Baking with whole grains has opened up a new world of possibilities for me. Although I’m currently dealing with a wheat sensitivity and can’t partake of half the pan as I’d like, I seem to do somewhat better when I use whole wheat flour instead of white flour in recipes. Although these sticky buns are made with whole grains, they’re still an ooey gooey indulgence.
When B requested these for breakfast, I was excited because it provided me with a recipe where I could use my newly made apple syrup. I used the apple syrup and pineapple juice in the caramel-like topping, and the combination made for a “brighter” sweetness. You could use orange juice instead of pineapple in both the topping and the dough to give it a subtle citrus element. The original recipe for the dough did actually call for orange juice, as a way to offset the bitterness that whole grains can sometimes have, but I used pineapple juice instead to the same effect.
I recommend using white whole wheat flour in this recipe, which I only recently discovered is made from an entirely different strain of wheat than regular whole wheat flour, as opposed to being a more processed version of whole wheat flour. I’ve used stone ground whole wheat flour for yeast dough recipes in the past and wasn’t fond of the less smooth texture and lack of moisture in the finished product. A finer ground whole wheat flour may yield a smoother dough than what I’ve experienced.
The final dough will be denser than a dough made with white flour, and the buns won’t rise as much while proofing, but the sticky buns are so tasty that you probably won’t give a second thought to the fact that you’re eating something made with whole grains. Yay for baking with whole grains!
One correction that I might make if I were doing this again is to add a smear of unsalted butter to the dough before adding the filling mixture to help the filling stick better to the dough. As it is, a lot of the filling does fall out before you can get it to the pan, which isn’t really a problem because you can just take what’s fallen out and sprinkle it over the top of the buns when they’re all in the pan. However, if you want you can spread a few tablespoons of softened butter over the dough to make the cinnamon/sugar/nut mixture stick better.
Notes: If you use oat flour instead of rolled oats, you may need up to 1/2 cup additional water for the dough.
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
adapted from Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur Flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water
3/4 cup pineapple juice
5 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
1 egg yolk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into large pieces
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour (see note above) or old fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried potato flakes or 3 Tbsp. potato flour
1/4 nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast or 2 2/3 tsp. active dry yeast
FOR THE FILLING
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
pinch of salt
FOR THE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into large pieces
3/4 cup apple syrup or honey
1/3 cup pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
pinch of salt
Directions
1. Prepare the dough: Combine all dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix and knead by hand for about 10 minutes, or in the mixer on low for about 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. Cover and let dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours, or until it’s just about doubled in bulk.
2. Make the filling: Mix all filling ingredients in a small mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
3. Make the topping: Add brown sugar, apple syrup, and pineapple juice to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens to a caramel-like consistency, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the butter, one piece at a time, and cook until the butter has completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in heavy cream and salt. Pour the topping into a greased 9×13 inch or similar sized pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans over the topping.
4. Make the buns: Deflate the dough and transfer to a lightly greased or floured surface. A piece of parchment could also be used to cover the surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough (it should roll very easily) until it’s roughly a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a one inch margin on one of the long edges. Starting with the long edge that has filling spread to the edge, roll the dough into a log. Once rolled, turn the log of dough so the seam edge is flat against the work surface. Using a dough cutter or serrated knife, gently cut the log into 16 pieces.
5. Lay the buns over the topping in the pan, spacing them evenly. Sprinkle any filling mixture that has fallen on the work surface over the buns. Cover the pan with a piece of greased plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. They won’t quite double in size. Near the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Uncover the buns and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they’re a light golden brown. While the buns are baking, set a cooling rack over parchment or waxed paper. Remove the buns from the oven and immediately turn them onto the rack, allowing the parchment or waxed paper to catch the dripping topping. Scrape any topping that remains in the pan onto the buns. Allow to cool a bit before serving.
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