Instructions:

Make The Dough:

• Warm milk and water in a small saucepan or microwave to reach 80 F. Don't overheat or starter will be killed when adding it to dough.
  3/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons (190g) whole milk, 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (70g) water
• In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl), combine the active sourdough starter, milk, water, raw honey, sugar, egg, and olive oil.
  3/4 cup (200g) bubbly active sourdough starter, 1 Tablespoon (25g) honey, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated white sugar, 1 (50g) egg, 2 teaspoons (10g) olive oil
• Whisk until mixture is pale and fully emulsified.
• Add bread flour and salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. It should be slightly sticky but cohesive.
  4 1/4 cups (550g) bread flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon (10g) sea salt
• Add 1/4 cup softened butter into dough in 1 Tablespoon pats. Knead butter into dough slowly with mixer set on low fitted with a dough hook, or by hand for 8-10 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic.
  1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
• Check for the windowpane test — stretch a small piece and see if it forms a thin, see-through membrane. This means your gluten is strong and ready.
• Tip: If sticky, avoid adding more flour. Instead, wet your hands or give the dough a short rest before continuing.

Bulk Fermentation:

• Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl or container and loosely cover. Perform 1 set of stretch-and-folds at the 1-hour mark to build strength.
• Cover and ferment at 74–78°F for 6-8 hours, or until nearly doubled.
• Cold Fermentation (Optional): At this point, you have the option to shape and bake the buns the same-day, or you can cover well and transfer dough to refrigerator for overnight cold ferment. This step will improve gluten breakdown but can be skipped if desired.

Shape Buns:

• If dough was refrigerated overnight, remove from refrigerator and allow to rest on counter 30 minutes to warm. If you did not refrigerate dough, you can skip this step.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured or oiled surface. Divide into 8 equal portions (about 150g each).
• Let rest 10–15 minutes to relax gluten. Then shape each into a taut ball by cupping your hand and rolling it on the counter in a circular motion.
• Transfer to a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet, spacing evenly. I usually do 4-6 buns per baking sheet. Cover buns with a damp lint-free towel or oiled plastic wrap for final proof.

Final Proof:

• Let buns proof at room temp for 2–3 hours, or until buns are noticeably puffy and pass the poke test (a gentle press leaves a slow-filling dent).
• Beat 1 egg yolk with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small bowl.
• Brush buns with egg wash using a pastry brush or a paper towel. If using the paper towel method, just dip in egg mixture and brush all over the buns. This avoids an eggy rim around the base of the buns.
• Sprinkle buns with sesame seeds if desired.
  1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Bake Buns:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Bake for 20-24 minutes, rotating halfway through. Internal temp should reach 195–200°F. The tops should be deeply golden.
• Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before slicing.