Sticky buns has definitely been a quarantine bake!
These have savoury notes, are gooey in the middle and melt in the mouth.
Ingredients:
Coffee Miso Caramel:
180g Coconut Cream
115g Coconut Sugar ( or soft brown sugar)
175ml Black Coffee
2 Tablespoons of White Miso
Dough:
240ml Plant milk of choice
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
30g Vegan Butter (I used the naturli vegan block butter)
1 Packet of Fast active yeast (normally 7g per sachet)
260g Plain flour
30g Wholemeal flour
1/4 Salt
Filling:
10g Coffee grounds (from making the coffee for the caramel - or use instant coffee)
50g Walnuts
50g Vegan Butter (I used the naturli vegan block butter)
75g Coconut Sugar (or soft brown sugar)
2 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated is better flavour wise, but ground nutmeg will work)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
Method:
Start by making the dough. Measure out the milk and place it in a saucepan, then add the apple cider vinegar, allow to curdle for a few minutes. Then add the vegan butter. Slowly bring to a heat, never allowing the milk to boil and melt the butter. Take off the heat and allow to cool until it feels like warm bath water. Scatter the yeast on top of the warm milk and allow to foam for 10 minutes. Whilst you wait for the yeast to bloom, in a large bowl add the rest of the dough ingredients, mix with a spatula and set aside. Once the yeast is foamy on top of the milk, mix with a fork. Making a well in the dry ingredients and pour the warm milk in the middle. Using a spatula incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet until you have a shaggy dough. Transfer to a clean work surface and knead for 5 minutes til the dough springs back at you to touch. Form the dough into a ball and then place in a clean bowl. Cover in cling film and leave in a warm place to double in size for 1 hour.
Caramel:
Put the sugar, coconut milk and coffee in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring consistently for about 5 minutes, it will start to foam as the water evaporates from the coffee. After 5 minutes, add the miso, then allow to reduce for another 20 minutes, till the caramel has thicken but is still a little loose. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Filling:
For the filling roughly chop the walnuts and set aside. In a sauce pan heat the butter until it's foaming, then add the walnuts. Allow to toast in the hot foaming butter for around 2-3 minutes, this transition will happen quite quickly. Take off the heat, then add the sugar, nutmeg, coffee grounds & salt. Mix to combine then transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Assembly:
Once the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out of it and then transfer to a very lightly floured surface (try to use as little flour as possible) - Using your hands stretch the dough from the ball into a rectangle shape, this will help the rolling out process. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a dough rectangle shape, adding flour underneath when needed whilst turning the dough.
Spread the filling evenly across the dough leaving a rim around the edge of the rectangle. starting from the side furthest away from you, tightly roll the dough towards you into a log. Just before the last roll into the seam tuck in any filling that might be peaking out and the roll into the last edge of the dough.
Divide using a serrated knife into 12 even pieces by halving the dough, the cutting those halves into four pieces, and making three from each of those quarters.
Second Rise:
In a greased muffin pan place one tablespoon of the caramel into each slot. Then place a slice of the dough in each slot. Cover in cling film then allow to rise again from another 30-40 minutes.
Baking:
15 minutes into the rising time, preheat your oven to 170 c. Place the buns into the middle rack of the oven and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes! Once cooked use a knife to loosen the edges and then turn the muffin tin over onto a long enough baking tray, but placing the baking tray on top of the muffin tin and tipping it upside down.
Eat immediately with coffee or a cup of tea!