Gooey Cinnamon Sticky Buns

These little gems come from a recipe from…

OPRAH!

Who knew the queen of yo-yo weight loss and healthy living would feature such a sinfully delicious recipe in her O Magazine?

These Gooey Cinnamon Sticky Buns are the best I’ve tried yet. Unlike past buns I’ve made, these aren’t hard hockey pucks with stick-to-your-teeth, pull-out-your-cavities goo. These are soft and pillowy. Gooey and warm. Caramel-y and crunchy.

Each bun comes out swirled with a gooey dose of baked cinnamon and brown sugar, then glazed with the sweet, sticky mixture and pecans which makes a bun, a sticky bun.

Make these at night, let them sit overnight in the fridge, and pop them into oven in the morning. Voila! Your kitchen will be instantly transformed into a gourmet bakery.

Gooey Cinnamon Sticky Buns

Servings: Makes 15 buns

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup warm (105° to 115°) water
• 1 package (1/4-ounce)  active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest [I opted to omit this]

• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

To make dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour and mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low, slowly incorporate 1 cup remaining flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding last 1/4 cup flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove dough from mixing bowl, shape into a ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Turn to coat and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. After dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.

To make filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.

Roll dough out into a 12″ x 18″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 15 slices.

To make topping: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan and sprinkle pecans on top.

Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.

From the February 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine