RAISIN SOURDOUGH STICKY BUNS

As a teenager I just loved the cinnamon buns with white icing that were common fare among bakeries. Not knowing a lot about different kinds of bread, I often wondered what ingredients were used to make the bread part. It wasn’t like loaf bread, but it was obviously a raised product and not a quick bread.

Not long ago, I started taking an interest in making various kinds of bread and buns, thanks to some sourdough starter from Nosey Parker. Not too long after that, I saw a video on Cooks.com that explained how to make sticky buns and had to try the recipe.

The original plan called for a non-stick pan, which I don’t have, and made a 9” x 13” sheet of rolls, a bit more than I needed. In my recipe I also substitute raisins for the traditional nuts. I always have raisins around.. If you are using nuts, add them to the sticky topping for the buns so they will come out on top.

I adapted the recipe to my only non-stick pan, my 10-1/2” cast iron skillet, the original non-stick pan. I couldn’t cook without it. I also reduced the finished product to nine, instead of 12, large rolls. When I tasted the result, to my surprise, this was the type of rich egg dough that those old favorite cinnamon buns were made with.

For the buns, you will need:

1 cup of starter – I used the more buttery Columbia River type for this recipe
2 eggs
3 T melted or real soft butter
3 T sugar
2 T milk or cream, the heavier the better.
1 T lemon juice
1/8 t salt
2 to 2-1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients except the flour together until well blended. Add a scant two cups of flour and stir until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a bit more. Put a fat half cup of flour on a board or countertop and turn and fold the dough to incorporate the flour. Adding bit more flour if needed and continue until the dough looses most of it stickiness. The dough should be fairly loose.

Allow to rise until about double in size by leaving it on the board or putting it into a buttered bowl. Grease the top lightly so the dough won’t dry out as it rises.

FILLING

For the filling, you will need:

 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T soft butter
2 t cinnamon
dash of salt and cloves

Mix well and save.

TOPPING

For the sticky topping, you will need:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup white Karo syrup
2 T mild or cream
dash of salt

In the bottom of the skillet, mix and stir all ingredients until the sugar dissolves and the mixture bubbles.<

On a floured surface, roll out the dough so that it makes a rectangle about 16” wide and a foot long, keeping it as even and rectangular as you can. Cover dough with filling, pressing it gently into the surface. Sprinkle with one cup of raisins, if desired.

Roll the dough, jelly roll style, into a 16” log. Cut the log into thirds and cut each third into three, making nine rolls. Put these rolls, cut side down, in the skillet on top of the brown sugar sticky sauce.

Allow buns to rise for about an hour or two.

When double in size, place in 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes and turn onto a large platter. Enjoy!

Karen Herberman works as a columnist and writer for The Bisbee Observer in Bisbee, Ariz. She and her retired husband, Paul, live in the southeast corner of Arizona at Double Adobe where they raised eight children. Karen has enjoyed cooking since she was a child.