These pumpkin sourdough buns are perfect for serving with your Thanksgiving feast!
Place the milk, sourdough starter, flour, pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup butter, honey, egg, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough on medium speed for 20 minutes. The dough will start out slack and somewhat shaggy, but it will come together into a smooth, elastic dough.
Scrape the dough into a large, buttered glass bowl. Cover with a lid and allow to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and set aside.
On a greased work surface, divide the dough into 15 equal pieces. You can weigh the dough and divide that weight by 15 to determine how much each dough ball should weigh. Mine came out to about 101 grams per roll.
Form the balls into rolls by pinching the corners into the middle, then rolling the dough on the counter to create surface tension.
Place the balls in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until the rolls have risen up over the edge of the pan, about 2-6 hours.
About half an hour before the rolls are done rising, preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake the risen rolls in the preheated oven for 30-32 minutes, or until they're deeply browned and reach an internal temperature of 200°F.
Allow the rolls to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Brush the tops of the rolls with the 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Transfer the rolls out of the pan and onto the cooling rack to cool further until ready to serve. You can brush the tops of the rolls with more butter just before serving if most of the butter has been absorbed.
Store any leftovers in a well-sealed zippered bag at room temperature for a few days, or in the freezer for longer storage.