Sentimental Journey with Butter-Dipped Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

When I was a kid growing up in Nova Scotia, there not too many opportunities to dine out at a restaurant. My town was both small and quite poor so even the fanciest places were not much more than classy diners. At the time, of course, my siblings and I absolutely loved going out to dinner. One of my fondest early memories is at a local restaurant eating, of all things, fish and chips. Believe me, fish and chips are very big in Nova Scotia. The best part, and what made the dinner special, were the rolls. Dinner rolls, I was told, somehow made the whole thing more civilized and 'upscale'. We had bread at home, of course. And challah for Shabbat, but dinner rolls moved us into the realm of the extraordinary.

Many years later, I still remember those dinner rolls very fondly because they are a central element in a very fond childhood memory. These rolls are easy to make, and very delicious. They have a slightly chewy crust and a soft crumb. Perfect for fish and chips.

Here's What You'll Need:
for the starter:
170g (1 cup + 3 Tbs.) AP flour
202ml (3/4 cup + 2Tbs.) warm water
22g (1 Tbs. + 1/2tsp.) honey
1/4 tsp. yeast

for the dough:
156g  (1 cup + 1 1/2 Tbs.) AP flour
20g (2 Tbs. dry milk)
1/2 tsp. yeast
64g 4 1/2 Tbs.) softened butter or margarine
1 1/8 tsp. salt
56g (4 Tbs. softened butter or margarine) for dipping or glazing

Here's What You'll Need to Do:
1. Mix together the starter ingredients whisking them for about 2 minutes to incorporate air.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, dry milk and yeast evenly then spread it evenly over the surface of the starter like a blanket. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment at room temperature for at least an hour (as much as 4 hours). If the starter bubbles up through the cracks in the flour 'blanket', that's OK.

3. Add the softened butter or margarine and mix to form a rough dough. Then sprinkle the salt over it all and knead for about 10 minutes to form a smooth but slightly sticky dough.

4. Place the smooth dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat, then cover with plastic wrap to rise in a warm place. This will take as much as 2 hours.
5. Divide the dough into 18 pieces about 30g (1oz.) each and roll into a ball. Place three of these balls into a cup of a greased muffin tin. The 18 pieces will make 6 cloverleaf rolls.

6. Cover and let the rolls rise about 45 minutes. About 15 minutes before baking time pre-heat the oven to 350F (175C).
7. Bake the rolls for about 17 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Brush with melted butter or margarine while still hot from the oven. Cool on a rack.