Orange-Spice Challah Buns

1. In a medium bowl, combine the yeast, warm water and orange juice. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until slightly foamy.Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, salt and cardamom. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and 2 eggs.

2. Add yeast mixture and egg mixture to the flour mixture; stir to combine. Knead, either by hand on a floured surface or with a dough hook on medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes, adding more flour as necessary (but resist any urge to add too much!), until you have a smooth and slightly sticky dough.

3. Transfer dough to an extra-large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, chill dough in refrigerator overnight, then let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping.)

4. Divide dough into 18 pieces. Shape into balls and place on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Loosely cover and let rise 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush buns with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until buns are golden brown and have an internal temperature of 190°. Slide paper onto wire racks and let buns cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Shopping Tip

Swedish pearl sugar is a coarse, crunchy white sugar that doesn't melt in the oven. It's a bit hard to find, but King Arthur Flour is a good online source.