New year, new baking project. I have a backlog of posts from 2018 baking firsts I still need to write--yes, I am looking at you Danishes--but I had a half batch of brioche dough in the freezer that needed to be used, so I decided to make some sticky buns. Since the topic is fresh on my mind, I thought I would throw together a quick post.
I used extra brioche I had from a prior batch. When I initially made it, I put half of it in my garage freezer before the final proofing. I put it in my refrigerator last night to thaw and proceeded as I am about to explain. For the filling and topping, I used Joanne Chang's recipe, as I figured a James Beard Award winner probably knows how to make a good sticky bun worth trying.
Rolls:
1/2 batch of brioche dough
55 grams light brown sugar
50 grams granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
50 grams pecan halves, toasted and chopped
Goo topping:
170 grams/6 oz unsalted butter
345 grams light brown sugar
110 grams honey
80 grams heavy cream
80 grams water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
50 grams pecan halves, toasted and chopped (for topping the goo)
First I made the goo topping, which was simple enough: melt butter on medium heat, add brown sugar to incorporate into a smooth mixture, remove from the heat and stir in a mix of water, honey, heavy cream, and salt.
As I set my goo aside to cool, I rolled out my brioche into a 12"x16" rectangle, topped with a mix of brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and chopped toasted pecans. After rolling it lengthwise, I cut it into 8 pieces, not including the one wonky edge I trimmed off.
Rather than intending on making these all at once in a 9"x13" pan, I decided to make some today and some tomorrow, therefore separating into two pans. I filled my two pans with goo and topped it with more chopped pecans. From that point, I nestled in the cut rolls, leaving plenty of room to rise. Once proofed (this will take about 2 hours, covered and in a somewhat warm area), I put one pan in the refrigerator for tomorrow's breakfast and popped the other in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes. After letting cool on a wire rack for about 25 minutes, they can be served.
These don't keep for long and are best served warm, so I like the idea of making a few at a time, as needed, especially since there are really only two people in my house who will eat them--I not being one of those people. Supposedly, the goo can keep refrigerated for a couple weeks and the brioche log can be formed and frozen for a few weeks, cutting off pieces, as needed, thawing in the refrigerator, and placing in the goo to proof for a couple hours before baking. She also suggests that, while they really don't last for much longer than a day, they can be warmed in a 325 degree F oven for about 10 minutes.
Verdict: First and last time I will make this. It was like eating a sugar bomb, and not in a good way. Far too much sugary goo, which made is difficult to get past a few bites, according to my husband. Since I don't eat much carbs, I only had one bite, but I saw his point, since I also felt the struggle. I disliked this so much I didn't even give it the care and attention of taking a nicer picture of it. Anyhow, if you like to risk going into a diabetic shock upon first bite, this recipe is for you. I just know that in the future I will not waste my brioche dough on this, yet opt for something that has more complexity of flavor than brown sugar.
