Fun Buns

Here is another buttermilk recipe; the third I've made this summer - starting with buttermilk fried chicken, then the buttermilk pie and now these.  This recipe was the easiest of all with a quick 6 minute knead using the dough hook on my mixer and then letting the dough rise a couple of times.  The results made me smile.  The rolls turned out so big and fluffy.  They are a very bready roll, not particularly light in texture but very tasty.  Now I can't wait for winter so I can start making hearty soups and stews again, with these delicious rolls as an accompaniment.

Buttermilk Cluster

1?4 oz. active dry yeast
1?2 tsp. sugar
1 3?4 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp. honey
5 cups flour
1 1?2 tsp. kosher salt
Unsalted butter, for greasing
1 egg

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, sugar, and 1?4 cup water heated to 115°; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk and honey; add flour and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 6?8 minutes. (Sprinkle in a little water if dough seems dry.) Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 400?. Grease a 9" round springform pan with butter. Uncover dough; divide into 12 portions. Roll each dough piece into a ball; transfer ball to pan; repeat with remaining dough. Cover pan with plastic wrap and set aside to let dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tsp. water. Uncover dough and brush egg mixture over the top.  Bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dough registers 190°, about 35 minutes. (Mine took 45 minutes).  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.