Sunday Morning Sticky Buns (made Saturday night)

Sunday mornings always mean a special breakfast for me and my family. I have fond memories from when I was a kid and my dad would make us porridge in the winter and bacon and eggs in the summer. I carry on the tradition with my children, usually by making pancakes. Today, however, we indulged in home made sticky buns that I started the night before.

Daughter #2 had a friend sleep over so I wanted something special for breakfast and I hadn't made this recipe in a while. As luck would have it I had all of the ingredients on hand.

It's a basic yeast dough enriched with butter and an egg, given one rise and then filled and shaped and placed in the pan and in the fridge for a slow rise overnight. In the morning you just stick it in an oven at 350F and in half a hour you have breakfast. It is really a great tasting way to impress guests. I added some chopped apple to add some interest but if you like, nuts or dried fruit can be added as well.

Dough (recipe modified from Robin Hood flour)
4 cups All purpose or bread flour
1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 tsp instant yeast [2 envelopes (8 g)]
1 cup milk, warmed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup or real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1 cup nuts or dried fruit - optional

Filling:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cups nuts or dried fruit - if using
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 tsp (or more) cinnamon

For the dough, combine 2 cups/500 mL flour, sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. Add milk, butter and egg. Beat 1 minute. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
Knead dough on floured board for 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled, about 75 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the topping. Bring brown sugar and butter to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in syrup. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle pecan halves on top, if using.

Punch dough down. Roll out into a rectangle with the dough about a 1/4" thick. Spread with melted butter.

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit or nuts if using. Sprinkle over dough.
Starting at long side, roll up tightly, pinching seam to seal. Cut into 12 pieces. Place in pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 12-48 hours.

Bake uncovered at 350°F/180C for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 3 minutes in pan, then invert onto serving platter.