Sweet Potato Buttermilk Sticky Bun Mix and Gift Kits

Gifts of Good Taste never go out of Style

During the month or two previous to the Christmas season, I spend a lot of time making Gifts of Impeccable Taste Mixes and Chef Tess 52 Method Jar Meals to give to friends and family. Don't you wish you lived closer to me?  Today I'm sharing a new mix recipe for sticky buns! I'm so excited!  I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse, having amazing buns ingredients on-hand for whenever the urge to have sticky sweet potato buttermilk caramel pecan rolls overcomes your better judgement...but I'm thinking it is a blessing. You know, like chocolate is a blessing? Oh...and cheesecake is a blessing. Oh...count your blessings! One sticky bun, two sticky buns, three...mrfllrh brrunnns (stop counting with your mouth full). If you want to make the sticky buns without using a mix you can see my evil-genius post Pumpkin Spiced Peach Sticky-Buns-o-Glory. It works magnificently well.  I love to give out baking kits to busy families. It gives them an excuse to bake with the kids without having to measure ingredients. 

My practical side takes over because I usually use an empty can from one of my many Thrive adventures as the containment unit (oh stars...I just sounded like a science geek) for the kit.

Decorate it however you like. Today I just tied a cute ruffly Christmas apron around the can and just added a note inside with baking directions. 

Chef Tess' Sweet Potato Buttermilk  Roll Dough Mix

4 cup Artisan Bread Flour or Panhandle Milling  whole wheat blended flour

1/2 cup sweet potato powder

1T tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup sugar 

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 T Whole Egg powder

1/4 cup powdered butter 

To Prepare Dough You will Add:

1 3/4 cups water (cool to the touch)

Spiced Sugar Smear Mix:

1/2 cup powdered butter 
1/2 cup sugar
2T Cheftessbakeresse Wise Woman of the East Spice blend or 1 T cinnamon and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

To Prepare Smear you will add:

3T water to this mix and spread inside the cinnamon rolls

Sticky Bun Cream Caramel Glaze mix:

3/4 cup  brown sugar 

1/2 cup  powdered butter 

2T buttermilk powder

1 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts 

Prepare you will add:
3T water

Directions:
1. Combine everything in the dough mix in one-gallon size bowl or mixer. I like that. Knead 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in a mixer on medium setting. This is a less developed dough as far as gluten is concerned.
Form into a ball and place in a bowl covered with plastic or a lid for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

2. Take out of the bowl and place on a floured table or countertop. On a lightly floured counter top, roll into a rectangle, 2 feet long by one foot wide. It will be about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you lift the dough a couple times and dust underneath with more flour so it doesn't stick to the table.

3. Prepare the smear by adding 3T water to the smear mixture. Spread the smear over the dough in a light coating. Leave about 1 inch on the ends and sides that don't have butter and/or sugar mixture. It will help the rolls seal better.

4. Combine the caramel topping ingredients and heat in a saucepan with 3T hot water, just until the sugar is dissolved, do not boil longer than 2 minutes.

5. Pour nut caramel mixture into a 9 inch by 13-inch casserole pan or divide among individual jumbo muffin pan.
Place rolls in the pan,  1 inch apart (or just in each muffin compartment). Now...lightly mist the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap (or lid). You are going to have to raise the rolls completely, about 1 1/2  hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto a serving dish immediately, using caution to not let the hot caramel coating burn your skin.

More detailed Directions...

Baking Directions:

Combine everything in the dough mix in one-gallon size bowl or mixer with 1 3/4 cup cool water. Knead 5 minutes by hand or 3 minutes in a mixer on medium setting. This is a less developed dough as far as gluten is concerned.

Form into a ball and place in a bowl covered with plastic or a lid for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

 On a lightly floured counter top, roll into a rectangle, 2 feet long by one foot wide. It will be about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure you lift the dough a couple times and dust underneath with more flour so it doesn't stick to the table. Prepare the smear mix by adding 2T water to the smear mixture. Spread the smear over the dough in a light coating. Leave about 1 inch on the ends and sides that don't have butter and/or sugar mixture. It will help the rolls seal better.

Now roll them up tightly. Pinch seam tightly. Slice the roll into 12 sliced pieces.

