Sweet, doughy bites with the stickiest brown sugar butter glaze on the base which I just couldn’t stop picking at.  It was worth washing the very sticky pan afterwards.

Recipe:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 tspns instant dried yeast
2 3/4 cups plain flour + more if needed
1/2 tspn salt
Filling:
2 tspns ground cinnamon
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
60g toasted, chopped pecan nuts (optional)
Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tspn milk
Drizzle maple syrup

Grease a 20x30cm baking pan and line with baking paper, leaving some overhang over the sides.  Grease a large, glass or ceramic bowl and set aside.

Combine sugar, yeast, flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until it reaches just warm temperature, then remove from heat.  Stir through butter until melted.  Whisk through egg until combined.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold through with a wooden spoon until it starts to form a ball – add more flour if dough is too soft to knead.  Turn out onto a clean, lightly floured board and knead until smooth, elastic and dough springs back when pressed, about 5-8 minutes.

Place ball of dough into prepared bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap then a damp tea towel and allow to rise in a warm, still place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and brown sugar until well combined.

Punch dough down, remove from bowl onto a flat, lightly floured surface and knead lightly a few times.  Roll out into a 20 x 30cm rectangle.  Using butter knife, spread roll with butter, then sprinkle over brown sugar and cinnamon mixture – also add pecan nuts here if using.  Roll up rectangle and brush sides with a little water or milk to seal the seam.

Slice roll into 12 even pieces using a very sharp knife then place into prepared baking pan.  Cover pan with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, still place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Add icing ingredients to a small bowl and briskly stir until smooth and of drizzling consistency.

Preheat oven to 180C ten minutes before the end of rising time.  Bake rolls in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Wait a few minutes, then drizzle over icing.  Allow to sit in pan for a further 5 minutes then use baking paper to place onto cooling rack.

However, if not baking right away, place uncooked rolls in fridge overnight covered with greased plastic wrap, then remove and sit somewhere warm and still for 1-2 hours until size has almost doubled; the time will depend on the weather.

Makes: 12 rolls