Banana Sticky Buns
 
 
Makes 7 buns
Ingredients
Dough:
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1⅛ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1½ ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Topping:
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the dough:
  1. In a large bowl, heat milk until warm - about 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the remaining granulated sugar, butter, bananas, 2¼ cups flour and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Continue adding flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together to form a shaggy ball; it should be tacky but not sticky. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (or less if using a stand mixer). Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Make the filling:
  1. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon and butter. Set aside.
Make the topping:
  1. In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from heat and pour into an 8" round cake pan. Sprinkle the walnuts on top.
Shape and bake the buns:
  1. After the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it into a ¼"-thick rectangle. Spread the filling in an even layer over the top of the dough. Starting at the short end, roll the dough up into a log.
  2. Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 7 equal segments. Place the buns over the topping in the cake pan, spaced slightly apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is puffed, about 1 hour.
  3. When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  4. Bake for about 35 minutes until golden. Remove pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Quickly and carefully invert buns onto a plate.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/banana-sticky-buns/