In a large bowl (or a bowl of a standing mixer) mix the dry yeast, 1 TBS sugar, and water. Gently stir with a fork and set aside until the mix starts to bubble. About 10-15 minutes.

Once the yeast mixture is activated and full of bubbles, add the remaining ingredients and mix until a very soft smooth dough is formed. (please see notes about mixing by hand or with a mixer)

Place the dough in a large bowl spray with some oil spray and wrap the bowl with a plastic bag. Allow the dough to rest and rise for a minimum of 2 hours.

Place the butter, sugar, and, cinnamon in a bowl of a mixer and mix on high until smooth.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 12 even parts. Roll each piece into a 5"x3" rectangle.

Spread each piece with 1 TBS of the cinnamon filling and sprinkle with some pecans.

Roll the wide ends of the rectangle towards the middle of the pastry, the eds should meet.

Hold the pastry using one hand on each side and rotate it in different directions. About 5-7 times.

Shape the dough into a circle and "glue" the ends with some egg white.

Place the shaped pastry on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Leave about 4" space between each pastry.

Let rest and rise for the second time. About 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F about 30 minutes before baking.

Brush the pastries with some egg wash sprinkle with some chopped pecans and bake for about 15-18 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway into baking time. As soom as you take the pastroed out of the oven, brush it with the simple syrup.

While the pastries are resting for the second time, make the simple syrup simply by mixing the sugar with the water and cooking for about 5 minutes (once boiling reduce to simmer)