This is a really strange recipe, but really good. I promise. It’s from America’s Test Kitchens. I’ve tried every recipe out there, and this is the ONLY one I’ve found that I though was really good. Our son Jace has a recipe that is also amazing, with a little bourbon in the topping. I think I might like this dough better, but his topping better. Maybe I’ll try combining the two and amend my recipe one of these days.
1-1/3 oz bread flour
2/3 c water
Wisk the flour and water together, then microwave for 75 seconds, stopping to stir well every 25 seconds. You’ll have a thick gluey paste.
Dump the past into the bowl of your electric stand mixer or just into a bowl as I do because I don’t have a stand mixer. Then whisk in
2/3 c milk, whisk
1 egg & 1 egg yolk, whisk some more
15-1/8 oz bread flour, mix some more
2 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast, and mix some more
Now mix for 2 minutes on low speed with your stand mixer, or stir it as best you can by hand.
Let rest 15 minutes
Add 1.5 tsp salt and 3 T sugar
Mix about 5 minutes on medium low or again, stir it by hand.
Add 6 T softened, unsalted butter and mix another 5 minutes on medium low
Not having a stand mixer, I put on a latex glove and do a one handed squeeze and knead instead right inside the bowl. I usually have to do this when I add the flour and at first it’s almost impossibly sticky, but you just have to persevere. After adding the butter you have to knead quite a while until it turns into a nice dough that will be sticky, but will finally pull off of the glove.
Form into a ball and place in a bowl coated with cooking spray. Spray the top of the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce:
6 T unsalted, melted butter
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c dark corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 T water
Whisk until smooth and pour into a 9 X 13 pan that’s been oiled or coated with cooking spray
Sprinkle on 1 C toasted and chopped pecans
When the dough has risen, roll out into a large rectangle and sprinkle with:
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Roll up into a long jelly roll and cut into 12 slices using dental floss
Cover with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let rise until doubled, the rolls filling the pan and touching, about 1 hour
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then cover with foil and bake another 10-15 minutes
Then I take a jelly roll pan lined with non-stick foil, place over the top of the cinnamon rolls, and flip both pans over. Feel free to invert the pans however you like as long as the goo ends up on top. These are amazing, and still good reheated in the microwave the next day. Although nothing beats fresh out of the oven!