Last weekend our daughter Sara and her family were with us for an overnight, sandwiched in between the numerous softball league games our granddaughter Sabrina was in. But they made it to our house for dinner, overnight and breakfast the next morning. Getting up early, I came downstairs, tiptoeing past the downstairs guest room only to find Sara sitting out in our patio reading a magazine. She’d risen early because our grandson had wiggled his way into bed with Sara and John at about 5 am, kind of pushing Sara out of bed. Sara and I had a nice, quiet visit over some hot tea before the family got up.
Anyway, Sara was telling me about the favorite sticky buns she makes regularly at home, using Bridgeford frozen bread dough. I said, well, I have a 1-pound package of Trader Joe’s raw pizza dough. Did she think that might work? She thought about it and said why not? So, with both of us working at it (me mostly taking notes as I watched her), we managed to find all the necessary ingredients in my kitchen pantry. This version is so easy. What’s different about these is the addition of heavy cream in the bottom (that becomes the top if you invert the whole thing after baking). I hunted all over the internet and didn’t find a single recipe using this method.
To tell you the truth, sticky buns aren’t something I crave. I know they’re loaded with sugar and probably full of fat, and the resulting calories have a direct conduit from my mouth to my hips. Besides, with Dave a diabetic, he shouldn’t have any of these (he didn’t, I did). So thankfully, I’ve been able to resist every single one of those mall bakeries who hawk sticky buns like they’re nothing but the equivalent of a couple of cookies.
But Sara’s version was so darned easy. And they were ever-so tasty. We didn’t frost them – that seemed over the top, we thought. They had plenty of sugar in them as it was.
Sara didn’t have the recipe with her, but she thought she could remember it by heart. She makes them often enough she doesn’t even use a recipe anymore. She thinks the recipe came from a Better Homes & Gardens magazine from 1989. It’s not on the magazine’s website (probably because it’s from too long ago).
First of all, try to allow time for the dough to rise some. We didn’t have the luxury of that, so they only rose for about 15 minutes before we had to put them in the oven. And do put this in an 8×8 pan, not a 9×9 (as I did). Plus, it’s possible that the Bridgeford bread dough may be more quantity . . . we didn’t know. In either case, they didn’t really fill up the 9×9 pan quite enough. But it didn’t matter one bit to the taste!
In the bottom of the pan you mix whipping cream and brown sugar, then sprinkle the whole pecans over it. The dough is rolled or spread out into a rectangle (guessed at about 10×14), it’s brushed with most of a half a cube of melted butter, then sprinkled with a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. You roll it up, try to seal the edges a bit, then cut into 12 equal pieces and they’re gently laid in on top of that creamy pecan stuff. Cover and allow to rise if you can, then bake for 25-30 minutes. I ended up turning on the broiler for just a few minutes to brown the top. And so very good. With a bunch of hungry mouths to feed, the 12 little buns were gone in a flash. Thanks, daughter!
Pecan Sticky Buns (using pizza dough)
Recipe By: Daughter Sara’s recipe that she’s adapted from an ancient Better Homes & Gardens magazine
Serving Size: 8
NOTES: If you don’t have pizza dough, use a frozen bread dough (defrosted) instead.
BASE:
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup pecans — left whole
DOUGH:
1 pound pizza dough — (raw, readymade)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter — melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. In the bottom of an 8×8 pan, add the brown sugar and heavy cream. With a spoon stir it together until mostly mixed.
2. Sprinkle the top with the pecans and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Using extra flour to keep down the stickiness, spread the pizza dough into a rectangle (about 10 x 14 approx).
5. Melt the butter in the microwave and using a pastry brush, brush the butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border around all 4 edges. Reserve just a bit of butter to add later.
6. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle (use a spoon, it’s easier) all over the dough, still leaving the border around the edges. Roll up the dough from the long side, and attempt to seal the edge with water, if possible. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough roll into 12 equal pieces. Place the pieces over the base, leaving space between each bun so they have room to spread and rise. Brush the tops with any of the remaining butter. Cover lightly and allow to rise about 30 minutes (or more if you have time).
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top. If the tops aren’t brown, turn on the broiler for just a few minutes – that’s all it will need. Watch that it doesn’t burn.
8. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes. You can turn the entire pan over onto a serving plate, or use a spatula to serve each bun with some of the bottom sauce drizzled over the top.
Per Serving: 389 Calories; 25g Fat (55.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 46mg Cholesterol; 16mg Sodium.
A year ago: Chocolate Pudding (Dorie Greenspan’s)
Two years ago: Rosemary Pork Loin
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