Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen recipe
Ingredients for 12 buns

Dough:

• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons regular salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

Caramel Glaze:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 pinch table salt

Cinnamon Filling:

• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1.) Making the dough:

In bowl of stand mixer, whisk eggs to combine. Add buttermilk and whisk to combine. Whisk in sugar, salt and yeast. Add about 2 cups flour and butter, stir with rubber spatula until evenly moistened and combined. Add all but 1/4 cup flour and knead with dough hook at low speed for 10 minutes. At this point, dough should clear sides of bowl and stick to bottom. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for another minute.

Lightly spray large bowl with nonstick spray and transfer bowl into container. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm, draft free spot for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

2.) Making the glaze:

Combine all ingredients for glaze in small saucepan, cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into non-stick 13×9 inch Pyrex dish and spread to cover surface.

3.) Make the filling:

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined, using fingers to break up sugar lumps.

4.) Assemble:

Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Brush dough with 1 tablespoon melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border along top edge. Spread filling on buttered bough evenly leaving 3/4 inch order along edge nearest you. Roll dough into taut cylinder. Firmly pinch seam. Stretch cylinder to an even 18 inch long roll and create even thickness throughout. Using a bread knife, slice roll in half, then each half in half to create even quarters. Then slice each quarter into 3 pieces to make 12 buns.

5.) Arrange:

Arrange buns in prepared Pyrex dish. Let rise for 1/2 hour covered with plastic wrap.

6.a.) Place in fridge overnight

To have fresh Sticky Buns on Sunday morning, start on Saturday. Make entire recipe on Saturday and put in fridge overnight. Sunday morning take dish out of fridge and place in oven with a bowl of hot water to get up to room temperature for about 30 min.. Then bake on pizza stone as described below.

6.b.) Bake

Place baking pan on pizza stone in preheated oven at 350°F. Bake until golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about 10 min. Invert over large rectangle platter or cutting board. With rubber spatula, scrape any glaze remaining in baking pan onto buns.

If you like it very sweet, make Pecan topping:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 pinch table salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup pecans, toasted in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant and browned, about 5 min., then cooled and coarsely chopped

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in small saucepan adn bring to simmer over medium heat. Off heat, stir in vanilla and pecans until pecans are evenly coated. Using soup spoon, spoon heaping tablespoons nuts and topping over center of each sticky bun. Continue to cool until sticky buns are warm, 15 min.