Caramelized sourdough cinnamon buns

Instructions

Bulk fermentation

1. In the evening, add flours to bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together.
2. Whisk egg, milk, and sourdough starter together in separate bowl until starter is no longer lumpy.
3. Gradually mix in liquid ingredients, until mixture looks just shaggy with no dry bits. Let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Mix in sugar, salt, and one chunk of butter at a time to the dough. Only add another chunk once the previous is incorporated into the dough. Keep doing this until all the butter is added to the dough.
5. Continue kneading until dough is smooth, and cleaning the sides of the bowl. It will still be sticky to the touch.
6. Overnight rise: Once kneading is done, place the dough in a b15owl and tightly cover so it doesn't dry. Leave overnight on counter at room temperature to rise until double and puffy.
7. In the morning, check your dough. It should have doubled and be domed on top. Turn it out onto a heavily floured counter. Gently pat it into a rectangle shape and let rest with a linen over the top, while you make the caramel.

Caramel

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. To make your like easier, also include the butter for the filling (1 tbsp = 15 g) and keep it aside for later.
2. Add remaining ingredients except pecans, and bring to a boil, whisking to help dissolve the brown sugar.
3. Once it is at a boil, turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes, until caramel is nice and brown, glossy, and smells butterscotchy.
4. Pour into a 20 x 30 cm pan, and sprinkle with pecans.
5. Set in refrigerator to cool for 15–20 minutes, propped on a cooling rack.

Shaping buns

1. Using a floured rolling pin, roll your dough it into a large rectangle roughly 40 x 30 cm.
2. Brush the butter onto the dough, keeping 1 cm away from edges.
3. Mix the remaining fillings ingredient together, then sprinkle evenly on top of the butter, keeping 1 cm away from edges.
4. After spreading the filling, use your bench scraper to help your hands begin tightly rolling up the dough into a log, starting with the long edge closest to you. Use a little extra flour on the bench scraper each time to help pick the dough up from the surface. Don’t worry if it sticks a little, just use a little more flour dust.
5. Roll it to the top and pinch the bottom edge of the dough log to seal it.
6. You should have a long log of dough. With a sharp knife, divide the dough into 8 pieces. Set pieces into the cool caramel pan.

Proofing

1. Place the pan inside a big plastic bag and fold the opening over so that no air gets inside.
2. Leave on counter, preferably a warm spot, to proof for about three hours so that the buns expand, puff up, and are touching each other.

Baking

1. When the buns are done proofing, preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until buns are golden brown at the edges and set in the middles. You can use a thermometer to test their interior, which should be at 95 °C.
3. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Using a big spatula, move the buns out to another big plate or dish. Scrape out all extra caramel in the pan and place on top of all buns. Enjoy warm.

Adapted from this original recipe