Sourdough Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Maple and pecan is a fall pairing that shows up everywhere except, until now, this site – so these sticky buns are a true overnight sourdough enriched dough, baked upside-down over a pool of real maple caramel and studded with toasted pecans.
Shape them the night before and let the refrigerator do the slow second rise; all that’s left in the morning is a 28-minute bake and a confident flip onto a platter while they’re still warm.
Why You’ll Love It
- A true overnight-optional enriched sourdough dough, soft and buttery
- A sticky maple-pecan topping baked right into the pan, then flipped
- Real maple syrup, not maple flavoring, in both the topping and the dough
- Make-ahead friendly: shape the night before, bake fresh in the morning
- A genuinely different fall flavor from the site’s existing cinnamon rolls
Ingredients
Volume measurements are included for convenience, but they’re approximate – for the most consistent results, weigh your ingredients on a kitchen scale, especially the flour.
Enriched Dough
- Whole milk, warm (240 g / 1 cup)
- Active sourdough starter (100 g / ⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp)
- Large egg (1)
- Unsalted butter, softened (60 g / ¼ cup)
- All-purpose flour (480 g / 4 cups)
- Granulated sugar (50 g / ¼ cup)
- Fine sea salt (9 g / 1½ tsp)
Maple-Pecan Sticky Topping
- Unsalted butter (115 g / ½ cup)
- Pure maple syrup (180 g / ½ cup + 2 Tbsp)
- Brown sugar, packed (100 g / ½ cup)
- Pecan halves (150 g / 1½ cups): roughly chopped, divided
Filling
- Unsalted butter, softened (60 g / ¼ cup)
- Brown sugar, packed (100 g / ½ cup)
- Ground cinnamon (2 tsp)
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl and a bench scraper for hand-kneading)
- Rolling pin
- Kitchen scale
- Bench scraper
- Large serving platter or tray, for flipping
Sample Schedule (2-Day)
Day 1
- Mix the dough (20 minutes hands-on)
- Bulk ferment at room temperature, 4-5 hours, until puffy and about 50% risen
- Roll, fill, and shape into a log; slice into 12 rolls
- Make the sticky topping, spread in the pan, scatter half the pecans over it
- Arrange rolls cut-side up in the pan over the topping
- Cover and refrigerate overnight
Day 2
- Let the pan sit at room temperature 45-60 minutes to take the chill off
- Bake
- Cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a platter while still warm
Sourdough Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
Method
- Whisk the warm milk and active starter together in the bowl of a stand mixer until the starter dissolves. Add the egg and softened butter.
- Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix on low with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on medium-low for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let bulk ferment at room temperature for 4–5 hours, until puffy and roughly 50% risen.
- Meanwhile, make the sticky topping: melt the butter with the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Pour into the greased 9×13 pan and scatter half the pecans evenly over the top.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a roughly 12×18-inch rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter for the filling over the dough, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 12 even rounds using a piece of floss or a sharp serrated knife.
- Arrange the rounds cut-side up in the pan, directly on top of the maple-pecan topping. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (8–14 hours).
- The next day, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 45–60 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake for 26–28 minutes, until deep golden brown and the centers spring back when pressed.
- Cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes – no longer, or the caramel will set and stick – then invert onto a platter or tray. Scatter the remaining pecans over the top and serve warm.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Bloom the starter. Whisk the warm milk and active starter together in the bowl of a stand mixer until the starter dissolves. Add the egg and softened butter.
2Mix and knead the dough. Add the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix on low with the dough hook until a shaggy dough forms, then knead on medium-low for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3Bulk ferment. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let bulk ferment at room temperature for 4-5 hours, until puffy and roughly 50% risen.
4Make the sticky topping. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Pour into the greased 9×13 pan and scatter half the pecans evenly over the top.
5Roll out the dough. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a roughly 12×18-inch rectangle.
6Fill. Spread the softened butter for the filling over the dough, then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
7Roll and slice. Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 12 even rounds using a piece of floss or a sharp serrated knife.
8Arrange and refrigerate. Arrange the rounds cut-side up in the pan, directly on top of the maple-pecan topping. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (8-14 hours).
9Take off the chill. The next day, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature 45-60 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F (175°C).
10Bake. Bake for 26-28 minutes, until deep golden brown and the centers spring back when pressed.
11Cool and flip. Cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes – no longer, or the caramel will set and stick – then invert onto a platter or tray. Scatter the remaining pecans over the top and serve warm.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Don’t skip the 5-minute cooling window: flip too soon and the topping runs everywhere; wait too long and it hardens in the pan and won’t release cleanly.
- Slow bulk ferment overnight? In a cooler kitchen, the dough can also bulk ferment in the refrigerator overnight instead of at room temperature during the day – just plan for an extra hour at room temperature the next day before shaping.
- Floss over a knife: unwaxed dental floss slid under the log and crossed over the top slices cleanly without squashing the spiral.
- Toast the pecans first: 5 minutes in a dry skillet deepens their flavor considerably before they go into the topping.
- Same-day version: skip the overnight fridge rest and let the shaped rolls do a second rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes instead, until puffy, then bake.
How to Store
To store: keep covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerated up to 5 days; a quick 15-second reheat in the microwave brings back the gooey texture.
To freeze: freeze baked, cooled buns (with topping) up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Nutrition
Per bun, based on 12 per batch. Estimated from the ingredients used – provided for convenience and not a substitute for a precise calculation.
385
Calories
46g
Carbs
6g
Protein
20g
Fat
2g
Fiber
210mg
Sodium
Desi’s Notes
Maple and pecan is one of those combinations I don’t make nearly often enough, and these came out of wanting a sticky bun on the table that wasn’t just another cinnamon roll. The overnight fridge rest isn’t just for convenience – a long, cold second rise actually deepens the flavor of the dough itself.
Real maple syrup matters here more than in almost anything else I bake. It’s the whole flavor of the topping, so reach for the good stuff, not pancake syrup.
If you’ve never flipped a pan of sticky buns before, it’s a little nerve-wracking the first time – just have your platter ready and go for it confidently in one motion.
Before You Bake
Scaling this recipe up or down? Run your numbers through the Sourdough Calculator. And if you want a printable reference for troubleshooting your crumb and crust, grab the Crumb & Crust Diagnostic Quicksheet.
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