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Pecan-Plantain Sticky Buns
Pastry chef Paola Velez created these pecan-covered treats as a tribute to her Dominican mom's love of both plantains and sticky buns. The soft, ripe plantain gets cooked down to a smooth filling with a touch of brown sugar and a slew of spices, including not only cinnamon and vanilla but also black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger for added depth.
INGREDIENTS
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1 (11 ounce) soft, ripe black plantain, cut into 1/2-in. pieces (about 1 cup)
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½ cup packed light brown sugar
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½ cup water
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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½ teaspoon ground ginger
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¼ teaspoon black pepper
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¼ teaspoon ground allspice
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⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 96°F
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2 teaspoons granulated sugar
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1 (¼ -ounce) envelope active dry yeast
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3.33333 cups (about 14 ¼ ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
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2 teaspoons kosher salt
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1 large egg
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6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
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½ cup packed light brown sugar
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½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing baking pan
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1 tablespoons light corn syrup
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¾ teaspoon kosher salt
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¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
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¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
Plantain Filling
Dough
Pan Caramel
Additional Ingredients
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the Plantain Filling
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Place plantain, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg in a small saucepan; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until plantain softens and liquid starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor; process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the dough
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Stir together milk, granulated sugar, and yeast bowl in of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt; beat on medium-low speed until flour is mostly incorporated, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add egg; beat until dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Add butter; beat until dough is smooth and no longer clings to sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm, draft-free place until Dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the caramel
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Place brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted, about 2 minutes (the sugar should not be fully dissolved at this point). Remove from heat; stir to blend the "raw" caramel. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.
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Punch down dough in bowl; turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to a 10-inch square. Using an offset spatula, spread plantain filling over dough to edges; sprinkle evenly with pecans. Roll dough up to form a log; cut crosswise evenly into 9 slices.
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bun slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan (it's OK if slices touch). Cover baking pan with a towel; let stand until buns double in size, about 20 minutes.
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Transfer baking pan to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven until buns are light brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into middle of buns reads 165°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in baking pan 5 minutes. Carefully invert buns onto a platter. Serve warm.
