Sourdough Brioche Buns

Autolyze - In a large bowl of a stand mixer add the milk, eggs, starter, and flour. Stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rest for an hour. Pro tip - Autolyze will help strengthen the gluten formation on the dough.

Knead - Next, add the sugar, salt, and butter. Knead the dough with a dough hook attachment on medium speed for 10 to 15 minutes or until smooth and elastic.Pro tip - The dough will still be very, very soft, yet smooth, shiny, and very elastic when you do the windowpane test.

Bulk ferment - Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rise in the refrigerator (38°F / 3°C) for 6 to 8 hours.Pro tip - the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The highly enriched dough will rise very slowly.

Divide - Transfer the dough to a clean work surface. Divide the dough into 2 and then each portion into 6 to make 12 buns, about 110 grams each.Pro tip - You can also make 16 mini buns x 80 grams each or 8 large buns x 165 g each

Shape each portion into a tight ball. To do this correctly, roll into a ball tucking all the seams under tightly. Then, roll the ball on an unfloured surface. The unfloured surface creates the tension we need in the dough Pro tip - Do not over roll these for too long or you will rupture the top smooth skin.

Tray - Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving enough room for them to rise. Flatten each bun so they bake like flat buns rather than balls. Pro tip - flatten the buns make a better base for the hamburgers. They don't topple so easily too.

Proof - Cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen cloth and let them proof until double in size. These can be kept for 3 hours on the counter or for 8 to 10 hours in the fridge. Refrigeration slows the proofing time, so if necessary, leave to rise at room temperature if not doubled overnight. Pro tip - Spray the plastic wrap with oil to prevent it from sticking to the rolls.

Preheat oven - Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C / Gas mark 5.

Brush - Brush each bun with an egg wash. You can even sprinkle the buns with some sesame seeds or sugar pearlsPro tip - Egg wash is a full egg with 2 tbsp of water. An egg wash will give a nice golden color. If you can't use egg, milk or cream will work just as well. Do not use oil or butter as it will create a crust.

Bake small buns for 15 to 20 mins and larger buns for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.Pro tip - When baked, the internal temperature of the hamburgers buns should be about 195 F. The bread will have a hollow sound on the bottom when tapped.

Keeping them soft - As soon as you take the buns out of the oven cover them with a clean kitchen cloth to keep them soft.Pro tip - Do not leave the buns on the tray for too long, transfer them to a cooling rack. Otherwise, the steam will make the bread soggy on the bottom. Covering the buns with a cloth will help them retain moisture and prevent it from drying out.