Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, sugar and yeast and stir until dissolved. Allow the mixture to sit for 5–10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Once the yeast has activated and becomes foamy, add 1/2 cup pumpkin purée, beaten egg, melted butter and salt. Stir until combined.

Add 2 cups of flour and mix until completely incorporated, then add just enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead by hand for about 5–7 minutes or in a stand mixer for 3–4 minutes, adding as little additional flour as possible. The dough should become smooth and soft.

Spray a medium-sized mixing bowl with cooking spray and place the dough inside and turn it once to coat in the oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and divide the dough in half. Cut each half of the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces to form 12 portions of dough. Divide each portion into thirds and roll the pieces between your hands to form balls. Dip each ball into the additional 3 Tbsp of melted butter to coat completely, then place the 3 buttered dough balls into one cup of the muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough, sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds then cover and allow the rolls to rise until doubled in size, an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour. Reserve remaining melted butter to brush the tops after they are removed from the oven.

Bake the rolls for 13–15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven, brush with remaining melted butter and serve hot!

To make the pumpkin butter, combine all ingredients and refrigerate until needed.