It’s not the holidays without a pan of these sticky rolls. Growing up, my grandma baked a batch on Thanksgiving morning and my mom made them again every Christmas brunch. Over the years, I’ve updated the dough recipe slightly, and now it’s the same easy yeast dough I use in Strawberry Rolls, but they’re still every bit as sticky, sweet, and as fluffy as I can remember. When I was little, I always peeled off the gooey pecans and put them on my mom’s plate. Now the pecans are my favorite part!
Ingredients
Pecan Topping
- ¾ cup (100g) chopped pecans
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ cup (100g) dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
Dough
- 2¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- ½ cup (120ml) water
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk
- 2½ tbsp butter
- 1 egg
Filling
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
How to Make It
- MAKE THE PECAN TOPPING: Evenly layer the pecans in a lightly greased 9-in round or square pan. In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter, dark brown sugar, and corn syrup together until smooth. Pour over the pecans. Set aside.
- MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, toss 2¼ cups flour, granulated sugar, salt, and yeast together until evenly dispersed. Set aside.
- Heat the water, milk, and butter together in the microwave until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot to the touch—about 125°F–130°F. Stir the butter mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and at least 1∕3 cup of additional flour to make a soft dough. You may need up to ½ cup if your dough is too wet. The dough will be ready when it gently pulls away from the side of the bowl and has an elastic consistency.
- On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Lightly spray a bowl with non-stick spray and set the dough inside. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- FILL THE ROLLS: After 10 minutes, roll the dough out into a 14 x 8in rectangle. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the dough. Roll up the dough tightly along the long edge. Cut into 10 even pieces (each roughly 1½ in wide) and arrange on top of the pecans. Loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1–1½ hours.
- After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 25–30 minutes until lightly browned. After 15 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven and loosely cover the rolls with aluminum foil to avoid heavy browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. You can either invert the pan onto a large plate or cut the rolls directly out of the pan. These rolls taste best enjoyed on the same day, or they may be frozen for up to 2 months.
