Plum Pecan Sticky Buns
Gooey sticky buns filled with homemade plum compote, topped with chewy pecan-flecked caramel. Absolute heaven.
Equipment
- 8×8-inch square baking pan
- Rolling pin
Ingredients
Plum Filling
- 4-5 plums, chopped, (~1 ½ cups)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Cinnamon Butter
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, soft room temperature
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sticky Bun Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Rolls
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 package instant/rapid rise yeast
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Make the plum filling. Chop plums and add to a saucepan over medium heat. Add ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp each cinnamon & ginger, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- Cook, stirring frequently and smashing plums lightly with the back of a spoon, until plums break down and mixture becomes thick, about 10-15 minutes. Pour mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely before using. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Make the cinnamon butter filling. In a small bowl, beat 4 tbsp butter until it's soft and creamy. Add ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon; mix well. Set aside.
- Start the cinnamon roll dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp sugar, and package of instant yeast.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add ¾ cup whole milk; turn heat off. You want this mixture to be warm but not hot – 105 – 115° F is ideal. If it's too hot, let it cool for a few minutes. If it's too cold, warm it up over low heat until it's ready.
- Add melted butter-milk mixture to the flour mix, stir in. Add 1 egg and mix until combined. Place dough hook on stand mixer and knead dough for 8-10 minutes on medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic. You may need to add just a little more flour if dough looks too sticky. Add one tablespoon at a time and allow mixture to knead for a minute before considering adding more. It should be somewhat sticky but not stick to the sides of the bowl or to your fingers.
- Place dough in a greased bowl, tossing to coat. Let dough sit until roughly doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes (rising time can vary quite a bit).
- While dough is proofing, make the sticky bun caramel topping. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk in melted butter.
- Pour sticky bun caramel into a 8×8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle ¾ cup toasted chopped pecans evenly on top, pressing nuts into the caramel slightly. Set aside.
- Roll and shape. When dough has doubled, remove it from the bowl and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle, roughly 16 by 12 inches and 1/2 inch thick.
- Add cinnamon butter. Carefully spread cinnamon butter mixture on top of dough, being careful not to pull the dough. Leave a one-inch border around all sides.
- Add plum filling. Spread about 1 cup of plum filling evenly on top of cinnamon butter. Don't overfill with this – the plum jam is slippery, and too much of it will make the dough difficult to roll up and slice.
- Roll & slice. Starting with one long side, roll the dough up into a spiral, making sure it's fairly tight. Seal the edge by pinching the two sides together. Place roll seam side down. Slice into 9 even slices using unflavored dental floss. Slicing this with a knife will be tricky, as it may squish the dough too much and cause the plum filling to squeeze out. Some of the plum compote will certainly spill out when you slice it – that's ok. These buns are messy buns.
- Second rise. Place rolls into prepared pan on top of caramel and pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise until doubled, about 1 – 1 ½ hours. Alternatively, you could refrigerate overnight and pull the rolls out to rise in the morning.
- Bake. While rolls are proofing, preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake rolls until golden brown on top and baked through in the center, about 30-40 minutes. For best results, use a digital thermometer to check their internal temp – it should be between 195 – 200° F.
- Cool & flip. Remove rolls from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then flip sticky buns onto a cutting board, large serving platter, or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Allow plum sticky buns to cool at least another 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm and fresh!
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