Philadelphia Sticky Buns
These Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired sticky buns, with their pillowy dough and glistening glassy sticky topping, are precisely what your weekend mornings have been missing.
Servings: 12 buns
Calories: 277kcal
Equipment
- small saucepan to cook the base glaze
- Standing mixer
- large bowl for rising the dough
- 9 x 13 baking pan for baking the buns
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast See NOTE 1 if using active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs Room temperature, beaten
- 3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour See TIPS in Notes section.
For the Filing
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar white or brown
For the Caramel Base Glaze/Topping
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1.5 cup nuts pecans or walnuts (see NOTE 2)
Instructions
For the Dough
- Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Heat the mixture until the butter melts. Allow it to cool to lukewarm (it takes about 30 minutes to cool) (approximately 105°F to 115°F). After it is barely warm, add yeast (if you add it when it's too hot, you will inactive your yeast.) See NOTE 1 if you are using active dry yeast.
- Mix Dough: Pour the milk-butter mixture into the bowl of a standing mixer and add the beaten eggs and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth using paddle attachment.
- Add Flour: Switch to dough hook, Gradually add just enough of the remaining flour to form a soft, slightly sticky but manageable dough - you may not need all of the flour! Add more flour, one tablespoon at a time if dough is not coming away from sides of mixing bowl as you knead.
- First Rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the top with grease. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 60 minutes - alternatively, you can place the dough in a plastic bag and place in your refrigerator for the next day.
To Form the Buns and Fill
- Shape Dough: Shape the dough into a rectangle (bring to room temperature if you refrigerated the dough). Use a bit of flour under and on top to prevent sticking. Roll the dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Add Fillings: Spread a thin layer of soft butter over the dough. Mix the cinnamon and sugar, and evenly sprinkle on the butter.
- Roll: Starting from the long end, roll the dough jelly-roll style, pulling gently as you roll from left to right (and vice versa) to ensure a tight, even roll. Gently pat the ends as you go. If the ends are uneven, carefully trim them. When slicing, use a very sharp, serrated knife, like a bread knife, and apply minimal pressure while using a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion for clean, even slices.
- Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces without squishing the dough. I use a very sharp serrated knife and gentle back-and-forth sawing motions. To make it easier, cut the log in half, then cut each half in half again. Finally, gently mark each of the four sections into thirds with shallow cuts before slicing through for evenly sized buns.
Base Caramel Glaze
- Make Glaze: Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan. After everything is melted, simmer gently for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, stirring only until ingredients are melted and mixed and not afterward, then pour into the bottom of your baking pan. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the glaze.
- Place Buns: Allow the glaze to cool slightly, then place the buns cut side down onto the glaze.
Final Rise and Preheat Oven
- Cover the buns and allow them to rise for about 20 to 40 minutes or until they almost fill the pan after rising. Preheat your oven to 375°F while they are rising.
For Baking and Serving
- Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown in the bottom third of the oven, then cover loosely with tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes to ensure the bottom is browned.
- Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes to set the glaze. Place a parchment-lined tray on top of the buns, then quickly flip both trays together to invert. Let the topping drip over the buns for a few minutes before lifting off the pan.
- If it has firmed up too much, you can return it to a warm oven to loosen the bottom. Be sure to scrape out any topping in the pan and add to the top of the buns.
- Serve the buns warm for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
NOTE 1: To modify this recipe for active dry yeast, warm the milk to about 110°F, dissolve the yeast in it, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy before adding the sugar, salt, and butter.
NOTE 2: In our area, sticky buns come plain, with nuts, raisins, or nuts and raisins. Feel free to customize.
TIPS
- Sticky buns are best on the first day and still good on the second day.
- By the third day, reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
- Freeze buns you won’t eat within two days to maintain freshness.
- Wrap them tightly, freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
- Thaw baked sticky buns at room temperature for best freshness.
- If freezing before baking, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight to control proofing.
- After thawing unbaked dough in the fridge, let it rise at room temperature before baking.
- Avoid refrigerating baked buns, as it can make them go stale faster.
- To freeze before baking, thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise before baking.
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- Don’t add yeast to hot milk: Wait until the milk mixture cools to lukewarm (105-115°F), or the heat will kill the yeast, preventing the dough from rising.
- Add flour gradually: Incorporate flour slowly toward the end, using only as much as needed to make a soft, slightly sticky dough that pulls away from the sides.
- Shape an even rectangle first: Roll the dough into a uniformly flat and even rectangle. This helps create buns that are all the same size and bake evenly.
- Roll tightly and evenly: When rolling the dough, start from one long end and roll it slowly and tightly, pulling gently and patting the ends to keep the roll even and prevent bulging at the ends.
- Let the buns get puffy during the final rise: Allow them to rise until they fill the pan, which ensures they bake up soft and fluffy without needing a poke test!
- Use a serrated knife for cutting using very gentle pressure: This helps slice the buns cleanly without squishing the dough.
- Let them cool just a bit before flipping. Waiting 10 minutes ensures the glaze thickens and doesn't run over the buns.
- Sticky buns are best on the first day and still good on the second day.
- By the third day, reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften.
- Freeze buns you won’t eat within two days to maintain freshness.
- Wrap them tightly, freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
- Thaw baked sticky buns at room temperature for best freshness.
- If freezing before baking, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight to control proofing.
- After thawing unbaked dough in the fridge, let it rise at room temperature before baking.
- Avoid refrigerating baked buns, as it can make them go stale faster.
- To freeze before baking, thaw overnight in the fridge, then let rise before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg