1. Mix water, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar in a large bowl.  You want the water to be between 90-95 degrees, any warmer and you could kill your yeast, and cooler water won't make it bloom.  Allow the mixture to proof for 5 minutes, it should get nice and bubbly.  After the yeast mixture proofs, add the remaining sugar and the salt and stir to mix well.

2. Combine the milk, oil, egg, and extra yolk in a small bowl, beating the eggs and mixing well, then add to the yeast mixture in the larger bowl and mix well.

3. Add two cups of the flour to the large bowl and stir to combine with the yeast mixture.  Continue to add more flour, ½-cup at a time, until the dough has come together and is slightly sticky.  Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.

4. Put the dough into an oiled bowl; you can spray a bowl with cooking spray, or add about 1 tbsp of oil to your bowl and roll the dough to coat it in oil.  Cover the dough bowl with plastic wrap or a towel, set in a warm place, and allow it to rise until it has doubled in size, roughly two hours.
   

5. While your dough is rising, cook your bacon using whatever method you prefer, saving 2 tbsps of the bacon grease.  Drain the bacon on a paper-towel covered plate and allow it to cool before crumbling it.

Bacon Buns

1. Flour a large surface to roll out the dough, lightly flouring your rolling pin and hands.  You want a rectangle that measure about 12" by 18" and is about ¼"-1/2" thick.  Keep the longest side of the dough closest to you.

2. Brush the dough rectangle with the melted butter, coating the dough from edge to edge.  Sprinkle ALL the brown sugar across the buttered dough and pat it into the melted butter.  Evenly sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the brown sugar, then sprinkle with the black pepper.

3. Starting with the longest side of the dough that's closest to you, roll the dough into a tight spiral, with the bacon and brown sugar on the inside.  If the ends are very uneven, trim them to make them even.  Cut the roll in half, then in half again, giving you four smaller dough rolls.  Cut each of those rolls into three even rolls.  You should now have 12 bacon buns, plus two uneven ones that you can either throw out or bake with the larger buns.

4. Grease up your pan with the reserved bacon pan drippings.  Arrange your rolls, evenly spacing them in your pan.  A 9" x 13" baking pan works well, as does a cast iron frying pan.  Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot for another 2 hours, they'll get huge and fill the pan.

5. Preheat your oven to 350 and bake your rolls for about 20-25 minutes, until they are browned and have cooked through.  Allow to cook for 10 minutes before glazing.

Glaze & Finish the Buns

1. Thoroughly mix the maple syrup and the powdered sugar until it combines to make a glaze.  You're not looking for a frosting, but you don't want it freely flowing like your maple syrup did.  You're looking for something in between.

2. Drizzle your maple glaze over the warm buns.