Sourdough Sticky Buns Recipe
Best ever sourdough sticky buns are soft, rich, and soaked in a luscious caramel pecan glaze. The active sourdough starter gives them an irresistible flavor and pillowy texture.
With an overnight rise and simple ingredients, these caramel rolls are ideal for prepping ahead—perfect for brunches, holidays, or cozy weekend mornings.
What You’ll Need for These Irresistible Sourdough Sticky Buns
- All-purpose flour – The backbone of the dough, providing structure and softness when balanced with butter and milk.
- Whole wheat flour – Just a touch deepens the flavor and adds a hint of nuttiness.
- Active sourdough starter – The natural leavening that brings tang, rise, and complex aroma.
- Whole milk – Enriches the dough, keeping it tender and luxuriously soft.
- Egg – Adds richness and helps bind everything together.
- Unsalted butter – Essential for both the dough and caramel, it adds that classic bakery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth bite.
- Brown sugar – Used in both the filling and caramel, it brings warmth and a deep molasses note.
- Cinnamon – Fragrant and familiar, it pairs beautifully with caramel and pecans.
- Heavy cream – For a velvety caramel sauce that coats every inch of the buns.
- Honey – Enhances the caramel with floral sweetness and a glossy finish.
- Raw pecans – For crunch, toastiness, and that classic sticky bun topping.
From Dough to Dream: How to Make Sourdough Sticky Buns
Start by mixing your flours in the stand mixer, then blend your milk, egg, and sourdough starter until smooth. Slowly incorporate the wet into the dry, kneading until shaggy. Let the dough rest, then add sugar, salt, and butter bit by bit, kneading again until glossy and smooth.
Let the dough rise overnight until doubled. In the morning, roll it out, fill it with melted butter, cinnamon sugar, and roll into a log. Slice and place over cooled homemade caramel sauce and pecans in your baking dish.
Let the buns rise again until pillowy. Then bake until golden and set. Flip to reveal the gooey, sticky, caramel-drenched tops.
Sticky Bun Secrets: Tips for the Best Bake
These sourdough sticky buns benefit from time and temperature. Keep your kitchen cozy during both rises—around 70°F is ideal for predictable proofing. The dough should look puffed and feel airy before baking.
Use a thermometer to ensure they’re fully baked—205°F at the center is perfect. Don’t skip chilling the caramel; this keeps the nuts and sauce evenly in place during proofing. And be confident in your flip—use mitts, parchment, and a steady hand to turn them out cleanly.
For variation, add a touch of orange zest to the caramel or swap pecans for walnuts. You can also mix cardamom into the filling for a spiced twist.
Leftovers? Here’s How to Keep Them Gooey
To store, keep leftover sourdough sticky buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to enjoy, microwave each bun for 15 seconds to revive that gooey caramel magic and soft center.
For longer storage, freeze individually wrapped buns and reheat straight from the freezer—just add a few extra seconds in the microwave or warm them in a low oven.
Sourdough Sticky Buns Recipe
Ingredients
Sticky Bun Dough
- 7 grams fine sea salt
- 70 grams unsalted butter softened and divided into ½-tablespoon pieces
- 25 grams whole wheat flour
- 130 grams active sourdough starter
- 20 grams cane sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 315 grams all-purpose flour
- 180 grams whole milk lukewarm
Filling
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 60 grams brown sugar
Caramel
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 50 grams honey
- 3/4 cup raw pecans
- 120 grams brown sugar
- 115 grams 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all-purpose and whole wheat flours. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and sourdough starter until the mixture is smooth. Using the dough hook, start the mixer on speed 2 and slowly incorporate the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Increase to the next speed briefly once the flour is mostly absorbed to knead for 30 seconds. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Resume mixing on speed 2, adding sugar, salt, and one piece of butter at a time, ensuring each piece is integrated before adding the next. Once all butter is added, increase to speed 4 and knead for 8 minutes until the dough is cohesive, glossy, and pulls from the sides, while remaining tacky.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover it with a damp cloth or seal inside a large plastic bag. Allow to ferment overnight at room temperature (approximately 68–70°F) until it doubles in size and becomes airy—typically 10 hours.
- The next morning, gently turn the dough onto a generously floured surface. Pat into a rectangle and cover with a linen towel. Begin the caramel by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar, honey, salt, and cream. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes until thick and glossy. Pour into a 9×13-inch baking pan and sprinkle pecans over the top. Chill the pan on a rack in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a 16″ x 12″ rectangle using a floured pin. Brush melted butter over the surface, leaving a ½-inch margin along the edges. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and distribute evenly over the buttered dough.
- With a bench scraper and floured hands, roll the dough tightly from the long edge into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the log into roughly 2½-inch segments and place cut-side up in the caramel-coated pan.
- Cover the pan with a clean bag or cloth and leave to proof for around 3 hours in a warm area until the rolls expand and touch.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and firm in the center. Check for an internal temperature of 205°F if desired.
- Let the pan rest for 5 minutes. Place a piece of parchment larger than the pan over the rolls, then a baking sheet on top. Invert the pan using oven mitts and remove the baking dish carefully. Allow any residual caramel to drip onto the buns.
