Donna Hay's Sticky Cinnamon Buns

I have mentioned before that my best friend in Australia gave me an iPad subscription for the Donna Hay Magazine, so every two months I now get a fresh copy of it! I love it, the actual copy usually only comes out a lot later (if at all) in Germany and not even every other month.

This issue is all about autumn and winter as it's getting colder in Australia, but since it's still kind of cool in Germany I thought I might as well try something that I would usually make in autumn.

The cinnamon sticky buns looked so delicious I just had to try them and surprised my colleagues on Monday morning.

They probably taste best served warm but we had them cold and they were still super yummy. No matter the season, you should definitely try them!!

Basic Cinnamon Sticky Buns (Donna Hay Magazine, Jun-Jul 2013)

Basic Dough
1 1/4 tsp (7g) active dry yeast or 21g fresh yeast
2/3 cup (160ml) lukewarm milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups (450g) plain flour
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
125g unsalted butter, melted

Maple Glaze
1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
1/3 cup (60g) brown sugar
75g unsalted butter, chopped

Cinnamon Butter
100g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (90g) brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (120g) toasted pecans, chopped

Step 1: To make the dough, place the yeast, milk and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Place the flour, sugar, salt, egg, butter and yeast mixture in an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment and beat on low for 1 minute until just combined. Increase to high and beat for 5-8 minutes or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Step 2: To make the maple glaze, place the maple syrup, sugar and butter in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium, bring to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Pour into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm tin and set aside.

Step 3: To make the cinnamon butter, place the butter, sugar and cinnamon in an electric mixer and beat on high for 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Set aside. Roll the dough out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper to make a 60cm x 25cm rectangle. Spread with the cinnamon butter, leaving a 1cm border, and sprinkle with the pecans. Starting with the longest side, roll tightly to enclose the filling.

Step 4: Trim the edges of the bun and cut into 12 even pieces. Place the pieces, side-by-side and scroll-side up, in the tin. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside for 45-60 minutes or until doubled in side. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the tin on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminium foil and bak for a further 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Makes 12