Combine yeast and warm water (under 120°F). Stir gently and let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly.

Warm the milk in a saucepan on low (under 120°F). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, sugar, and salt until combined (the mixture will look slightly curdled).

Add the yeast mixture to the egg mixture and whisk gently.

Stir in the warm milk.

Gradually mix in the flour by hand, cup by cup, until well combined. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until smooth.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and coat with butter to prevent sticking.

Cover the bowl with a cloth and let the dough rise for 2 hours, or until almost doubled in size. Punch down the dough and turn it over, then let it rise for another 2 hours.

Before rolling out the dough, place the pecans in the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan and top with the caramel mixture (below).

In a saucepan, boil together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Pour this mixture over the pecans in the pan.

Punch down the dough and roll it out into a 12x24-inch rectangle.

Melt 1 stick of butter and spread over the dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tablespoons cinnamon.

Trim the edges and cut the dough into 12 strips (~1.5 inches each). Roll each strip into a swirl and place in the prepared pan.

Cover the pan with a towel and let the rolls rise for 1-1.5 hours until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown.

While hot, cover the pan with foil and carefully flip the rolls onto a plate (use oven mitts as they will be hot).