Spray a 10-inch round glass pie dish with cooking spray.
To make the dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk warm milk, yeast and sugar till combined. Cover and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
Mixture should appear foamy. This is called 'proofing.'
Add the melted butter and egg and whisk to combine.
Add in the salt and flour (slowly) using the dough hook attachment to mix and knead for 3 minutes. Dough should be a bit sticky.
Transfer the dough to a well-oiled large bowl. Cover with a damp towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour (until at least doubled in size.)
To make the filling:
In a small bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, egg and vanilla extract until combined. Add the chopped pecans and mix. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
To assemble:
Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to form a 9x13 inch rectangle.
Spread the 1/2 cup softened butter over the dough, leaving a 1⁄4 inch border all around.
Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the buttered dough.
Using a spoon, add bits of the pecan pie mixture over the sugar, distributing it evenly and pressing it lightly into the filling using the spoon.
Roll up the dough tightly from the long side ending with the seam side down, pinching the edges together.
Using plain, unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife, slice the dough log into 9 slices. Trim off the edges on either side which will not have enough filling.
Place the dough slices in a single layer into the prepared pie dish, evenly spaced, cover with a clean cloth and leave them to rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
These rolls can be prepared the night before. Make the rolls and put them into the pie dish. Cover the entire dish very tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Put the dish into the refrigerator. In the morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow them to rise for about two hours before baking.
Add flour in ½ cup increments so you do not add too much flour. Once a dough ball has formed, don’t add anymore flour.
These cinnamon rolls are delicious without any icing. However, if you want to make a cream cheese frosting, use my recipe that is included in my CROCK POT CINNAMON ROLLS RECIPE.
Store baked cinnamon rolls in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.