The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (273 page)

MAKES ONE 9-INCH LOAF

If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can mix the dough by hand following the instructions in
“TEST KITCHEN TIP NO. 119 HAND-MIXING METHOD FOR DOUGH”
. This recipe also doubles easily.

ENRICHED BREAD DOUGH

FILLING AND GLAZE

1. FOR THE DOUGH:
Whisk milk, water, eggs, and melted butter together in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 3¹⁄
₄
cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt on low speed. Slowly add milk mixture and let dough come together, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. (If after 4 minutes dough seems very sticky, add remaining ¹⁄
₂
cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom.) Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds. Place dough in large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 2 to 2¹⁄
₂
hours.

2. FOR THE FILLING AND GLAZE:
Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and press into 18 by 8-inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Brush dough liberally with milk, then sprinkle evenly with sugar mixture, leaving ¹⁄
₂
-inch border at bottom edge. Roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Turn loaf seam side up and pinch it closed. Place loaf seam side down in prepared pan, pressing gently into corners. Cover loaf loosely with greased plastic and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 90 minutes (top of loaf should rise about 1 inch over lip of pan).

3.
Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush egg mixture onto loaf. Bake until crust is golden brown and loaf registers 195 degrees, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove loaf from pan, return to rack, and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving. (Bread can be wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapped with additional layer of aluminum foil, bread can be frozen for up to 1 month.)

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Dough can be combined, refrigerated overnight, then shaped, proofed, and baked next day.

MAKES 12 ROLLS

This variation turns the enriched bread dough from Cinnamon Swirl Bread into soft cinnamon rolls with sweet vanilla icing. If you don’t have a baking stone, bake the rolls on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet set on the lowest oven rack. For a quicker version of cinnamon rolls, see
QUICK CINNAMON BUNS
.

ICING

1.
Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in bowl.

2.
Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and roll into 12 by 16-inch rectangle, with long side facing you. Brush dough liberally with milk, leaving ¹⁄
₂
-inch border along top edge. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving ³⁄
₄
-inch border along top edge. Sprinkle raisins, if using, and/or walnuts, if using, over cinnamon mixture Starting at long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form tight cylinder. Pinch seam to seal. Very gently stretch to form cylinder of even diameter, pushing ends in to create even thickness. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, slice cylinder in half, then slice each half in half again to create evenly sized quarters. Slice each quarter evenly into thirds, yielding 12 buns (end pieces may be slightly smaller).

3.
Arrange rolls cut side down in prepared baking pan, cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise at in warm, draft-free spot until rolls are puffy and pressed against one another, about 1¹⁄
₂
hours. One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 350 degrees.

4.
Bake rolls until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rolls cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

5. FOR THE ICING:
Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla together in bowl until smooth. Re-invert rolls and place rack over piece of parchment paper. Drizzle icing over rolls with spoon. Pull apart or use serrated knife to cut apart buns and serve.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Sticky buns are often too sweet, too big, too rich, and just too much. We wanted a bun that was neither dense nor bready, with a crumb that was tender and feathery and a gently gooey and chewy glaze. To keep the sticky bun glaze from hardening into a tooth-pulling, taffylike shell, we added cream, which kept the glaze supple. To the dough’s basic mix of flour, yeast, and salt we added buttermilk, which gave the buns a complex flavor and a little acidity that balanced the sweetness. Butter and eggs enriched the dough further. After the first rise, we spread the filling—brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and butter—over the dough, rolled it, cut the individual buns, and laid them in the pan with the caramel to rise once more before being baked. We found that setting the pan on a baking stone in the oven ensured that the bottoms of the buns (which would end up on top) baked completely. To preserve the crispness of the nuts, we created one more layer: toasted nuts in a lightly sweetened glaze to crown the rolls before serving.

See “MAKING STICKY BUNS” illustrations that follow recipe.

