Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

Dough:

½ cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

½ cup milk

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

4 cups all-purpose flour

Glaze:

¾ cup unsalted butter

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

Filling:

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

-Make the dough: Pour water into a liquid measure. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and active dry yeast; stir until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
-Overhead of a bowl with a water, sugar, and yeast mixture in it.

-Meanwhile, warm milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just starts to bubble around the edges; do not boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, and salt until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.
-A stick of butter melting in warm milk in a sauce pan with a rubber spatula off to the side.

-Lightly whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, lukewarm milk mixture, and 1 1/2 cups flour; stir until well combined.
-Whisked eggs with a yeast mixture and lukewarm milk mixture in a bowl with cup of flour off to the side.

-Mix in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour (1/2 cup at a time), mixing well after each addition, until dough comes together.

-Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, silky, and elastic, about 8 minutes.
-A hand kneading dough on a floured surface.

-Place dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
-Dough in glass bowl with damp dish towel placed over the top.

-While the dough is rising, make the glaze: Melt 3/4 cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar and whisk until smooth.

-Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Pour glaze mixture into the pan; sprinkle pecans over top.
-Glaze mixture sprinkled with pecans sitting in a white baking dish.

-Make the filling: Place 1/4 cup melted butter in a small bowl. Combine 3/4 cup of brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

-When the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14×18-inch rectangle. Brush 1/2 of the melted butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border unbuttered. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over top.
-Brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon mixture spread over flattened dough.

-Start at the long edge and roll the dough tightly, pinching the seams to seal. Brush remaining butter over the dough. Cut dough into 15 equal rolls.
-Cinnamon roll tube being cut into smaller sections with a knife off to the side.

-Place rolls, cut-sides down, into the glaze in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
-Uncooked cinnamon rolls that have risen, tightly packed in a white baking dish.

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

-Uncover and bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

-Let cool in pan for 3 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter so the glaze is on top. Scrape any remaining glaze from the pan onto the rolls.