Sicilian Breakfast Brioche

Ingredients

• 1/4 ounce rapid rise yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon water
• Ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Set up your stand mixer with the bowl in place, then add the yeast, sugar, salt, and flour and stir everything together. Pour in the orange juice and eggs, then beat until the mixture starts pulling into a dough.
2. Switch to the dough hook and work the dough until it looks sleek and smooth, about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let the mixer knead until it disappears into the dough. Keep going with the rest of the butter, using 2 tablespoons at a time, and once all of it has been worked in, knead for one more minute.
3. Drape a dish towel over the bowl and leave the dough to rise until it has doubled, about 2 hours.
4. Press down the dough to knock out the air, then gather it into a ball. Cover it again with the dish towel and move it to the refrigerator for two hours or overnight.
5. Bring the dough back to room temperature. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then divide and shape the dough into fourteen round balls, setting them on the prepared baking sheets as you go.
6. Let the buns puff until they have doubled in size, about one hour.
7. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Beat the egg lightly with the teaspoon water, then brush that mixture over the tops of the buns. Bake until the buns are golden, about 15 minutes.
8. For serving, let the buns cool, split each one in half, and fill with ice cream.