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–+ servings
A sourdough cinnamon sticky bun cut in half showing three fluffy layers

Sourdough Sticky Buns

Light and fluffy sourdough sticky buns with a cinnamon filling and a sticky walnut caramel coating.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Proofing Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, New Zealand
Servings 12
Calories 454 kcal

Ingredients
  

Levain

  • 25 grams starter
  • 100 grams strong bread flour
  • 50 grams water

Dough

  • 150 grams Levain
  • 450 grams strong bread flour
  • 50 grams granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 grams salt
  • 125 ml milk
  • 100 grams unsalted butter room temperature

Caramel

  • 100 grams unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 100g
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans, almonds or hazelnuts)

Cinnamon Filling

  • 2 Tbsp melted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar 100g
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

The Night Before

  • The night before: Mix together the levain ingredients into a dough ball. Place it into a wide jar or bowl and cover loosely with a damp tea towel or lid. Leave it to sit on the bench overnight.
    If your kitchen is cold overnight, the starter amounts may need to be changed. See the post for more details.

Day 1

  • The following day, in a bench mixer bowl or a large bowl, add in all the dough ingredients except for the butter. Mix it together, either with the mixer or with a fork into a shaggy dough ball.
  • Now add in a few chunks of butter at a time and keep mixing to incorporate each piece.
  • Use the bench mixer to knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth, or knead by hand. If doing it by hand, tip the dough ball onto a clean bench and slap and fold it for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is glossy and smooth.
    Though dough starts off sticky but just keep kneading and slapping the dough down on the bench until it comes together. If you need a break, take it. The dough responds well to a bit of resting time.
    To see if the dough has been mixed enough, perform the window pane test. See the post for more details.
  • Once kneaded, place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a lid or a damp tea towel. Leave it to sit at room temperature for around 2-3 hours. If your room temperature is below 20°C (68°F), you can leave it for the 3 hours. If it’s above that, you may only need to leave it out for two hours. It’s not going to rise much at this point so don’t worry if you don’t see much of a difference in the dough yet. 
  • Once this room temperature ferment is completed, place the covered dough bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

  • The following day, remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while you make the caramel.
  • Over medium-low heat, melt together the butter, sugar, honey and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. Whisk it together, then pour it into a 23cm by 33cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tray or dish. Sprinkle over chopped walnuts.
  • On a lightly floured or lightly oiled bench, roll the dough into a 30cm by 45cm rectangle (12 by 18 inch). In a bowl, mix together the cinnamon and brown sugar for the filling.
  • Brush the dough with melted butter and spread over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the dough up lengthwise into a log.
  • Slice the dough log into 12 even slices. Using unflavoured dental floss, thread or fishing line works really well to cut even slices.
  • Space the buns evenly over the walnut caramel. Cover the dish with a damp tea towel and let the buns rise until the rolls have puffed out, so they’re about 50% fatter. This can take anywhere between between 3-6 hours depending on your room temperature and starter.
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) regular oven (170°C or 338°F fan-bake) Prepare a sheet of parchement paper on a bench or board.
  • Bake the buns for around 30-35 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Once baked, remove the buns from the oven and carefully flip the tray upside down onto the parchment paper to remove the buns.
    The caramel will be very runny when they’re straight out of the oven. Let the buns cool for a bit, then use a spoon or knife to scrape the caramel and pecans that are oozing out the sides and drizzle it back over the buns. As they cool right down, the caramel will thicken and become sticky.

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 303mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 467IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Cinnamon, Pecan, Sourdough
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