Gf + Df Brioche Butter Pecan Sticky Buns

There are the classic cinnamon roll kind of people..and the sticky bun kind of people. (OK, I may be wrong. because I LOVE both). But my husband Rich is a sticky bun person always and forever!

So, I figured why not create a delicious sticky bun recipe for you guys too.. even though I already posted a CRAZY good skillet gluten free & vegan cinnamon roll recipe.

This past week I worked nonstop on a brand new gluten and dairy free challah recipe (that is a club Angell plus tier exclusive.) The dough was rich and really reminded me so much of brioche.. and so it crossed my mind to make BRIOCHE butter pecan sticky buns!! Because..how innovative & delicious sounding is that?? I made some changes, tested things out and was absolutely blown away by the texture of these buns. I rolled my dough out pretty thin for the sake of getting in extra layers so the fluffy brioche texture is a little harder to detect but what I can tell you is that you will end up with a soft and rich dough doused in delicious buttery caramel and pecans. SO GOOD. If you want to roll your dough out thicker than I did for a breadier texture feel free to do that.

Which recipe should you make? This one or my Best Ever Gluten Free/ Vegan Cinnamon Rolls?

Well, here are the differences. This batch is a bit smaller so its better for a gathering of 4-6 people (assuming a few people want more than one… because they will. haha). This recipe makes a more normal sized bun and has the delicious pecan caramel topping. It also has eggs.. the other one does not. So from an allergy perspective that could be the deciding factor.

The other difference.. the gluten free + vegan recipe makes HUGE massive rolls. I’m taking bigger than the size of the palm of you hand! So if a BIG soft bun without pecans sounds like your cup of tea- make those ones instead.

I also wanted to note that if you would like a step by step class- I have one for club Angell plus members for the gluten free + vegan recipe posted.

Lets talk ingredients:

Better Batter Original Blend: I opted for this flour as I have found its a dream for bread recipes and is rises so nicely! Natalie (the company owner) has since released a new artisan blend that does not have any gum in it. It uses psyllium husk instead. I bought a bag- but have not done enough testing with it to know if it will sub properly cup for cup in my bread recipes using the original blend.

I typically buy my better batter on amazon. This time of year it seems to sell out as Amazon keeps running out of stock for a day or two! But, I believe Walmart carries it in the store & I have ordered it from the Walmart website to ship to my house. I’m always nervous to order from Walmart (Never do store pickup haha. Its always a nightmare at my store anyways). But, shipping direct to my house seems to be pretty quick and dependable.

Garbanzo Bean Flour : Heres the deal with garbanzo bean flour.. if you use too much it STINKS & tastes pretty gross. But, at the same time I have found no flour that creates better rise or structure in bread. Literally nothing performs even slightly as well as it. So, I opted to use just a small amount (about 1/3 cup) to get enough in there to add some lovely structure and rise without getting the overwhelming taste of it. You might taste/smell it a bit prior to baking. This is normal. But I find the flavor really dissipates once its baked.

Make sure your garbanzo (chickepea) flour is fresh. As it ages the smell and taste intensify… to the point that even this small amount called for could make the bread taste a little off. When it goes rancid (YUCK) you will know as the smell is intense. I recommend only getting a 1 lb bag and storing it in the fridge. I will be adding it to bread recipes more in the future , so I promise well get some good use out of it. I usually just buy Bobs Red Mill Brand.

Expandex

Expandex is simply a modified form of tapioca starch. Its non gmo and quite straight forward. Its been used for a long time primarily by the companies that are selling pre-made gluten free baked goods. Its available now for everyone on amazon. One bag will last you awhile as I only use a small amount in my recipes.

WHY do I use it? Simple. It makes everything taste super legit and no longer gluten free. If you are familiar with gluten free baking you know that typically when baked goods cool down and age they get dry and hard. (Especially bread). Something may start out perfect when its warm then taste not so appetizing when it cools down. A lot of gluten free flours cause that to happen unfortunately. Expandex helps prevent that from happening in almost every recipe I have tried it in. The texture remains what it should be as it cools (for the most part.) Either way its a huge improvement. The second reason I like to use it is because I find it really does help baked goods expand. They tend to get taller, fluffier & even softer in some situations. It also makes dough easier to work with as it helps glue the dough together. It also helps provide structure to baked goods.

Recipe tips & tricks:

While you can absolutely make this dough roll it out to cut the rolls right away- I find its easiest to work with cold. So, if you have the time to plan ahead you can make the dough hours in advance or up to 2 days ahead of time. Just make it, throw it into an oiled well sealed Tupperware container and stick it in the fridge. Giving it 24 hours allowing it to slowly do an extra proof which does wonders for the flavor too!!

Most traditional bread recipes use flour to roll out dough. For this one I have opted for nonstick oil! It really does an amazing job keeping the dough smooth without any sticking or rips. Be sure to liberally oil your parchment before rolling the dough out. You will also want to oil your rolling pin.

Most of the time I just press my gluten free cinnamon roll dough out with my hands. But this one is a really lovely sturdy dough that works really nicely with a rolling pin! You can sandwich it between two sheet of parchment or roll directly on the dough as long as the rolling pin is well oiled!

To get a perfect rectangular shape- I fold the edges in on each side a few times to get a smooth even edge! I do this a few times and then go over the edges gently with the rolling pin.

This is an extra easy to work with dough! (Its very sticky but using a little oil gets you around that issue completely.). Its sturdy and can really be rolled out pretty darn thin & still holds its shape. This is the easiest to work with cinnamon roll/ sticky bun dough I have created to date.