MAKES 12 BUNS

Although the ingredient list may look long, note that many ingredients are repeated. If you don’t have a baking stone, bake the rolls on an overturned and preheated rimmed baking sheet set on the lowest oven rack.

DOUGH

GLAZE

FILLING

TOPPING

1. FOR THE DOUGH:
In bowl of standing mixer, whisk eggs to combine; add buttermilk and whisk to combine. Whisk in sugar, yeast, and salt. Add 2 cups flour and butter; stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until evenly moistened and combined. Add all but about ¹⁄
₄
cup remaining flour and knead with dough hook at low speed for 5 minutes. Check consistency of dough (dough should feel soft and moist but not wet and sticky; add more flour, if necessary); knead for 5 minutes longer (dough should clear sides of bowl but stick to bottom). Turn dough onto lightly floured counter; knead by hand for about 1 minute to ensure dough is uniform (dough should not stick to counter; if it does stick, knead in additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time).

2.
Transfer dough to large, lightly greased bowl, spray dough lightly with vegetable oil spray, cover bowl, and set in warm, draft-free spot until doubled in volume, 2 to 2¹⁄
₂
hours.

3. FOR THE GLAZE:
Combine all ingredients in small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into nonstick metal 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Using rubber spatula, spread mixture to cover surface of pan; set aside.

4. FOR THE FILLING:
Combine sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined, using fingers to break up sugar lumps; set aside.

5. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Turn dough out onto lightly floured counter. Gently shape dough into rough rectangle with long side nearest you. Lightly flour dough and roll to 16 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter, leaving ¹⁄
₂
-inch border along top edge; brush sides of baking dish with butter remaining on brush. Sprinkle filling mixture over dough, leaving ³⁄
₄
-inch border along top edge; smooth filling in even layer with hand, then gently press mixture into dough to adhere. Starting at long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form tight cylinder. Firmly pinch seam to seal. Arrange cylinder seam side down and cut into 8 equal pieces. Very gently stretch to form cylinder of even diameter and 18-inch length, pushing ends in to create even thickness. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, slice cylinder in half, then slice each half in half again to create evenly sized quarters. Slice each quarter evenly into thirds, yielding 12 buns (end pieces may be slightly smaller).

6.
Arrange buns cut side down in prepared baking pan, cover, and set in warm, draft-free spot until puffy and pressed against one another, about 1¹⁄
₂
hours. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 350 degrees.

7.
Place baking pan on baking stone and bake until rolls are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes; invert onto rimmed baking sheet, large rectangular platter, or cutting board. With rubber spatula, scrape any glaze remaining in baking pan onto buns; let cool while making pecan topping.

8. FOR THE TOPPING:
Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally to thoroughly combine. Off heat, add vanilla and pecans and stir until pecans are evenly coated. Using soupspoon, spoon heaping 1 tablespoon nuts and topping over center of each sticky bun. Continue to let cool until sticky buns are warm, 15 to 20 minutes. Pull apart or use serrated knife to cut apart buns and serve.

Sticky buns can be prepared and shaped the night before and then refrigerated. Setting the baking dish in a warm-water bath the next morning speeds the dough’s rise.

After forming and arranging buns in baking pan in step 5, cover pan and refrigerate for 10 to 14 hours. Place baking pan in warm-water bath (about 120 degrees) in kitchen sink or large roasting pan for 20 minutes. Remove from water bath and let stand at room temperature until buns look slightly puffy and are pressed against one another, about 1¹⁄
₂
hours. About an hour before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place baking stone on rack, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Proceed with step 6 as directed.

This make-ahead version makes sticky buns possible during hectic times, like the holidays.

After buns have risen 1¹⁄
₂
hours, place baking pan, covered tightly with plastic wrap, in freezer and store for up to 1 month. To bake, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove buns from freezer, remove plastic wrap, wrap dish tightly with aluminum foil, and set on baking sheet. Bake buns for 30 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake until golden brown and center of dough registers about 180 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. Proceed with cooling buns and making topping as directed in step 7.