Pangoccioli (Sweet Milk Buns with Chocolate Chips)

Method

1. Take the lievito madre out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Weigh 50 g of the lievito madre, add 25 ml of water and 50 g of Manitoba flour (protein ≥13%, W≈350). Knead into a ball, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (poke a small hole for air circulation) and let it ripen for 4 hours. It should triple in volume.
3. In the bowl of a planetary mixer with the leaf attachment (or in a large bowl if doing by hand), add the refreshed lievito madre, 80 g sugar, 300 ml cold whole milk, and 5 g salt. Mix until the starter and sugar dissolve and the mixture becomes frothy.
4. Gradually add the 300 g Manitoba flour and 200 g all-purpose (00) flour, a spoonful at a time, while mixing. Continue until all flour is incorporated and the dough starts to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Switch to the dough hook (or continue kneading by hand) and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and cleans the bowl.
6. Melt 70 g butter in the microwave (in short bursts, then let it cool to lukewarm). Add the melted butter to the dough in three additions, waiting until each addition is fully absorbed before adding the next. The dough will become silky and soft.
7. Add 125 g cold chocolate chips (keep them refrigerated until this moment) and mix just until evenly distributed.
8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch and fold the dough over itself to form a log. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a tight ball, keeping the outer surface smooth and taut.
9. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and let them rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
10. Butter your work surface and your hands. Take one ball of dough, flatten it to degas, then roll it up tightly into a log. Cut pieces of 45 g each and roll them into smooth balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining dough to make 24 total buns.
11. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the turned-off oven (or a warm, draft-free place) and let the buns rise for about 12 hours, or until doubled in size and very puffy.
12. Preheat the oven to 200°C (static heat, not fan-assisted).
13. Beat 1 egg with 20 ml milk. Gently brush the tops of the risen buns with the egg wash.
14. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 minutes. After about 9–10 minutes (when 4–5 minutes remain), quickly cover the buns with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
15. Remove from the oven and transfer the buns (still on the parchment paper) to a wire rack to cool completely.
16. For storage, keep the cooled buns in a paper bag placed inside a plastic bag. They will stay soft for a couple of days. To refresh, microwave for 15–20 seconds.