I love cinnamon pecan bread and brioche bread. So I combine both of them into this perfect sticky buns recipe. It is so much better than the tough chewy sticky buns bought from stores. I like to pair it with a cup of freshly brewed black coffee. And that is my idea of perfect afternoon tea. O(∩_∩)O~

You also need to know the calorie is sky high for this bread before indulging in. Well, that seems to be true for most tasty comfort food. Although I am not the person who counts calories in every single meal, I know this is guilty pleasure will cost me extra hours on treadmill. It is well worthy.

Brioche and caramel make everything better!

Brioche bread ingredients：

320 g bread flour
2 tablespoons honey
40 g butter, softened and diced
2 large eggs
130 g whole milk
40 g sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1/8 teaspoon salt
brown sugar
ground cinnamon

Goo/ pecan caramel topping：

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1 cup pecan

Directions：

Heat the milk in microwave for 30 seconds; add the milk to bread machine container; dissolve yeast into the warm milk; and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Add eggs, flour, sugar, salt and honey.

Start dough cycle.

The dough is still rough.

When the first kneading cycle is done, the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

My bread machine will knead the dough for 20 minutes and proof for an hour. When kneading is done, abort the cycle; add diced butter; and start the dough cycle again. It will knead for another 20 minutes.

It should be able to get the dough past window panel test now.

When the bread machine kneads and proofs the bread, we can prepare the goo/ pecan caramel topping.

Toast pecan in a preheated 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and let them cool completely.

Chop them up.

In a medium sauce pan, add brown sugar and water. Heat the pan over medium-high heat until the mixture bubbles. Stir from time to time to prevent burning at the bottom.

Gradually add heavy cream while whisking. The mixture may splatter. You have to be extra careful not to burn yourself.

Add butter and cook for another couple minutes. Remove from heat and allow the caramel sauce to cool down.

The dough is perfect from bread machine.

When the dough is doubled in size, transfer it to a well dusted wooden board. Gently press down and knead for a minutes; cover and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Roll it out into 1/4 inch thickness; sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; and then roll it up from one end into a log.

Cut into 2/3 inch pieces.

Spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with oil spray. Add caramel sauce that has been cooled down. Sprinkle chopped pecan on top.

Add rolled dough pieces.

Cover and proof for another 25 to 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Bake the bread for 22 to 28 minutes.

After the bread is done, cool the bread in cast iron skilled for 5 minutes. And then flip over.

That is how you bake a batch of gorgeous sticky buns at home!

The brioche bread has this rich, eggy and sweet and soft texture which I love so much.

Coffee and sticky buns, it is so irresistible!

中文菜谱: 可可双色馒头卷

When I was a child, my mom always handed me a little piece of dough when I volunteered to help out in the kitchen. I got creative with it, turning it into a bunny, a daisy flower, or whatever I could think of. They were not at all vivid or pretty judging from an adult’s view point, but my mom was so happy to see my little creations. Well, that might be the very starting point of my interest in cooking.

I did these coco swirl buns before. What is different is that I use a pasta roller this time, so that the rolls are smoother and better looking, I think.

For white dough:

2 cups of bread flour
2/3 cup + 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
2/3 to 1 teaspoon yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
flour to dust

For coco dough:

2/3 cup bread flour
2 tablespoon coco powder
1/3 cup + 1 to 2 teaspoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2 to 3 tablespoon sugar
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
flour to dust

Directions:

Microwave the milk for 25 to 30 until lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast with milk.

Add bread flour, sugar and salt for white dough to stand mixer bowl (I use KitchenAid Professional 600, good reviews on amazon); whisk well; add milk and yeast, along with vegetable oil. Turn on the mixer. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. That may take 8 to 10 minutes at speed 2.

I knead the coco dough with hands. In a large bowl, add bread flour, coco powder, sugar, and salt; mix well; add milk and yeast, along with vegetable oil. Whisk with hand until flour and milk come together. Transfer the dough to a board dusted with flour; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cover both dough with plastic wrap. Proof until they double in size. It takes 60 to 80 minutes.

Dust a kneading board with flour. Punch down the dough, gently knead them into a ball again. Cover them and let them rest another 10 minutes.

With the pasta roller running on stand mixer, run the dough sever times. The thickness for white dough is 1, 3 for the coco dough.

Place the coco dough sheet on top of white dough sheet, and roll from the long end like a sushi roll.

Don’t they look nice and smooth?

With a sharp knife, cut them into 2 inches wide rolls.

Line the bamboo steamer with little parchment paper (you can find this on amazon) squares. Bamboo or stainless steel steamers are available in Asian grocery store or amazon.

Place one dough roll on each parchment paper square.

Cover the proof the rolls for the second time. It takes about 25 to 35 minutes.

Heat a large pot with water over high heat. Place the bamboo steamer on top of a large pot filled with water. Steam over high heat until the water boils. Reduce to medium heat and steam for another 8 to 10 minutes.