sugar
100 g honey
80 g heavy cream
80 g water
2 g salt
70 g chopped pecans, toasted

filling formula

50 g light brown sugar
30 g granulated sugar
50 g chopped pecans, toasted
1 g cinnamon (1/4 tsp)

method

8 am: feed levain

refresh your starter using levain build formula, and stiff starter method.

3:20 pm: prepare brioche dough

cut your room temp butter into small, 1/4-inch chunks, and set aside.
using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle hook, combine the flours, levain, milk, sugar, salt, and the eggs. beat on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until all the ingredients are combined.
pause the mixer as needed to scrape down the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients.
once the dough has come together, let dough rest for 10 minutes
then, using the dough hook attachment, work the dough on low speed for another 5 to 7 minutes.
slowly cut in the butter pieces on low speed, one piece at a time, until all the butter is incorporated, about 10-15 minutes. don't panic if the dough looks wet! resist the urge to add more flour. dough is done when it starts pulling away from the sides

4 pm: bulk fermentation

butter a large bowl with a lid, and transfer the dough. cover, and let dough rise for 4 hours at room temperature.
this dough needs 4 folds, one every hour.

8 pm: overnight cold bulk

let the dough continue rising, covered, overnight in the fridge, for at least 6 hours.

8:15 pm: prepare goo & pecans

in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. whisk in the brown sugar while cooking, stirring to combine. it'll look separated, and that's ok.
remove from heat, and continue to whisk in the honey, cream, water, and salt.
let cool for at least 30 min, or until at room temperature. cover and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
toast 120 g pecans on a baking sheet at 350°F for 5-6 minutes, or until aromatic. let cool completely before storing. reserve 50 g for the filling and 70 g for topping.

[next morning] 6:30 am: prepare filling

in a small bowl, mix the sugars, cinnamon, and 50g of the pecans together.

6:35 am: shape

roll out the brioche dough (like pie crust) into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches and 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. the dough should feel like cold, damp playdoh.
sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the rolled out dough.
take the shorter end of the rectangle, and begin rolling up the rectangle like a jelly roll (or a fruit rollup!). roll this tightly to achieve a more defined spiral -- i recommend going pretty slowly to ensure getting the middle and edges.

6:45 am: assemble

trim off the ends (about 1/4 in), so that the roll is even.
using a bench scraper, divide the roll into 8 pieces, about 1.5 inches wide per piece.
pour the goo into a 13x9 inch pan, covering the bottom. sprinkle the remaining pecans evenly across the goo.
place and arrange the buns evenly into the pan (4 wide and 2 across).

6:50 am: proof

cover the buns, and let rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, until puffy, pillowy, and touching.

9:15 am: preheat

preheat oven to 350°F.

9:45 am: bake

place baking pan on middle rack and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until buns look golden brown.
let buns cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

10:15 am: serve & enjoy

sticky buns are best eaten within 4 hours of baking! to serve, invert buns one at a time onto serving dish, and spoon extra goo on top. sprinkle additional toasted pecans if desired, and enjoy!