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1
Stir together water, yeast, and honey in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
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2
Stir salt into 3 cups flour in a large bowl, then add yeast mixture, buttermilk, and butter, stirring until a soft dough forms.
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3
Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, adding just enough more flour to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic, 6 to 10 minutes.
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4
Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
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5
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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6
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air. Cut dough into 18 equal pieces. Cup your hand over 1 piece and, using your thumb and pinkie to keep ball inside your cupped hand, push dough with heel of your hand against work surface while rolling in a circular motion (clockwise or counterclockwise) to form a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough, arranging balls 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with kitchen towel and let rolls rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
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7
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375u00b0F.
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8
Brush rolls lightly with egg wash and bake until rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool at least 15 minutes.
