brown butter vanilla bean buns with cream cheese glaze

Brown butter. Vanilla beans. Bread. Need I say more?

I think not.

Well maybe I’ll mention the  part where it makes you swoon as you smell it baking in your oven. And it makes you weak in the knees when you pull apart the little rounds and inhale deeply. Did I mention that it has brown butter and vanilla beans?

When you get worried that your mixer is getting hot and tired from beating the dough within an inch of its life, remember, brown butter, vanilla beans, yum. When you get impatient that your bread has four separate resting and rising times that accumulate to over twelve hours, remember, brown butter, vanilla beans, swoon. After waiting over twelve hours and baking for 20 minutes and you just can’t seem to wait to let the bread cool down to room temperature, remember, it’s ok to dive into the pan. After all, it’s brown butter and vanilla beans wrapped up in bread. I won’t judge, as long as you don’t judge me.

But if you wait, you can smother them in a cream cheese glaze that transforms them into cinnamon buns, except with brown butter and vanilla beans. Did I mention the brown butter and vanilla beans? You know they’re in there, right?

Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted from The Traveler’s Lunchbox, who does not use a cream cheese glaze, but should

Yeild 1 8-inch pan of buns

Melissa’s Note: You must beat this dough to within an inch of its life before you add the butter – a full fifteen minutes on medium speed – in order to get those beautifully delicate, lacy strands so coveted in this king of breads. No matter whether your mixer protests, grows hot (mine got hot!) enough to fry an egg on top, or even starts to smell funny (though if you see smoke you should probably give it a rest), you must not skimp on the beating. Trust me.

Meg’s Note: Follow Melissa’s instructions.

Brown Butter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 vanilla bean

For the sponge:
1 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/4 cup bread flour

For the dough:
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more if needed

For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon whole milk

Cream Cheese Glaze
3 ounces cream cheese, softened and room temperature
1 – 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus extra if needed
1 tablespoon milk, plus extra if needed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Butter: In a medium skillet add butter. Split the vanilla beans down the middle and scrape the seeds with the tip of a pairing knife and add to butter. Add pods to butter as well. Turn the heat to medium. Swirling occasionally, bring the butter to a boil and keep it boiling until the solids turn chestnut brown and everything smells deeply nutty. Do not let it burn. Remove from the heat, remove the vanilla pods pour into a heatproof bowl or container (scraping in all the vanilla seeds and browned butter particles), and refrigerate until solid, about 2 hours. Remove it from the refrigerator about twenty minutes before using it.

Make Sponge: Combine the yeast, milk, and flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix the ingredients gently together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30-40 minutes. During this time it should bubble up, your indication that everything is moving along properly.

Make Bread: Add the sugar, salt, eggs, and remaining flour to the sponge. Set in the mixer, attach the dough hook, and mix on low speed for a couple of minutes, until the ingredients come together in some semblance of a dough. When everything is incorporated, turn off the mixer, cover the bowl loosely, and let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes. Uncover, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down the hook and bowl as needed.  During this mixing period, the dough should come together (clearing the sides of the bowl), wrap itself around the hook and audibly slap the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t after about 8 minutes, sprinkle in more flour, a tablespoon at a time (to a maximum of about 1/3 cup), until it does (this partially depends on the amount of sugar you use; if you use the full amount you will probably need to add some extra flour).

Add Brown Butter: With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a couple tablespoons at a time. This is the point at which you’ll think you’ve made a huge mistake, because the dough that you worked so hard to make smooth will fall apart. Don’t panic – just carry on. When all of the butter has been added, raise the mixer speed to medium again and beat the dough for 5 full minutes, or until you once again hear the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl. When you’re finished, the dough should feel somewhat cool, and be shiny, slightly sticky and very elastic.

Transfer the dough to a large oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 – 2 1/2 hours.

Deflate the dough by folding it over itself a few times in the bowl with greased hands. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight, or for anywhere from 6 — 24 hours, during which time it will continue to rise and may double in size again.

Bake: grease a round 8-inch pan. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and turn the bowl out onto a very lightly floured surface. Working quickly, roll the cold dough until 1/2-inch thick, then divide dough into even sections roughly the size of golf balls. Take each ball in your hand and knead it lightly a few times (no more than 3 or 4 times) to deflate it and redevelop the gluten. Form into a rough ball, pinching it together at the bottom to create surface tension. Lay each ball with the pinched side down in your greased pan so that they are close but not touching each other. Fill the pan in this way.

Cover the pan with plastic and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until doubled in size. (Meg’s Note: it’s ok to sigh and tap your foot.) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix together the egg and milk. Lightly brush each mound with egg wash, making sure to not let the glaze dribble into the pan (it will impair the dough’s rise in the oven). Bake the loaves for about 20 – 25 minutes, until they’re well-browned, firm and lofty. Cool while making glaze.

Glaze: Combine together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and mix until combined. If you like your glaze a little more thick then add less milk, likewise if you like your glaze to be more runny add more milk. Once mixed, pour, spread, drizzle over or dip your bread into. Then enjoy the moment when your eyes roll into the back of your head.