OH HONEY, HONEY

FOOD & BEVERAGE Clockwise from bottom left: A classic deepfried honey bun and a layered sticky bun (both courtesy of Proof Bakery), plus the homebaked version found in this recipe.

STYLED BY CHEF DAN LEWIS PHOTO BY ELIZABETH NEAL

HONEY BUNS HAVE LONG BEEN A SWEET-TOOTH STAPLE – particularly in the South, where comfort cravings and a dash of nostalgia combine to keep these delicacies on offer everywhere from specialty bakeries to corner-stop vending machines. What many don’t know, however, is that these tasty treats originated in Greensboro, North Carolina, nearly seven decades ago – thanks to one Howard Griffin, owner of the now-defunct Griffin Pie Company. Legend has it that Griffin’s wife began frying pies to sell in local drug stores during the 1920s – and a version of that initial concoction resulted in the first official production of honey buns by 1954. Though they’re typically deep-fried in classic Southern recipes, you can also home-bake them sans the hot oil – but regardless of how you make them, most aficionados agree: If you want the real deal, you need to put in the time to make them hot and fresh.

Honey Bun Dough

(Adapted from a recipe that originally appeared in Martha Stewart Living.)

2 tablespoons dry yeast ¼ cup warm water 1 cup buttermilk 8 oz unsalted butter, softened 3 eggs ¹⁄₃ cup locally sourced honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional) 6 cups all-purpose flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy. Mix buttermilk, butter, eggs, honey, vanilla and yeast mixture for 1 minute – then mix the salt and cardamom with 5 cups of the flour separately. Combine all, and add more of the remaining 1 cup of flour as necessary while mixing everything with a dough hook until a ball forms. Continue to knead the dough in a mixer for 10 minutes, or by hand for 15. Remove the dough, knead it briefly again into a ball, and return it to a bowl that’s been sprayed with a bit of oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a slightly warm spot for about an hour.

Honey Bun Glaze

& the Finishing Touches

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter ½ cup locally sourced honey ½ cup sugar ½ cup corn syrup ½ cup sour cream 1 cup chopped pecans

Melt the butter on low heat in small saucepan. Add honey, sugar and corn syrup, and mix until all the ingredients are dissolved and fully incorporated. Set aside.

Divide the dough into thirds. Roll out each piece into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle – roughly 9x12 inches. Brush all but the bottom inch of the 12-inch length with the honey glaze, then add a thin layer of sour cream, plus half of the chopped pecans. Roll the dough into pinwheels and pinch the dry end closed. Cut the rolls into 1-inch-thick pieces, and place each one into a glass baking dish that’s been lined with a thin layer of the honey glaze and the remaining chopped pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes, then flip the buns over with a spatula so that the glazed side is up. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the warm buns, and serve as soon as possible!