The Alton Brown recipe does call for some sugar - 1/3 c. as opposed to Alexandra’s 1/2 c., though I usually reduce that to a scant 1/4 c. when using the dough for dinner rolls. Tenderness typically comes from enrichment (fat/dairy) anyway, not so much from sugar - and the AB recipe is very tender, like an extra-soft brioche. The two recipes are otherwise nearly identical except that Alexandra’s calls for a whole egg instead of two yolks. As I said I have never made HCB so I don’t really know how sweet they are supposed to be, but for my taste the AB recipe plus glaze would be plenty sweet.
