Ingredients
- Dough:
- 1/4 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
- 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup milk
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 Tbsp. finely grated orange zest
- 1 1/4 teaspoon. salt
- 4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Filling:
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- Topping:
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
Directions
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Make the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
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Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour. Mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low speed, slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding a little more flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered bowl. Turn dough over in bowl to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
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Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (or 2 hours if not in an entirely warm place).
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After the dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.
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Make the filling. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.
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Roll dough out into a 12″ × 18″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 15 slices.
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Make the topping. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ × 13″ pan and sprinkle pecans on top.
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Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving room for the buns to rise, and refrigerate overnight.
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Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately (and carefully as not to spill hot topping on your toes!) invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.