Walnut maple sticky buns

Warm the milk in a saucepan to lukewarm, nothing above 120 Fahrenheit or it kills the yeast.

Pour a quarter cup of the warm milk slowly into the yeast, whisking, and let it sit about five minutes undisturbed until bloomed. Reserve the rest of the milk.

Combine the flour, granulated sugar and kosher salt, toss in the butter pieces to coat, and make a well in the centre.

Pour the bloomed yeast, the remaining milk and the three eggs into the well. Mix on low until the flour is drawn in and hydrated, then raise the speed and mix six to eight or even ten minutes to a very smooth supple dough that clears the sides.

Form the dough into a ball on an unfloured surface, tucking the edges underneath, dust it with flour and put it in a roomy bowl.

Rise at room temperature until 50 to 75 percent larger, not quite doubled, then chill so the butter firms and the soft dough is workable.

Toast the walnuts in a 350 oven eight to ten, maybe twelve minutes, until browned all through and fragrant.

Combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, the vanilla bean and half a teaspoon of salt and boil vigorously about 30 seconds, to drive off the water in the maple syrup and thicken it.

Pour the maple mixture into the 13 by 9 pan.

Mix the brown sugar, cardamom, remaining half teaspoon of salt and the zest with your fingers for the filling.

Crush the cooled walnuts with the rolling pin, break up any large bits and scatter them over the maple mixture in the pan, pressing them down to settle.

Punch the cold dough down and roll it to about a quarter inch thick, roughly 20 inches by 9, tugging out sharp corners.

Brush the melted butter to the edges except the far edge so the spiral can seal, sprinkle the filling over and pat it into the surface.

Roll from the long side into a tight spiral with no big air pockets and no tension, and rest it on the seam.

Pinch and pat the log even, trim the ends, then cut in half, each half in half, and each quarter into three, for twelve buns.

Set them in the pan in a four by three grid, cover and prove at room temperature until 50 percent larger and just touching. Doubled would be overproofed.

Bake in the middle of a 350 oven 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown on the surface and the caramel bubbles at the sides.

Cool five minutes, cut around the sides so the maple does not glue the buns to the pan, then invert and rap the pan sharply on the surface. Scrape any stuck topping back on while hot.