Soft, pillowy buns swirled with cinnamon sugar, pecans, and honey caramel for a luscious treat.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
07 - 2 large eggs
→ Filling
08 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
09 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
→ Honey Caramel Sauce
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
13 - 1/2 cup honey
14 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
15 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
16 - 1/2 tsp salt
17 - 1 cup pecan halves
# Steps:
01 - Combine warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a large bowl; let stand 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
02 - Add melted butter, eggs, remaining sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture; mix well. Gradually incorporate flour until a soft dough forms.
03 - Knead dough on a floured surface for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
04 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add honey, brown sugar, and salt; stir until smooth. Pour in heavy cream and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and incorporate pecan halves. Pour sauce into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
05 - Punch down risen dough and roll out on a floured surface to a 16x12-inch rectangle.
06 - Spread softened butter evenly over dough. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.
07 - Starting from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log. Slice into 12 equal pieces.
08 - Arrange buns cut side down over the honey caramel sauce in the baking dish. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes until puffy.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake buns for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
10 - Cool buns for 5 minutes, then invert the pan onto a serving platter so the sticky pecan topping is on top. Serve warm.
