Beer and bacon are served for breakfast in this Potlicker version of sticky buns. Such a treat! The beer jelly imparts a mellow beer flavor and is less sweet than using cane sugar alone to make sticky buns. Try making these with Apricot Ale jelly and white sugar for a light and fruity taste or Coffee Porter jelly and brown sugar for a darker, richer flavor.
Bacon and Beer Jelly Sticky Buns
- Bread dough* (enough for 2 loaves)
- 1lb bacon
- 1 jar Potlicker Vermont Beer Jelly
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2/3c lt. brown (or white) sugar
Yield: Approx 2 dozen buns. 2 – 9” round pans or 1 large cast iron skillet
First, prepare some bread dough.
We make this with Grandma’s Bread recipe but you can use pre-made frozen dough or any other rich white bread dough. “Rich” dough has more butter and/or eggs than a standard white bread recipe. Allow prepared bread dough to rest (or defrost).
Chop the pound of uncooked bacon into ¼” pieces and render in a medium hot pan until extra crispy. Remove the cooked bacon from the fat. Hold the bacon aside for the sticky buns and save grease for another time.
To make buns “Sticky” a paste of sugar and butter is applied to the inside bottom of the baking pan. Make a beer jelly paste by combining:
- 1/4c jelly
- ½ the butter (4Tb)
- All 2/3c sugar
Whisk together and using your fingers or a pastry brush, coat the pan with jelly paste.
To assemble the sticky buns, lightly flour a surface and roll out the bread dough into a large rectangle approximately ¼” thick. Dollop the remaining butter over the dough and then liberally spread with the rest of the beer jelly to ½” of the edges. Crumble the bacon into an even layer over top of the jelly.
Next gently turn or roll the long edge of the dough onto itself until it forms a long jelly roll. Using a sharp knife, slice off 1.5” thick spirals. Tuck the spirals into the baking pan. Loosely cover the unbaked sticky buns with greased plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
If serving the sticky buns within the hour leave the covered dough to rise in a warm spot while the oven pre heats to 350 degrees. If preparing the buns ahead of time, store un-risen buns in the fridge (over-night) or in the freezer (for the extended stay). The buns are ready to bake when they have doubled in size.
Bake sticky buns for 20 minutes (or until golden) at 350 degrees.
Cool for one minute in the pan. While the sugar is still warm, carefully turn the buns out onto a plate by placing a plate over the baking pan and then carefully inverting the whole thing. The pan will be upside down and release the sticky buns right side up onto the plate.
Serve warm and sticky.
Nancy Warner 