It's convenient to prepare the schnecken to the point of forming the rolls and setting them into the prepared pan a day ahead. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store them, unbaked, in the refrigerator overnight. When you are ready to bake the schnecken, remove the pan from the refrigerator and set it in a warm place for about an hour. Then bake as directed in the recipe. And remember that kosher salt is coarser than table salt. If you are substituting table salt, cut the quantity in half.
Ingredients
Makes 12 to 14 schnecken
For the dough
For the sugar-pecan topping
For the cinnamon-sugar filling
Special equipment
Preparation
Step 1
To make the dough, melt the ½ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the milk and sugar and heat just to lukewarm (about 110°F), stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the warm milk mixture into a bowl. Stir in the yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, then stir in the salt.
Step 2
Beat the whole egg and egg yolk together and add to the yeast mixture. Stir in the flour 1 cup at a time until you have a sticky dough. Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a nice smooth dough. Butter a large bowl. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours, until tripled in volume.
Step 3
Meanwhile, brush a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with some melted butter (or spray it with vegetable oil spray). To prepare the sugar-pecan topping, melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat and spread the mixture in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
Step 4
Punch down the dough and turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead for a minute, then use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 15 × 12 inches and ⅛ inch thick. To make the cinnamon-sugar filling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cool. Brush the butter thoroughly over the surface of the dough. In a bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the melted butter. Roll the rectangle up, like a jelly roll, along one long edge.
Step 5
Slice the log of rolled dough into 1-inch-thick slices and arrange the slices, cut sides up, in the prepared pan. Cover the pan with a piece of plastic wrap (you can spray the plastic wrap first with vegetable oil spray to be sure it doesn't stick to the dough) and allow it to rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
Step 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the schnecken until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Check them occasionally during the baking time, and if they seem to be browning too quickly, loosely cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Step 7
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the schnecken out of the pan while still warm by inverting the pan over a large platter or baking sheet. Serve the schnecken warm.
Leave a Review
Reviews (15)
Back to TopI plan to make these tonight and I have a question. For the second rise, right before baking, how do I know when they've risen enough? Thank you!
Amy
Guilford, CT
2/19/2022
These are FABULOUS!! Followed the very easy to follow recipe and had so many raving compliments!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe, we have been looking for a true schnecken for a long time
MWend
Houston, Tx
4/5/2021
Wow. I made these according to the recipe and they are awesome. So delicious and moist and gooey. Easy, too. I have never made sweet rolls before and I was able to make them in between feedings and naps of my newborn. Next time I’ll halve the recipe unless I have a lot of company. But they’re good the next day too, even cold from the fridge.
bluemoonmeg1194
Oregon
1/2/2021
I've tried countless pecan roll recipes and this is by far the best. Rich, buttery and they rise beautifully. I love a little more pecan and cinnamon so I play a little with those proportions. Delicious!!!!
jaluca04
Charleston, SC
9/24/2020
This is very similar to my Großmutter’s schnecken, but she added 1/ teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the dough. It isn’t enough to be terribly noticeable, but it lends a perfume to the dough that is pleasant. I go a step further and add 1 teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla because I believe it complements the taste of the pecans.
aidangilbert
Chicago, IL
8/26/2020
Made this and they were amazing. My husband said these put others to shame. Everyone in the family loved them and a friend asked for the recipe. I followed the recipe, though I did substitute buttermilk for the milk (to create a more tender crumb), half the sugar in the sugar/cinnamon mix was dark brown sugar (to give a richer flavor), and I doubled the cinnamon and pecans (personal preference). I also did what others suggested and put the rolls in the fridge over night, proofing them in the morning. In relation to that ...plan on more than an hour of proofing time. I set mine on the counter and 1 hour later that were still cold and definitely not ready for the oven. So, I placed them in my proofing box at 78F for an hour. They warmed up and they proofed fully. Also, I found my cook time was closer to 50-55 minutes.
jeanne27
Northern Illinois
5/26/2020
OH MY GOSH. Hands down these are the absolute BEST sweet rolls I have EVER had. I assembled them last night, popped my pan in the fridge, and baked them this morning. I made a corn syrup substitute out of sugar and water and used that instead. I've never made sweet rolls before, and this is a recipe that I've been wanting to tackle for years. I realized yesterday I had all the stuff and set to work. The dough was easy to work with AND I got to break in my new (to me) rolling pin. I told my husband as we happily shoved schnecken in our faces that we have a new tradition for New Year's Day.
starshine93078
the sunny Southwest
1/1/2018
Wonderful! Made these following the recipe and they were amazing. Highly recommended. Add cream cheese icing if you need to make them even more decadent.
Anonymous
Alberta, Canada
12/28/2017
Used low fat milk as it's all I ever have on hand. My 17 year-old daughter made these with a little guidance and she rarely bakes, so that should tell you how easy these are. We added 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and a few glugs of vanilla to the caramel, went light on the nuts and cut them into 14 (which all fit into a glass 9x13 and ended up the perfect brunch-sized, large rolls). We used the KitchenAid w/ dough hook for the dough and it took several minutes to form a smooth, non-sticky batter (maybe 7 min. on medium speed), eventually using about 4 c. of flour. After placing them in the pan we stuck 'em in the fridge until the next morning then set them on the counter to rise while we ran out to church. They were gorgeously puffed by the time we got home and, with the oven timed to start before we got home, we were able to have them on the table 1/2 hour later. ABSOLUTELY delicious and exceedingly simple to prepare. No need to try any more detailed or difficult Sticky Bun recipes; this will be my go-to from now on.
carisante1
Manhattan Beach, CA
4/21/2014
I made these for a brunch potluck and they were a big hit. Used dark brown sugar for the topping. Made the night ahead, baked off in the morning.
clafouti13
Portland, OR
3/2/2014
This is a winning recipe if you're wanting to up the ante on traditional homemade sweet rolls. Easy to make, can be done the night ahead and baked in the morning, and alarmingly addictive. I made them smaller (as one reviewer suggested) since they are so rich and sweet. Perfection.
robinma
Richmond, VA
2/11/2014
Huge hit, fantastic. Brought them to the office after I couldn't stop eating them at home, and they were devoured in an hour. Co-workers are begging me to make more. Very easy to make too.
ashOlady
New Orleans
12/19/2012
Incredible! I made the recipe exactly as suggested(which is something I do not often do) and the Schnecken was delectable. I couldn't stop eating them.This recipe puts cinnamon buns to shame. Thank you Grandma Douglas for sharing this fantastic recipe.
stonecreekcabins
Gatlinburg,TN
12/14/2012
Grandma Douglas, I wish you were MY grandma! I made these amazing schnecken for a brunch I had recently, and everyone LOVED them. I usually don't do a great job with yeast recipes but this one worked like a charm. When i rolled the dough up w/ the cin & sugar, I cut it in half length-wise first and made two rolls. This made my schnecken mini-sized, which is great because they are rich and sweet so smaller is better, with the added bonus of making the recipe go farther, making more people happier! The best part is I did all the rolling and cutting, etc the night before, then stored them in the fridge overnight. In the morning I took them out, let them rise & baked them as guests arrived. The house smelled amazing!
brynnali
12/8/2012
These are fabulous. A new Christmas tradition over the last 3 years. The recipe is exact and yields beautiful results. So happy to have this in my “recipe box.”
Philly Girl
Philadelphia
12/25/2022
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