Twisted Honey Buns

Ingredients:

• 500 grams flour
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• pinch salt
• Warm honey water
• slightly over 1/3 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup room temperature water
• 1-2 tablespoons honey (slightly more if you want a stronger honey flavor)
• 1 Tablespoon butter 
• 2 Tablespoons softened butter

Procedure:

1. Measure the dry ingredients, mix them together in a mixing bowl, and set it aside while you prepare the warm honey water.
2. Pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over the honey and butter. Stir until the butter has melted and the honey dissolves adding slightly more boiling water if needed. 
3. Add 3/4 cup of room temperature water and stir. The mixture should be warm but not hot. 
4. Pour the honey water into the dry ingredients, stirring as you pour. Once the water is in, knead the ingredients together until there is no leftover dry flour in the bowl. Knead the ball for a minute more.
5. Place a cover over the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the cover and knead the dough for 3 minutes. 
7. After the 3 minutes, cover the dough ball with a bit of oil and set it back in the bowl. 
8. Cover and let it proof for 1 1/2 hours. - If your house is a bit cold and you worry it won't rise properly, you can set the bowl in the oven and turn on the oven light **DO NOT TURN ON THE HEAT**. The light and the small closed space will give it a tiny bit more warmth.
9. Once it is proofed, punch the air out of the dough and begin the shaping process. 

Shaping:

** If you are simply doing round rolls, portion out the dough into equal sized pieces, shape them into balls, place them on a baking try, cover and set them aside for their second proofing. Then gently coat them in butter before baking.

For twisted buns:

1. Remove all the air pockets from the dough and roll it out into a square shape. It will be a bit hard, but roll it out as much as the dough will allow.
2. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. 
3. Now that the gluten is relaxed, roll the dough out into a thin, rectangular sheet. 
4. Spread the 2 tablespoons of butter over the surface of the dough and fold the dough into thirds lengthwise. 
5. Cut a thin strip about half an inch wide and then cut a second strip that is slightly thicker. 
6. Place the thin strip on top of the thick strip. Using a chopstick or skewer, press into the center of the strips lengthwise making an indentation and causing the dough to curl. Remove the stick.
7. Hold the stick in one hand and drape the strip over it. Use your other hand to grab both ends of the strip together and gently pull.
8. After stretching the dough slightly, twist the stick twice causing the dough to spiral. If the dough isn't letting you do a full 2 revolutions, rest the dough for 5-10 minutes and try again.
9. Once twisted, place the end of the dough on the table and hold it in place with one hand while you gently press the stick down and into the dough (but don't tear into the dough). The end result should be a ridged sphere like shape.
10. Carefully pull the stick out.
11. Repeat this for the rest of the dough, place them on a baking sheet, cover, and let proof for 1 hour.

Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F 
2. Uncover the proofed buns
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown. 
4. Take them out of the oven and enjoy!