Brioche Sticky Buns

Directions

1. Prepare the brioche; In stand mixer bowl, whisk together the yeast, water and cream until the yeast is dissolved. Add flour, cinnamon and salt. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and pulse a few times on low speed, just to dampen the flour. Increase speed to medium-low and mix for about two minutes or until you're left with a shaggy, dry dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs + sugar. Beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed until the dough form a ball.
2. Reduce speed to low and slowly add butter cubes (about 3-4 at a time), beating until each piece is almost completely incorporated into the dough. {Note; don't panic if it seems as though it's taking forever. The dough will take on an almost batter-like consistency.} When all the butter has been added, increase speed to med-high and beat till dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 5-10 minutes).
3. Transfer dough to a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature until dough is almost doubled in size (about 40-60 minutes).
4. Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and dropping it back into the bowl (with a slap!). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Every 30 minutes or so, repeat the lifting + slapping process until the dough stops rising - about 2 hours. Leave the covered dough in fridge overnight.
5. Prepare the glaze; Generously butter a 13x9-inch baking pan. {Note; preferably a Pyrex pan.}
6. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter (8 Tablespoons), cinnamon, salt, and honey. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil over med-low heat and cook until sugar has dissolved. Pour the hot glaze into prepared pan, evening it out with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle pecan halves onto glaze; set pan aside.
7. Prepare the filling. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Check on the butter - if it's not soft enough to spread, mash it up a bit with a knife or spoon.
8. Remove brioche dough from fridge. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 16-inch square. Use a pastry brush to spread softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon/sugar mixture, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Roll the dough into a tight log.
9. Trim the very ends of the log (most likely they will be bare and uneven). Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. Place buns, cut side down, into glaze-lined pan. Lightly cover the pan with foil and place in a warm area until the buns have doubled in size (about 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on room temperature). {Note; I placed my pan into a slightly warm oven. I set the oven to 155 F for about 2 minutes, turned it off completely and let it cool for about 5 minutes before sliding in the pan.} The buns are ready when they're puffy, soft and brushing up against each other.
10. Preheat oven to 375 F. (Remove the pan if you used the oven as a warmer!)
11. Remove foil and place pan onto a large, parchment-lined baking sheet (this will catch any meandering glaze).
12. Bake 30-45 minutes or until buns are golden brown and glaze is bubbling. Remove pan from oven and allow buns to rest for about 5 minutes before flipping the pan over. {Note; the glaze is extremely hot so be careful when unmolding. I flipped mine onto the parchment-lined pan.}