Pecan Sticky Rolls

I saw a recipe in the Seattle Times which looked too tasty and easy to be true.  Homemade (okay, semi-homemade) Brown Sugar and Pecan sticky rolls.  I couldn't resist giving them a shot, especially since the main ingredient is pizza dough - either made from scratch or store bought.

After rolling dough to the correct size, covering with butter, rerolling and chilling for a short period, you sprinkle with the sugar mixture, nuts and butter.

Roll in to a log...

Slice log in to twelve rolls...

Place in greased 9x13 baking dish and bake 30-40 minutes.

And presto - a most delicious smelling breakfast treat!

There was a MAJOR flaw in my finished product unfortunately.  The smell, the look, the flavor, the gooeyness were all amazing.  The texture was dreadful.  The rolls were super chewy and very tough to bit in to.  I should have listened to my instincts when I noticed the pizza dough I had chosen was very stretchy and did not want to hold it's shape. I had to use my hands to finally get it in a rectangle. I won't mention names, but I purchased it from my local market in the frozen section - shaped similar to a hockey puck.  And a hocky puck it should be.  If I make these again I will either use Trader Joe's refrigerated dough or try making dough from scratch.

Brown Sugar and Pecan Sticky Buns, courtesy of Seattle Times and Everyday Food

Makes 12 rolls

All-purpose flour for the work surface

1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see above) or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 3/4 sticks), room temperature, divided

1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. On a floured work surface, roll dough to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Dot upper two-thirds of dough with 1 cup butter, fold bottom third of dough over half the butter, then fold top third down to cover remaining dough. Roll dough to a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Refrigerate on a baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour (or up to 1 day covered with plastic wrap).

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from dough. In a small bowl, combine sugar, pecans and salt. Leaving a 1/2-inch border, dot dough with 6 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Starting at a long end, roll up dough like a jelly roll. Cut crosswise into 12 pieces. Place each piece, cut side down, into two buttered jumbo muffin pans or a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

3. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Immediately invert buns onto a serving platter or baking sheet. Serve warm.

Note: This recipe works well with store-bought dough, but it's exceptional with homemade.