Fennel morning buns

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon star anise, toasted and ground 
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

Preparation:

Allow brioche dough to come to room temperature and line work surface with a sheet of parchment paper. Lightly flour parchment paper and transfer dough to parchment. Lightly flour dough and roll into a 9×12 rectangle that is ¼ inch thick. Arrange the rectangle in the landscape format, so the 12 side is in front of you. Combine brown sugar, fennel, star anise, coriander, and salt in a small bowl. Spread sugar mixture evenly over dough. Starting from the short side, begin tucking and rolling the edge of the dough over the sugar, keeping it snug. It’s important to roll the dough tightly, so the foundation is strong and it won’t unravel later when the dough is cut. Continue to roll the dough similar to a jelly roll. Lift the parchment paper to help roll the dough up. Press on the seam to make sure it sticks. Wrap parchment around the rolled dough and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375°. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat a 6-cup muffin tin with butter. Place 2 teaspoons sugar into each mold and coat evenly. Remove dough log from freezer. Use a chef’s knife to slice dough log into 6 2-inch buns and place in molds with swirl side up. Cover muffin tin loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside to proof in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Bake until golden brown, about 36 minutes, rotating halfway through. While buns bake, prepare Fennel Sugar: Combine fennel, star anise, and sugar in a medium bowl and set aside. Cool buns for 5 minutes before un molding. Coat in fennel sugar and serve.