Maple - Pecan Sticky Buns

These are sublime. Prep time does not include the 2 rising times.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 12 buns

Ingredients

• Dough

• 1⁄4 cup warm water (105F-115F)
• 1  envelope dry yeast
• 1⁄3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1⁄3 cup sugar, plus
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 3  tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2  teaspoons  grated lemons, rind of
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄4 cups  whole milk
• 1  large egg
• 1  large  egg yolk
• 2  teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour (about)

• Maple Topping

• 1  cup pure maple syrup
• 9  tablespoons butter
• 1  cup  packed golden brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

• Filling

• 3⁄4 cup pecans
• 1⁄2 cup  packed golden brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup raisins (if you don’t like raisins, use this amount of pecans)
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

1. Place water in small bowl.
2. Sprinkle yeast and 1 tsp sugar over and stir to blend.
3. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 8 minutes.
4. Combine oats, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, lemon peel and salt in large bowl.
5. Heat milk in small saucepan until bubbles start to form around edge of pan.
6. Pour hot milk over oat mixture and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
7. Cool mixture 10 minutes.
8. Add egg, egg yolk, vanilla and dissolved yeast to oat mixture; stir to blend.
9. Mix in 3 cups flour.
10. Beat batter for 100 strokes with a wooden spoon (or, better yet, get your husband to do it!).
11. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let batter rest 10 minutes.
12. Mix enough flour into batter, ¼ cupful at a time, to form soft dough.
13. Turn dough out onto floured surface.
14. Knead gently until smooth and slightly sticky dough forms, adding more flour if very sticky, about 8 minutes.
15. Lightly oil large bowl.
16. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil.
17. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then with towel.
18. Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 ½ hours.
19. Make Maple Topping: Butter two 13x9x2 inch glass baking dishes.
20. Combine maple syrup and butter in medium saucepan.
21. Stir over medium heat until butter melts.
22. Remove from heat.
23. Mix in brown sugar.
24. Pour half of topping into each prepared dish; tilt to coat bottom of dishes evenly.
25. Sprinkle each with half of nuts; cool.
26. Make Filling: Combine all ingredients in processor.
27. Pulse until pecans are finely chopped.
28. Assembly: Carefully turn doubled dough out onto floured surface (do not punch down dough).
29. Roll dough gently to flatten slightly.
30. Using hands, pull and stretch dough to 12x18 inch rectangle.
31. Brush dough evenly with all of melted butter.
32. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough, leaving a ½ inch plain border on one long side.
33. Starting at long side opposite plain border, roll up dough jelly roll-fashion, forming log.
34. Pinch seam to seal.
35. Using large knife, score log into 12 equal pieces.
36. Cut log at scores.
37. Arrange 6 pieces, cut side up and evenly spaced, in each prepared baking dish.
38. Lightly press down on buns with palms.
39. (Can be prepared to this point and refrigerated overnight) Let buns rise in warm, draft-free area until light and puffy, about 50 minutes if buns are at room temperature, 1 hour 15 minutes if refrigerated.
40. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375F Bake buns uncovered until tops are golden-brown and topping bubbles thickly, reversing baking dishes halfway through baking, about 25 minutes.
41. Remove dishes from oven.
42. Immediately place large baking sheet over 1 baking dish.
43. With oven mitts, grasp dish and baking sheet together and turn over to release buns and topping onto sheet.
44. Repeat with second baking dish and a second baking sheet.
45. Cool buns 5 minutes.
46. Eat hot!
47. Buns can be frozen, but best eaten within 2 weeks of baking.
48. Bake frozen buns, covered, at 375F until heated through, about 15 minutes.