TWD: Pecan Honey Sticky Braid

I think cinnamon rolls are one of the greatest inventions! Since I had just made some cinnamon rolls, I was a bit hesitant to make another whole batch, even with the slight differences. When I saw the idea in Cooking Light for a braided cinnamon roll dessert, I knew there was a way to combine the two ideas.

The ideas were combined, the dough rolled out, filled and braided. I doubted that it would rise even enough to fill the pan. I laid down for a quick rest and woke up an hour later. When I peeked into the pan, I saw a puffy braid that was soon to overflow the pan I had chosen! It baked up very nicely and I was very proud of my sticky pecan braid! Since I had a birthday to help celebrate on Monday, I brought the dessert to share.

The dough I used was the no-knead challah dough as I had tested the difference with the brioche snails. This is partially due to the method of preparation, the amount of butter used and the final taste. I made only half of the honey topping since the rolls would not be spread out quite as much as the original recipe. Otherwise I did not alter the ingredients, only the form and shape!

Pecan Honey Sticky Braid
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours
by Dorie Greenspan

1 (1 pound) portion of No-Knead Brioche dough, chilled and ready to shape

Glaze
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
4 tablespoons of butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons of honey
1 cup of chopped pecans

Filling
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons of butter, at room temperature

1. To make the Glaze: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Pour the glaze into a springform pan, coated with cooking spray, evening it out by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle over the pecans.

2. To make the Filling: Mix the sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.

3. To Shape the Braid: Separate the dough into 3 equal parts. On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the first part of chilled dough into a 16x6 inch rectangle. Spread 1 tablespoon of the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with a third of the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Repeat with the other 2 portions of dough and with the remaining butter, and brown sugar mixture. Braid the 3 rolls, pinching the ends to seal. Place braid into the prepared pan, forming a ring. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 350F. Uncover dough and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Lightly cover with foil; bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Pull the pan from the oven. The sticky braid must be unmolded minutes after it comes out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold it, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or buttered foil. Be careful–the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.

No-Knead Challah Dough
Adapted from Tartelette (who adapted it from Jaden, who got it from Artisian Bread in 5 Minutes a Day) Makes 4 pounds

1 3/4 cups of lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons of instant yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
7 cups of flour

In a large bowl, mix together the water and yeast; allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, honey, melted butter, and salt. Add in the flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Cover (not airtight) it and let it rise for 2 hours on the counter, cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days. The longer you let the dough in the refrigerator, the better tasting it will be.

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Pecan Honey Sticky Braid is being served up for Tuesdays With Dorie. This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Madam Chow of Madam Chow's Kitchen. Enjoy more Pecan Honey Sticky Buns by visiting the blogroll at the Tuesdays With Dorie website.