Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Pretty sweet yeast buns, filled with a maple syrup and walnut filling and twisted into a fun, shape!

Since it’s Spring and fresh maple syrup is plentiful around here, I was inspired to bake up a little something maple.

These Sticky Maple Walnut Buns start with a sweet yeast dough, they they are filled with a maple syrup and walnut paste, cut into strips, twisted and contorted into pretty buns. Before baking they are brushed with more maple syrup, for a slightly sticky outside.

These look complicated, but they are really easy to make they make a great, sweet maple treat to enjoy any time of day!

Ingredients Notes for Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Maple Syrup – Real Maple Syrup is obviously best, if you have some. If not, you could use best quality maple pancake syrup here.

Walnuts – Since the Walnuts are going to go through the food processor, starting with walnut pieces is the most economical. If you only have walnut halves, that’s ok, too.

Pearl Sugar – If you don’t have pearl sugar, sprinkle any sugar you have on top. Great choices would be a coarse, sanding sugar or demerara. Maple sugar would be perfect, if you happen to have some. If none of those are on hand, sprinkle with a bit of white granulated sugar.

Cook’s Notes for Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Always remember that flour amounts listed in yeasted dough are always approximate. Start by adding 2 of the 3 cups, then work up from there, adding only as much as is needed to make a soft, smooth and moist (but not sticky) dough.

After you’ve folded your filling spreaded dough into thirds, you only need to roll it slightly in one direction, to make it wider. It should already be 14-inch long. So just roll until it’s 8 inches wide.

Don’t sweat the twisting. They don’t have to be perfect and they don’t all have to be the same. Their uniqueness is part of their charm.

Shaping Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Step 1: Roll dough into a 14-inch square.
Step 2: Spread all the filling over the dough.
Step 3: Fold the dough like a business letter, folding the bottom up by 1/3, then folding the top down to cover it. You should have a roughly 7×14-inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to make it slightly wider, to just a bit more than 8-inches wide. Trim the folded edges slightly, to expose the filling.
Step 4: Use a ruler to mark out eight 1-inch wide marks.

Step 5: Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut along your 1-inch marks to make 8 strips.
Step 6: Grab both ends of the dough strip and twist until it is well twisted down the entire length of the strip,
Step 7: (Not Shown) Grab the end of the strip with your left hand and drape the strip over the top of your index and middle fingers. Wrap the dough around your fingers twice, then on the 3rd time coming around to the front, aim the dough towards the gap between your index and middle fingers. Tuck the end of the dough strip down and push it towards the centre of the ring, while sliding the whole thing off your fingers.
Step 8: Place rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet to rise some more while your oven preheats.

How to store Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Store baked buns loosely covered on a plate on the counter. Buns will be best on the day they are baked, but still good for a day or two.

Can you Freeze Sticky Maple Walnut Buns?

Absolutely! These freeze beautifully. Simply cool completely and place into a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the freezer bag.

Sticky Maple Walnut Buns

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: maple walnut baking recipes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Rising Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 8 buns

Energy: 383 kcal

Author: Jennifer Maloney

Lovely sweet yeast buns, filled with a maple syrup and walnut filling and twisted into pretty buns.

Print

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1/2 cup milk scalded
• 2 1/4 tsp instant or dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg lightly beaten
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Glaze:

• 1 Tbsp hot water
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Topping:

• Pearl sugar or coarse sanding sugar/demerara sugar/maple sugar

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk until it reaches 180F, or when it starts to steam and small bubbles form around the outside of the pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool to 110F or lukewarm.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup warm (110F) water with yeast. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Add yeast mixture to large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a kneading hook. Add cooled milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg, along with 2 cups of the flour. Mix until well combined. Begin adding more flour 1/4 cup at a time, at first, then in smaller increments, until you have a soft, smooth and moist, but not sticky dough.
4. Remove dough to a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 60-90 minutes.
5. While dough is rising, prepare filling by adding all ingredients to a food processor and processing until reduced to a paste. Set aside.
6. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
7. Remove dough to a floured surface and roll into a 14-inch square. Spread filling over the entire square of dough. Fold in thirds, like a business letter, to make a roughly 7 x 14-inch rectangle. Use a rolling pin to roll into an 8 1/2 x 14-inch rectangle, by rolling in just one direction to make it a bit wider. Use a sharp knife to trim the outside folded edges slightly (about 1/4-inch), to expose the filling.
8. Use a ruler to mark 1-inch increments along the 8-inch width of the dough. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into eight 1-inch wide by 14-inch long strips.
9. Grab the end of the strip with your left hand and drape the strip over the top of your index and middle fingers. Wrap the dough around your fingers twice, then on the 3rd time coming around to the front, aim the dough towards the gap between your index and middle fingers. Tuck the end of the dough strip down and push it towards the centre of the ring, while sliding the whole thing off your fingers.
10. Place buns onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing a couple of inches between each bun.
11. Cover baking sheet with a clean tea towel and allow to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes more.
12. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. and prepare glaze by stirring together glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
13. Before baking, brush buns with glaze. Sprinkle with pearl or coarse sugar, if desired.
14. Bake at 350F for 23-25 minutes, or until quite golden. Remove from the oven and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.