Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

4.42 from 17 votes

Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

These light and fluffy cinnamon rolls made with an easy to make no-knead brioche dough that gives these rolls an over the top texture and flavor.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lukewarm water
1 ½ Tbsp granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 ½ Tbsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt
8 eggs lightly beaten
½ cup honey
1 ½ Cups unsalted butter melted (3 sticks)
7 ½ cups all purpose flour

Caramel Topping

6 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
½ tsp salt
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Karo syrup or Honey
30 Pecan halves (or as many as needed)

Filling for Rolls

8 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup toasted and chopped pecans (optional)
pinch of ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the yeast, salt, water in the bowl of your mixer, mix well
Add in eggs, honey and melted butter, and continue to mix until well blended
Add in flour and using your dough hook, incorporate all the flour, mix just enough so that all the flour is mixed in.
The dough may look loose and wetter than you think it should be, it may also look like it has lumps, that's ok.
Transfer dough to another bowl, cover with a towel and allow to sit and rise for two hours.
Chill dough for at least 2 hours, before making the rolls*
For topping cream butter, salt and brown sugar spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan, then scatter pecan halves over the topping and set aside.
Using floured hands cut out a 1 ½ lb piece of brioche dough.
Dust dough with more flour and shape into a ball by stretching the dough around and under in quarter turns until it is fully shaped.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough int a ⅛ inch thick rectangle (about 12"x8") add flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin or surface.*
While the dough is resting cream butter, cinnamon and sugar, then spread the mixture evenly over the dough and if you're using pecans in the filling add them now by sprinkling them over the filling.
Start rolling the dough along the long side of the dough, so you end up with a roll.
If the dough feels too soft to cut, allow it to chill for about 20 minutes.
When the dough is ready, with a serrated knife, cut the log into 8 equal pieces and place in prepared cake pan.
Cover with plastic and allow to rise for 1 hour*
Place rolls in a 350 degree preheated oven, and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and set in the center.
Run a knife around the sides of the pan and turn out the rolls onto a platter immediately*1
Serve the rolls and get ready for rave reviews

Notes

*This dough may be frozen if you're not going to use it in 5 days, freeze in one pound dough balls and allow 24 hours to defrost before using. *do not add any more flour than necessarily, too much flour will make the rolls dry. *I like to make these rolls the night before baking, then in the morning take them out of the refrigerator and allow them to rise for 1 hour. *if you let the rolls sit too long, they will not come out of the pan easily. If this happens place the pan on top of a burner for a few minutes to heat the pan and loosen the rolls.

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