Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and gather your tools: a 9-inch square or round cake pan. You'll also want a rolling pin, a serrated knife, and a clean work surface dusted with flour.
- Take the master dough out of the refrigerator, and grab a small, cantaloupe-sized chunk of it (about 1.5 lbs). Return the rest back to the fridge for future use. Generously flour your hands and the dough to prevent sticking.
- Shape the dough into a ball by gently stretching the surface and tucking it underneath, rotating it a quarter-turn as you go. This creates a taut and smooth surface—let it rest under a towel for about 15 minutes.
- While the dough rests, prepare the topping by creaming together unsalted butter, salt, and brown sugar. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of your prepared cake pan, and scatter pecan halves on top.
- Next, make the filling by creaming together the remaining unsalted butter, sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. This sweet concoction is what makes the rolls so irresistible!
- Now it’s time to roll out the dough! Dust your counter with flour and roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, ideally around 13 inches by 17 inches. Don't worry about perfection; a large oval works just fine too.
- Spread the sweet butter filling evenly over the surface of the dough and scatter chopped pecans all over. Get creative! Make sure every bite will have those crunchy bits.
- Starting from the long side, roll the dough up tightly into a log. The tighter, the better! Flour your serrated knife and cut the log into 9 even pieces if using a square pan, or 8 pieces for a round pan.
- Place the rolls in the pan on top of the caramel, cover with a towel, and let them rest for about 1 hour. This allows them to rise and become fluffy.
- Once the hour is up, pop your rolls in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until they are beautifully golden brown and well set in the center. Keep an eye on them around the 35-minute mark.
- When they’re done baking, immediately run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a plate. Serve warm and enjoy the ooey-gooey caramel with each bite!
Notes
YUM. Soft, pillowy dough. Sweet cinnamon and nutmeg butter dribbling down your chin. Sticky, gooey caramel. Crunchy pecans.
Wanna bite? The photos I have on this post was the book's recipe followed exactly. However, the recipe is modified a bit, increasing the amount of caramel and amount of filling, as I like my rolls to be oozing, dripping of the sweet cinnamon butter and sugar. Due to popular demand, I'm cutting back on the butter! The recipe is as-is from the book! Think of Cinnabon, that chain store found in every American mall, except EVEN BETTER.