Orange Pumpkin Cloverleafs

Ingredients

• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-ounce package)
• 1/4 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
• 1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 2 large eggs, divided, plus 1 yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups

Instructions

1. 1

   Butter muffin cups with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

2. 2

   Stir together yeast, warm milk, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)

3. 3

   Mix flour, salt, pumpkin, 1 whole egg, yolk, orange zest and juice, and remaining 5 tablespoon butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and your hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Form dough into a ball.

4. 4

   Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

5. 5

   Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll half of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured hands into a 12-inch-long log (keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap).

6. 6

   Cut log into 6 equal pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Roll each piece into a 1-inch ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in a circular motion. Put 3 balls side by side in each of 6 muffin cups.

7. 7

   Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough is about 1 inch above rim of muffin cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

8. 8

   Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

9. 9

   Whisk together remaining egg and water and brush on tops of rolls. (You will have leftover egg wash.)

10. 10

    Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.