Ingredients

• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 4 heaped tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp dried fast acting yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large free-range egg
• plus 1 yolk
• beaten lightly
• 450g/1lb plain flour
• oil
• for greasing
• 175g/6oz unsalted butter
• 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 100g/3½oz golden syrup
• 100g/3½oz chopped pecans
• 55g/2oz sweetened dried cherries
• 85g/3oz raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 55g/2oz unsalted butter
• melted

Directions

• For the dough
• melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat
• then add the milk and sugar and heat until tepid.
• Pour the mixture into a jug and add the yeast. Leave to rest for 8-10 minutes.
• Stir the salt and the eggs into the yeast mixture.
• Place the flour in a free-standing food mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture and mix on a low speed working through the initial wet stage until the dough begins to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and is smooth.
• Place in a large greased bowl
• cover with an oiled cling film
• and prove for two hours or more
• or until tripled in volume.
• Grease a 23 x 33 x 3cm/9 x 13 x 1½in baking tray with oil - if the tin is too shallow
• it will ooze over the side.
• For the sticky topping
• melt the butter
• brown sugar and golden syrup together in a pan.
• Spread over the base of the greased baking tray and sprinkle over the pecans. Set aside.
• For the fruit filling
• mix together the cherries
• raisins
• cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
• When the dough has risen
• knock back and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle of 30 x 38cm/12 x 15in.
• Brush with the dough with melted butter
• then evenly spread over the fruit. Roll up
• starting with the long side
• into a sausage shape.
• Place the sausage
• seam-side down
• and cut into 12 equal pieces using a very sharp knife. Place cut-side up into the prepared pecan pan.
• Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 40 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/400F/Gas 6.
• Bake the buns for about 35-40 minutes. If browning too quickly
• cover with some foil.
• Turn out of the tray while still warm onto a plate or baking tray.