Bread Day Encore

Tried to make the tart filling last night and failed. But, I shall not give up. I will perservere and try again on Thursday. Again, tonight is Cookie Night, so I will hopefully have tasty recipes to post tomorrow from it. For today's recipe, I wanted to give you that Bread Day encore recipe that I had teased you with. This was one of my favorites from the day.

Cinnamon Raisin Sticky Buns: Yields 22-24 buns
2 cups warm water
1 and 1/2 cups + 4 Tbsp maple crystals, divided
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp dry yeast
2 tsp sea salt
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
3 Tbsp cinnamon, divided
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup bulgur
1 cup raisins
1 cup white bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3-4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
12 Tbsp butter, divided
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 (this could be done later if desired). In a small bowl, combine water, 1/2 cup maple crystals and yeast. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, or until mixture is foamy.
2. Add salt, oil, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, bulgur, raisins, white bread flour and all-purpose flour. Gradually add in whole wheat pastry flour, cup by cup, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Knead dough on a table using remaining pastry flour (you will not use it all) for about 10-15 minutes, or until smooth.
4. Place dough in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Proof in a warm place for 45-60 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. When done rising, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently punch it down (10-15 strokes). Reshape into a ball, place back in covered bowl, and allow to proof again, this time for 25-30 minutes. If time permits, repeat process once more, cutting proofing time in half again.
6. While dough proofs, melt 8 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan. Mix with 1 cup maple crystals and remaining 2 Tbsp cinnamon. Also prepare pans. Cover the bottom of two 8-in cake pans with parchment paper and grease the sides. Cut the remaining 4 Tbsp butter into thin slices and sprinkle evenly over the bottom of the two pans. Then sprinkle with remaining 4 Tbsp maple crystals, 4 Tbsp maple sugar, and walnuts, dividing evenly.
7. Cut proofed dough in half and roll each piece out into a 10x15 inch rectangle. Sprinkle butter and maple crystal mixture evenly over both rectangles, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Roll dough lengthwise (aka like a hot dog) into 2 long rolls. Cut each log into 11 or 12 even rounds. Place close together into both prepared pans and place on a cookie sheet. Cover pans with a damp towel, place in a warm place, and allow to proof one last time for 45-50 minutes, or until they have risen and doubled in size.
8. Remove towel and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and firm. Allow to cool 5 minutes before inverting each onto a plate.

Hope you enjoy these! They were a little dense, but super tasty.