These sticky buns are the perfect brunch addition – you can make the dough for these caramelized treats the day before and keep them in the fridge over night. Baking them that morning just before your guests arrive…the house will smell amazing and your guests will think you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen since dawn!
Courtesy of Jennifer Hamilton.
ingredients
Dough
Filling
Sticky Bottom
Sugar Glaze & Assembly
directions
In a large bowl mash the bananas with the butter to form a very soft, ever-so-slightly liquid paste. Combine the yeast with this and let stand at room temperature, allowing the yeast to dissolve (about 5 minutes). Add the egg whites, skim milk powder, brown sugar, salt and flours and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms.
Scrape it all together with a bench scraper and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary, about 5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Form the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot (on top of the fridge works really well) until it doubles in size – about 1 ½ hours.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Returning to the dough, punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a 14-x-9-inch rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with the melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon-sugar combination and the dried cranberries or raisins. Beginning at the long side, roll jelly roll-style. Pinch to seal seam and set aside, covered in a warm spot while you make the sticky bottom.
Lightly butter the bottom of a 9-x-13-inch baking pan. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture into the pan.
Cut the buns into 12 pieces, about 1 ½ inches wide and arrange, cut side up, in the pan with the sugar-butter mixture. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 45 minutes (or over night in the fridge) or until doubled in volume.
Bake in a preheated, 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 25 – 35 minutes, or until caramel is bubbling and tops are slightly browned.
While the sticky buns are baking, make glaze: in a small bowl, stir together the confectioner’s sugar, cream and vanilla until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly.
When the rolls come out of the oven, allow them to cool slightly and then drizzle with the glaze while they are still warm. Pull apart and serve warm.