1. Using kitchen scissors, cut 18 pieces of twine measuring 30 centimetres (12 inches) each.
(You will need 3 pieces of twine per roll.)
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your milk, water and yeast.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar and fine sea salt.
4. Add the softened butter to the yeast mixture, followed by the dry ingredients.
(Adding softened butter ensures that it will be incorporated evenly into the dough.)
5. Mix on low speed using the hook attachment for 4 to 6 minutes or until a dough forms, taking care not to overwork it.
6. Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a ball.
Place it in a separate bowl and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Leave to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
7. Once your dough has proofed, weigh out six 150-gram dough balls using a dough scraper and digital scale for accuracy.
8. Form each dough ball by pinching the corners over themselves towards the middle of the ball.
When the ball becomes tighter, roll the dough so the pinched side is on the underside of the roll.
Tip: Don’t roll or form the dough too hard or for too long – we want to keep them light and fluffy!
9. Take your first 3 pieces of twine and lie them over each other on your work surface in the shape of an asterisk or star.
Place a dough ball in the middle of the twine
10. Take the ends of one string and gently tie them in a knot over the top of the dough ball.
Do the same with the other 2 pieces of twine, overlapping the strings to create the pumpkin segments. Clip the excess twine. Repeat the steps with the remaining 5 rolls.
11. Put the rolls on a baking sheet, cover them with a towel and let them proof at room temperature for 1 hour.
12. 40 minutes into your proof, preheat your Volt to 260 °C.
If using a Karu 16, Karu 12G, or home oven, preheat to 230 °C.
13. Once the rolls have finished proofing, brush them with melted butter (saving a bit for a post-bake brush) and sprinkle on flaky sea salt.
Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes; at the 6-minute mark, take the pan out of the oven using your oven gloves and turn the pan 90 degrees for an even bake.
Tip: If using the Volt, you’ll want to focus the heat dispersion towards the bottom (the stone) so that the bottoms of the rolls get browned and the tops don’t burn and stay nice and pillowy.
If using a Karu 16, Karu 12G, or home oven, bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown in colour (you don’t need to turn the pan).
14. Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Brush with the remaining melted butter for a little extra fat and flavour. Let cool, then carefully cut off the twine using scissors.
15. For extra visual appeal, poke a hole in the middle of each roll with a butter knife and gently insert a cinnamon stick – just remember not to eat the stick!.
For extra visual appeal, poke a hole in the middle of each roll with a butter knife and gently insert a cinnamon stick – just remember not to eat the stick!
16. Serve warm and enjoy!.