DO NOT make this recipe without using a baking scale. JUST DON’T DO IT. The details are important here. Your flour and liquid amounts need to be exactly the same as mine..

DON’T try to make these sugar free. They are meant to be indulgent - keep them that way.

The temperature for your water should be luke warm. If it’s hot it will kill the yeast, if its cold you wont be able to tell if it is alive and will work in the bread for you.

Make sure your butter for the filling is a soft easy to spread consistency. If its melted it may just run off the dough.

I recommend investing in a little $10 oven thermometer that hangs on the rack so that you can make sure your temperature is what it is supposed to be. Oven temp can make or break how bread recipes turn out.

Pan size: This will depend on how many rolls you choose to make. To make 9 for example you should cut each bun to be 1 3/4 inches wide/thick. If you want 10 buns cut them 1 1/2 inches thick. If you want 11- cut them 1 1/4 inches thick. You’ll need a good amount of space for them to proof as they will increase at least one third in size. Sometimes more depending on how well they proof.

I would suggest a pan that is a little deeper (Casserole dishes work great!) You need a pan that holds roughly 3- 4 quarts . It also needs to be a deep pan as the caramel and the rolls rise and bubble up quite a bit. 3-4 inches in height is ideal. 2 inches or less will not be sufficient- for two reasons. The taller walls offer support to the cinnamon rolls helping them rise & more importantly I don’t want you to end up with burning sugar splattering everywhere in the oven. A tall 8X8 pan may work ok- but you’ll need to make less rolls (aka cut them thicker) and they won’t have quite as much room to expand. A 9x9 would be a good option too- but those are harder to come by. I really like the pyrex deep 7x11 pan for these (and that is typically available at target).

Number of buns: (This quantity is up to you! I used a 4 quart deep casserole and made 9!)

To make 9 sticky buns cut them 1 3/4 inch wide.

To make 10 sticky buns cut them 1 1/2 inch wide.

To make 11 Sticky buns cut them 1 1/4 inch wide.

Gluten & Dairy Free Butter Pecan Sticky Buns

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Author: Brittany Angell

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 34 M

Ingredients

Sticky Bun Brioche Dough

• 225 grams lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp Honey or Agave
• 2 tsp Quick /Fast Acting Yeast
• 335 grams Better Batter Original Blend
• 130 grams Expandex
• 49 grams Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp double acting baking powder
• 70 grams Organic Cane Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Oil (Vegetable, Olive or Avocado)
• 3 Large Egg Yolks

Sticky Bun Filling

• 6 Tbsp Softened Butter (spreadable consistency)
• 1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon

Butter Pecan Caramel for the bottom of the pan

• 10 Tbsp Melted Butter (Vegan or Regular)
• 2/3 Cups Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream OR Silk Dairy Free Heavy Cream OR Full Fat Coconut Cream from a can.
• 2 Cups Raw Unsalted Pecans coarsely chopped
• 1/4 Tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment. (If you are planning to refrigerate the dough- skip this step until you are ready to shape the dough!)
2. To the bowl of your stand mixer add the warm water, yeast and honey. Mix and allow it to bubble and froth. (Note: If you know your yeast is alive and well you may skip this step and just add all the bread ingredients to the mixing bowl.)
3. Add all the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl being careful to measure with precision.
4. Turn the mixer on low gradually increasing to high. Stopping once to use a spatula to make sure everything is incorporated from the sides. Mix until a smooth dough forms. At this point you can oil a Tupperware container and then add the dough and chill for several hours or up to 2 days. OR you can continue on to the next steps to make the bread right away. If you have the time to allow it to chill for even an hour or two- the dough being cold makes it easier to work with.
5. Make the sticky buns: Liberally spray with nonstick spray a large sheet of parchment paper. Place the dough on top & then oil your hands and rolling pin. Roll out 14 inches tall & 16 inches wide. (If you would prefer thicker buns- decrease the height by 1-2 inches.)
6. Spread the butter evenly over the rolled out dough. Leaving about 1/2 inch boarder around the edges. Evenly sprinkle on the brown sugar & cinnamon.
7. Using the parchment as your guide tightly roll up the cinnamon rolls - ending with the seam down. Use a measuring stick/tape and measure out the size of your rolls making indents. (see notes in the post on how to select this measurement based on the quantity that you would like!) Then using a twine or a sharp knife slice the rolls.
8. To the bottom of your casserole dish add the butter pecan caramel ingredients and stir well. Place the rolls evenly spread out into the prepared caramel making sure to push them down a bit into the sauce. Liberally brush the tops and sides of the rolls with water.
9. Cover the pan with ceran wrap and then wrap it with a kitchen towel. Turn off the oven and place the dish into the oven. Leaving the oven door open a crack. Set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes close the oven door and set the timer for 35 minutes.
10. Remove the dish from the oven & place it on top of the stove. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While its preheating allow the rolls to continue to proof for another 10-15 minutes until they are at least 1/3 or more bigger than the original size. Brush them a second time with water.
11. Remove the ceran wrap & towel. Place into the oven on the middle rack. Bake 18-21 minutes until golden brown on top and the caramel is bubbling. Serve Warm.
12. Store at room temperature well covered to prevent them from drying out quickly. Warm them up before serving. Drizzle the caramel and pecans all over the top.

Notes:

As with all gluten free baked goods these buns taste best warm! I recommend popping them into the microwave or oven briefly to warm them through and to melt the caramel.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @bakingangell on instagram and hashtag it #bakingangell