Brown Butter–Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Brown butter, both in the gooey cinnamon filling and the rich cream cheese frosting, takes these pillowy, yeasted breakfast buns to the next level. The nutty notes of the toasted butter play off the sweet spiciness of the cinnamon and add a subtle complexity. After rolling the dough and filling together into a log shape, loop dental floss around the roll, and pull to cleanly slice the buns — a sharp chef’s knife will also work, but the downward pressure is more likely to crush the soft dough.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The dough is somewhat sticky, but don’t be tempted to add more flour while mixing. The dough will develop structure as it rises and become easier to handle, plus you’ll also incorporate a little more flour as you roll it out. Adding too much flour will yield dry rolls.

Make ahead

Cinnamon rolls can be prepared through step 5 and stored in the refrigerator overnight instead of the second room temperature proofing. Remove from the refrigerator, and let stand at warm room temperature until doubled in volume, one hour to one hour and 30 minutes. Proceed with step 7 as directed.