Combine the caramel topping ingredients and heat in a saucepan with 3T hot water, just until the sugar is dissolved, do not boil longer than 2 minutes.

Pour nut caramel mixture into a 9 inch by 13-inch casserole pan or divide among individual jumbo muffin pan.

 Place rolls in the pan,  1 inch apart (or just in each muffin compartment).

Now...lightly mist the tops of the rolls with oil and cover with a loose fitting piece of plastic wrap (or lid). You are going to have to raise the rolls completely, about 1 1/2  hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto a serving dish immediately, using caution to not let the hot caramel coating burn your skin.

There you go!


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

5 More Roll Ideas!

 5 day Sweet Roll Dough like I did this week, I dang well better also show at least 5 new ways to make rolls, right?! Well, I did in my dinner roll class on Tuesday, but I know there are people all over the country and globe who read the blog and well...it's not your fault you couldn't make it to the class.  So here we go. In a roll marathon! Hopefully it gives you a lot of new ideas! Let your brain just soak it up. We're going to play.

I just figured that if I introduce a First a Windmill. Take 1/5th of the dough and roll it in a rectangle on a lightly floured counter top or board. It should measure approximately  15 inches by 9 inches. It will make 15 small pin-wheels if you cut it into 3 inch squares.  Cut a notch into the squares like this.  It will look like 4 triangles stuck together if you do it right. 

 Alternate windmill by going around the dough and pinching 4 corners in the middle of the square.

 Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or oiled well. Allow to raise 45 minutes to an hour. With your thumb, poke a hole in the middle of the roll and then dot with 1T pie filling or pastry filling of your choice.Lucky Leaf premium cherry is perfect for these, by the way. It's what I used today. Top with a light sprinkle of...

Chef Tess' Streusel Topping

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond flavor

Combine all ingredients and  mix with a fork until crumble topping is formed. Use as Streusel topping for pies, muffins and baked goods.

Bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. I top with a light fruit glaze to get a nice shine. To do so, melt 1/2 cup apricot jelly with 2T water over a stove until liquid. With a pastry brush, apply warm glaze over rolls.

This next roll is actually a pretty classic design called a Flemish fruit square. You basically make that same square you used for the windmill, but tuck the corners in to the center instead of cutting a notch.

 Easy stuff.

 Transfer to a baking sheet, giving 1-2 inches space between rolls. Allow to raise on hour. Add a Tablespoon of Lucky Leaf  Premium cherry or Apple pie filling in the center of the roll just before baking. I also added a few nuts. Top with a little struesel and bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. I paint the hot rolls with a light fruit glaze to get a nice shine. To do so, melt 1/2 cup apricot jelly with 2T water over a stove until liquid. With a pastry brush, apply warm glaze over rolls.  You may frost them if desired.

 For twisted Danish. Take 1/5 dough and roll into a rectangle 12 inches by 8 inches. Lightly spread a thin layer of butter and spiced sugar on the dough. Cut into 1 inch strips for small danish or 2 inch strips for larger Danish.

 Twist the strip with your hand and roll into a snail design on the pan. Like so...

 Allow to raise 1 hour. Top with a Tablespoon of filling or just a cherry. Bake 230 degrees 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and glaze or frost as  desired.

Fan Rolls:
5 Day Bread Dough or the  5 day Sweet Roll Dough can also be used with herbs to make fan rolls. Now if you haven't seen a fan roll, It's basically a pull apart roll. Here's what they look like before baking. It appears I forgot to take a picture of the finished rolls. How odd.

Roll out 1/5 the dough into a 12 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Spread with 1/4 cup of soft butter and sprinkle with an herb blend of your choice. I love these with dill and onion. Very much. Too much.

 Cut the dough into 2 inch (4 across the 8 inch length).

 Stack the strips.

 Cut into 12 one inch rolls and place in a well greased muffin pan.

 Allow to raise until double and bake 350 degrees 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Last but not least...Salted Sweet Rolls.
These are by and far my favorite way to have the sweet roll dough. Divide 1/5 of the dough into 12 rolls and roll into balls. Place in a well oiled muffin tin and allow to raise about an hour. Whisk one egg with a pinch of salt and lightly "paint" the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

 Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm.
There you go! Five new ways to do rolls! Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess