These rolls are a lot of work to make, but well worth it. One of the things I'm making for Thanksgiving (more recipes to follow).

Buttermilk Fantail Rolls
1 stick unsalted butter
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105–115°F)
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (can use all all-purpose if you prefer)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk (mix 1 cup milk with 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice for similar result)

Stir together yeast, warm water, and honey in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.) Melt butter in small dish and set aside.

Mix flour, salt, buttermilk, and 6 Tbsp melted butter into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn out dough onto a well-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.

Put dough in an greased large bowl (I use the butter wrapper) 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.

Punch down dough (do not knead), then halve. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin (about 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining half covered with plastic wrap). Brush dough with butter and cut into 6 equal strips. Stack strips, buttered sides up, and cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Turn each piece on a side and put into one of the cups in a muffin pan. Make more rolls with remaining dough in same manner. Separate outer layers of each roll to fan outward.

Cover rolls with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled and dough fills cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush tops with remaining butter, then transfer rolls to a rack and cool at least 20 minutes.

Makes 12.