Chopped pecans and a sticky maple syrup are poured into the baking tin first, with the cinnamon buns packed on top. After baking, flip the tin upside down to reveal soft and fluffy cinnamon buns dripping with crunchy pecans wrapped in the warm maple syrup and brown sugar topping.
Best served warm, these don't hang around for long.
Check out our Masterclass video guide for a step-by-step cookalong on how to make cinnamon buns and a guide to everything you could possibly need to know!
Time to prep : 30 minutes (2.5 hours inc. rise times)
Time to bake : 25 minutes
Servings : 12
Ingredients
Cinnamon buns
225ml milk
1 tbsp instant yeast
90g granulated sugar
550g strong white bread flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
80g butter, melted
Cinnamon sugar filling
90g butter, softened
180g dark brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
Pecan & maple topping
200g pecans, chopped
120g butter
140g dark brown sugar
60ml whole milk
80ml maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Method
Dough
Put the flour, yeast and cinnamon into a large bowl, stir to mix. In a seperate bowl, combine the granulated sugar, milk vanilla, eggs, salt and melted butter and then pour this into the bowl of flour. Mix with a spoon until a dough forms.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 - 12 minutes until a smooth dough is formed and the dough is no longer sticky (or use a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment). Transfer this dough to a clean and lightly oiled bowl, then cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, grease and line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with non-stick baking paper.
Topping
Scatter the pecans into the lined baking tin.
Melt the butter over a medium heat and add in the dark brown sugar, whole milk, maple syrup and pinch of salt. Keep over the heat until it's all melted together and starts to simmer (but not boil), then pour this into the tin over the scattered pecans.
Dough shaping
After the first rise, tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and without disturbing it too much, roll and stretch it out into a large rectangle, about 40cm x 60cm. Spread the softened butter all over the dough rectangle using clean hands. Mix the brown sugar and the cinnamon together and sprinkle this on top of the butter, using your fingers to press it into the butter.
Starting at the long edge, tightly roll the dough up like a Swiss roll, pinching at the end to seal and keep a tight roll. Trim off any loose ends and then use a very sharp knife to score and then cut the roll into 12 slice, each about 5cm thick.
Place the rolls in a greased baking tray, cover tightly with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for another 1 hour and pre-heat your oven to 180ºC.
Remove the cling film and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden around the edges and the dough is firm to touch. If the tops of the cinnamon buns are browning too quickly, loosely wrap a sheet of aluminium foil on top and return to the oven until baked.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then using oven gloves, flip the tin upside down onto a board and remove the baking paper to reveal the oozing pecan and maple topping.
Good to know:
If you're making these ahead, after you've filled, rolled and sliced the cinnamon buns, cover the baking dish in clingfilm and keep in the fridge overnight or for up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge for 1 hour and allow to come to room temperature before baking.
Can be frozen at this stage (above) or after baking, before frosting for up to 3 months. See the downloadable guide for full information and how-to's.