Better Living Through Bacon

I couldn’t resist. I bought a bottle of Torani Bacon Flavored Syrup.  Yes, I did. A month ago. And I’ve been trying to figure out what to make with it since.  I tried doughnuts with bacon glaze, since I love the maple doughnuts topped with bacon from Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland. Bleh. The doughnuts I made were okay, but not amazing.

I’ve had a few other swing-and-a-misses, but these Quick Bacon Maple Sticky Buns are a winner. I adapted the recipe from King Arthur Flour, and they turned out perfectly.  These are everything a sticky bun should be…gooey, caramel-y, tender…with my major stumbling block…time to rise.

I rarely plan ahead the night before to make a dough for the refrigerator, so we don’t usually have fresh, hot rolls for breakfast.  Now we can…start to finish, these take less than an hour to be in your mouth!

Quick Bacon Maple Sticky Buns

(adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons bacon-flavor coffee syrup (or maple syrup)

Dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp bacon-flavor coffee syrup OR 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup lukewarm buttermilk
• ½ tsp maple flavor OR 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 9″ cake pan. If you don’t have a 9″ x 9″ pan, substitute a 7″ x 11″, or 9″ round cake pan. If you choose the 9″ round pan, make sure it’s at least 2″ deep; if it’s not, place the pan on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet, to catch any potential spills.

2) To make the topping: Combine the melted butter and brown sugar, stirring to combine. Stir in the syrup. Pour toppinginto the prepared pan and spread evenly to edges. Set aside while you make the rolls.

3) To make the dough: Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4) Add in the buttermilk, maple or vanilla, and melted butter, stirring to combine. The dough will be quite sticky. That’s a good thing…sticky dough means a tender roll.  Really. Not so sticky you can’t work with it, but a bit sticky. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and pat it into a 9”x12” rectangle.

5) Brush the dough lightly with water, and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar.

6) Roll the dough into a log, starting with a long edge. Pinch the seam closed as best you can; it will be messy with filling spilling out a bit.

7) Use dental floss (or a serrated knife) to cut into 16 slices, about ½” wide. To use the dental floss, slide the middle of the floss under the log, to the center, cross the ends of the floss, and pull in opposite directions to slice. Continue to slide floss under, to center of section, and slice, until you have 16 slices.

8) Lay the slices cut side down in the pan, on top of the topping.

9) Bake 26-28 minutes, until they’re golden brown.

10) Remove from the oven, and immediately invert the pan onto a serving plate. Let it sit for about 15 seconds, then remove the pan, scraping out any nuts or syrup that are stuck in the pan, and spreading it back onto the buns.

11) Serve immediately. Or cool, wrap airtight, and store for a couple of days at room temperature. Reheat briefly before serving.

Click here for the printable recipe