Add 1 tbsp of sugar and half of the warm milk to the yeast and let it soften for a couple of minutes.

Pour the rest of the milk in the bowl of your standing mixer. Add the eggs and sugar and beat them on medium speed, until pale and creamy. Continue with the orange juice and the orange zest.

Stir yeast, sugar and milk and add it to the mixture.

Add mahleb and mastic and blend.

Start adding flour gradually and mix on low speed. If after the last addition of flour your dough is still too wet, add more flour-one tbsp at a time-just until the sides of your bowl are clean.

Finally add the butter. Knead on low speed, until it's fully incorporated. The dough is ready when it sticks a little at the tips of your fingers and it's smooth and elastic.

Use olive or sunflower oil to gather the dough easily and with a spatula turn it out onto your work surface.

Knead the dough with your hands for a while and put it in a lightly greased bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap to avoid skin forming, place it in a warm spot and let it rise for 90 min.

Once it has doubled in size, press the dough gently with your hands to deflate it and turn it out onto your work surface.

Weigh the dough and cut it into 90g pieces.

Roll each piece of dough with your fingers till it gets 30cm long; then twist it thrice and it's ready.

Let them rise again for 30min.

Mix the egg yolk with two tablespoons of water and gently brush your buns. TIPS: •I don't use the whole egg for the eggwash because after a lot of experimentation, I found that the egg white gets burned easily, giving an unpleasant taste and a dark brown colour that 's not so attractive. •Add a few drops of vanilla or orange extract in the egg-wash and make your buns smell wonderful!

Bake in a preheated oven, at 180°C/350°F, for 17-20 minutes, until they're golden brown.