My dough barely rose in the fridge overnight. Are the buns ruined?

Almost certainly not. A cold rise is slow and modest by design; the buns finish proofing during the 30 to 45 minute counter rest and in the oven's first heat. Only worry if the dough is truly flat and the yeast was old or the milk was hot enough to kill it.

Can I use frozen cranberries in the caramel layer?

Yes, and do not thaw them first. Chop them coarse straight from the freezer, scatter them over the warm caramel, and add about 2 minutes to the bake. They release a little more juice and color than fresh berries, which deepens the sauce.

Half my caramel stayed in the pan when I flipped. What happened?

The flip waited too long and the caramel set. Five minutes of rest is the window: fluid enough to pour, thick enough to cling. To rescue a set pan, warm it over a low burner for 20 to 30 seconds and scrape the caramel over the buns.

Can I leave the pecans out for a nut free Christmas table?

Yes. The buns lose crunch but nothing structural. Pumpkin seeds scattered over the caramel give back most of the texture, or simply add an extra quarter cup of chopped fresh cranberries for a fully fruit topped pan.

Is it better to freeze these sticky buns before or after baking?

Both work, for different plans. Freezing the shaped, unbaked pan suits a make ahead Christmas: thaw and proof overnight in the fridge on the 24th. Freezing baked buns suits leftovers: wrap them individually and rewarm covered at 300°F for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Sticky Buns, Flipped Warm On Christmas Morning

Ingredients

Scale

3/4 cup whole milk, warm (about 110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, for the dough
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange (about 1 tablespoon), for the dough
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, for the caramel
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, for the caramel
1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (or frozen, unthawed)
3/4 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft, for the filling
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange, for the filling
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

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Instructions

Whisk the warm milk, yeast and granulated sugar in a large bowl and let it stand 5 minutes, until foamy. Whisk in the egg, the yolk, the melted butter and the orange zest.
Add the salt and 3 1/4 cups of the flour. Mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour a spoonful at a time, until the dough is smooth, elastic and only slightly tacky.
Set the dough in a buttered bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled. Build the caramel while it rises so the pan is ready.
Melt the stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the dark brown sugar, honey, orange juice and salt and cook 2 minutes, until glossy and unified. Pour it into a buttered 9×13 inch pan and scatter the fresh cranberries and pecans evenly over it.
Roll the risen dough on a floured counter into a 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread the soft butter edge to edge, then rub the light brown sugar, cinnamon and orange zest together and sprinkle them on. Scatter the dried cranberries over the sugar.
Roll up from a long side into a snug log and pinch the seam closed. Slice into 12 even buns with a sharp knife or a loop of unflavored dental floss drawn under the log and crossed over the top.
Arrange the buns, cut side down, over the caramel in the pan. For the overnight path, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate 8 to 16 hours. For the same day path, cover and let them rise 30 to 40 minutes, until puffy.
On bake morning, set the pan on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the buns are deep golden and the caramel bubbles at the edges; cover loosely with foil if the tops brown too fast.
Rest the pan exactly 5 minutes, no longer. Run a knife around the edges, set a platter or rimmed board over the pan, and flip it in one confident motion. Lift the pan away and scrape any caramel and berries left behind over the buns. Serve warm.

Author: Chef Rita
Prep Time: 35 minutes, plus rising
Cook Time: 28 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 410
Sugar: 32
Sodium: 290
Fat: 17
Saturated Fat: 9
Unsaturated Fat: 7
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 58
Fiber: 2
Protein: 6
Cholesterol: 60