Martha Stewart Brown Sugar and Pecan Sticky Buns

Martha Stewart brown sugar and pecan sticky buns take 55 minutes and a few pantry staples like dark brown sugar, butter and pecans to make a flaky, caramelized breakfast bun. This easy dessert for brunch fits fall mornings, holiday tables and lazy weekends, and the simple recipe starts with store-bought pizza dough.

Fold the cold butter into the dough like a letter and chill it until firm, because that is where the flaky layers come from. Skip the chill and the butter melts into the dough, so you get a plain, bready bun.

Martha rolls the butter into the pizza dough the way you would for a laminated pastry, so a quick dough bakes up flaky instead of fluffy and bready. She also bakes the buns in muffin pans and flips them out right away, so the pecan topping ends up glossy and caramelized on top.

Martha Stewart Brown Sugar and Pecan Sticky Buns

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Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

The folded butter gives these buns flaky, rich layers under a glossy brown sugar and pecan topping. Once baked, they flip out of the pan with the caramelized pecans sitting on top.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour, for work surface
  

• 1 recipe Quick Basic Pizza Dough , or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
  

• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ¾ sticks), room temperature
  

• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
  

• 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
  

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  

Directions

• Roll and fold the dough: Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle, then dot the upper two-thirds with 1 cup butter. Fold it like a letter and roll it out again to 10-by-18 inches.
• Chill the dough: Set the dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 1 hour until firm. It can also wait up to 1 day, so this is an easy place to work ahead.
• Mix the filling: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then stir 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt together in a small bowl.
• Add butter and sugar: Dot the chilled dough with 6 tablespoons butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top.
• Roll and cut: Starting at a long end, roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Cut it crosswise into 12 pieces.
• Fill the pans: Place each piece cut side down in two jumbo muffin pans or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. The cut side faces down so the spiral shows once they are flipped.
• Bake the buns: Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through, rotating the pans halfway through. That keeps the buns browning evenly in the oven.
• Invert and serve: Immediately flip the buns onto a serving platter or baking sheet while the topping is still hot. Serve them warm, since the caramel sets as it cools.

Tools for this recipe

• J.K. Adams French rolling pin, USA Pan 12-cup muffin pan (set of 2), Checkered Chef cooling racks. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use store-bought pizza dough for these sticky buns?

Yes, the recipe calls for 2 pounds of store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen, or one batch of Quick Basic Pizza Dough. Homemade dough turns out even better, but the folded butter makes store-bought dough rich and flaky too.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can chill the folded dough on a baking sheet for up to 1 day before filling and rolling it. That makes these a good make-ahead breakfast, since the fussy part is done the day before.

Why do I fold butter into the dough?

Folding the butter in like a letter creates flaky layers and a rich bite, a bit like a quick pastry dough. Without that step the buns bake up more like plain bread rolls.

Should I bake these in muffin pans or a baking dish?

Either works: two jumbo muffin pans or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Jumbo muffin cups give each bun its own sticky top, while the baking pan makes one pull-apart batch.

Why do I need to flip the buns out right away?

The sugar and butter topping is a loose caramel while hot, and it hardens as it cools. Flipping them out immediately lets that caramel coat the top instead of gluing the buns to the pan.