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I was so thrilled when Pastry Chef Joanne Chang of Boston’s Flour Bakery and Cafe sent me her new book Pastry Love so I could make her famous sticky buns. I first discovered them when she competed on an early season of Throwdown with Bobby Flay back in 2007 and won. It’s 12 years later and I still have not been to Boston, so this bake will do for now.
Her signature recipe has pecans but she switched it up here for chopped apples in the filling and an apple cider goo. I love the change and couldn’t imagine having it any other way. The sticky buns I’ve eaten in the past have all been very sweet, sometimes too much, but the apple works so nicely here so they had the perfect amount of sweetness. When I make them again, I think I’ll have the best of both recipes and add some chopped pecans into the filling for crunch.
This recipe does take at least 2 days to make, per her head note, but like with many baking recipes, I think it helps to break it out. My recommendation would be: 2 days ahead – apple filling and goo, 1 day ahead – brioche, day of – shape, bake and eat!
Apple Cider Sticky Buns (Makes 8)
Recipe from Pastry with Love by Joanne Chang
Ingredients:
1/2 recipe / 21 ounces / 600 grams Master Brioche Dough (see recipe below)
1 cup / 240 grams apple cider
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest (a quick shaving or two using a Microplane)
Big pinch of ground cloves
Big pinch of ground ginger
Big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Big pinch of ground allspice
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 1/3 cups)
3/4 cup / 1 1/2 sticks /170 grams unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups firmly packed / 330 grams light brown sugar
1/4 cup / 85 grams honey
1/4 cup / 60 grams heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup / 50 grams superfine sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
Mix the brioche dough and let it proof for 6 hours or up to overnight in the fridge, as directed.
In a small saucepan, heat the cider, orange zest, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice to just under a boil. Let the cider simmer for about 10 minutes, until it reduces to about 1/2 cup. Turn the heat off and add the apples to the reduced cider. Let cool to room temperature. Set a sieve over a bowl and drain the apples; set the apples and cider aside separately.
Place the butter in a medium saucepan and add 1 1/4 cups / 275 grams of the brown sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar melts and starts to boil, about 3 minutes. It will look a bit like lava. Whisk in the cider, honey, cream, and salt until thoroughly combined. Remove the apple cider goo from the heat and let cool to room temperature. (At this point the goo can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.)
Generously flick flour over the work surface. Remove the brioche dough from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it on the work surface. Roll out the brioche dough into a 12 x 12-inch square. It will have the consistency of cold, damp Play-Doh and it should be fairly easy to roll out. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup / 55 grams brown sugar, the superfine sugar, and the cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the entire surface of the brioche dough square. Scatter the apples evenly on top of the cinnamon sugar.
Starting from the top of the square and working your way down, roll the brioche dough toward you like a jelly roll until the entire sheet is rolled up. Roll tightly so you have a nice round spiral. Trim off about 1/4 inch from both ends of the roll to even them out.
Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the roll crosswise into 8 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. (At this point the unbaked buns can be transferred to a baking sheet or flat plate and frozen, then transferred to a plastic freezer bag and frozen for up to 1 week. When you’re ready to bake the buns, place them on a flat plate, cover with plastic, and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours; proceed as directed.)
Pour the apple cider goo into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place the buns in the pan cut side down, evenly spaced. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the buns proof at warm room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough is puffy, pillowy, and soft and the buns are touching.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the baking pan midway through the baking time, until the buns are golden brown on the tops and sides; I pop up a middle bun partway and give it a poke to make sure the dough is baked through. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes.
Invert the buns one at a time onto a serving platter and spoon any extra goo left in the pan on top. Serve warm.
Sticky buns are best served right away, or within 4 hours of baking, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day. Warm them in a 300°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes before serving.
Master Brioche Dough
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups / 245 grams all-purpose flour
2 cups / 300 grams high-gluten bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons / 7 grams / 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast
1/3 cup / 65 grams sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 large eggs (about 200 grams), at room temperature
18 tablespoons / 2 1/4 sticks / 255 grams unsalted butter, cut into 10 to 12 pieces, at room temperature
Directions:
1. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, sugar, salt, 1/2 cup/120 grams cold water, and the eggs. Mix on low speed until the ingredients have come together, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary to make sure all the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients. Mix on low for another 3 to 4 minutes once the dough has come together. It will be very stiff.
2. Add the butter to the dough piece by piece and continue mixing on low for about 10 minutes. The butter needs to mix completely into the dough, so stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl and break up the dough with your hands if necessary to help the butter mix in.
3. Once the butter is completely incorporated into the dough, mix on medium for another 15 minutes, until the dough becomes sticky and soft and somewhat shiny. Turn the mixer up to medium-high and mix for about 1 minute— you should hear a slap-slap-slap sound as the dough hits the sides of the bowl. Test the dough by pulling at it— it should stretch a bit and have a little give. If it seems wet and loose and more like a batter than a dough, add a few tablespoons of either all-purpose or bread flour and mix until it comes together. If it breaks off into pieces when you pull at it, continue to mix it on medium for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it develops more strength and stretches when you grab it. When it’s ready you should be able to gather it all together and pick it up all as one piece.
4. Place the dough in a large bowl or plastic container and cover the top with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the dough to prevent a skin from forming. Let the dough proof in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. The dough is now ready to use.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @pastrywithjenn.
Recipe re-printed with permission from Joanne Chang’s Pastry with Love. Copyright © 2019.